Hundreds attended funeral services for Pvt. Danny Chen, 19, of New York, on Oct. 13, 2011. Chen was found dead in a guard tower in southern Afghanistan on Oct. 3. Army investigators say Chen, a new soldier who had been in the Army just seven months, shot himself after senior soldiers in his platoon repeatedly abused him physically and mentally as combat-zone punishment. Eight soldiers, including an officer have been charged in Chen’s death; five accused of the most serious charges — involuntary manslaughter to negligent homicide. (Reuters)
Courts-martial to Begin Next Week at Fort Bragg in Death of Pvt. Danny Chen
by Drew Brooks
Fayetteville Observer, July 17, 2012
The first of eight courts-martial related to a soldier’s suicide in Afghanistan last year is scheduled to begin next week on Fort Bragg.
Sgt. Adam Holcomb is charged in the death of Pvt. Danny Chen, a 19-year-old soldier from New York.
Pvt. Danny Chen
Holcomb’s trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. July 24, according to Fort Bragg. The case is expected to last through July 27.
Holcomb is charged with negligent homicide, reckless endangerment, communicating a threat, assault, two counts of maltreatment of a subordinate, dereliction of duty and four counts of violating a lawful general regulation.
Chen died in Afghanistan on Oct. 3, according to officials.
He allegedly suffered racial taunts and physical abuse at the hands of soldiers in his company and eventually shot himself in a guard tower at Combat Outpost Palace near Kandahar.
Holcomb is one of eight soldiers in Chen’s unit who have been charged.
Read the rest of this story:
http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/07/16/1191031?sac=fo.military
Filed under: Resources Tagged: | Adam Holcomb, Afghanistan, Combat Outpost Palace, Court-Martial, Fort Bragg, Investigation, Military Suicide, Militay Hazing, Negligent Homicide, Pvt. Danny Chen
Justice would be better served if the activists and media would stop trying to make this a racial thing. Perhaps more attention should be focused toward the headline of suicide killing more in military than combat. Stop trying to put the blame on those who had very little to do with the outcome.