Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, is among congressional representatives leading the charge to save the career of a U.S. Army Green Beret facing discharge for roughing up an Afghan militiaman who kept a 12-year-old boy as a sex slave.
Hunter and Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, are seeking support for House of Representatives Resolution 451, which expresses the House’s “sense” that Sgt. Charles Martland’s actions were justified, and he should not be penalized with involuntary “separation” from the Army.
“Sergeant Martland courageously confronted a United States-backed Afghan military commander for keeping a boy chained to his bed as a sex slave,” according to the resolution. “But instead of commending Sergeant Martland for standing up to a child predator, the Army decided to expel him from the service.”
According to Hunter, Martland and Capt. Danny Quinn, both of whom were part of a U.S. Special Forces team stationed in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province in September 2011, learned that the Afghan militia leader had abducted the boy and brought him onto the military compound, shackling him and sexually assaulting him over a two-week period.
Citing reports authored by Martland and Quinn, Hunter said the two men spoke with the boy after he had escaped from the militiaman. They also spoke with the child’s mother, who said that she had been beaten by the commander when she insisted that he release her son, according to Hunter.
After hearing the stories, Martland and Quinn interviewed the commander, who “laughed in their face, (telling) them he would not stop and suggested they find something else to do with their time,” Hunter said.
“So Quinn picked up the commander and threw him on the ground,” Hunter said. “Martland did the same. In doing so, they conveyed to the commander, loud and clear, that the abuse of children — especially in the presence of U.S. forces — won’t be tolerated.”
It has been widely reported that in the Afghan culture, retention of “Bacha bazi,” or tea boys, for the sexual gratification of men is considered acceptable behavior.
The Afghan militiaman reportedly fled from the base immediately after the confrontation with Quinn and Martland.
When Army officials received word of what had transpired, the two soldiers were called before superiors to explain their actions, culminating in administrative hearings under the Army’s Qualitative Management Program.
Quinn left the service. Martland, an 11-year veteran and Bronze Star recipient for bravery in battle, decided to fight disciplinary proceedings and appeal the outcome. A review panel decided he should be discharged, effective Nov. 1.
Army Secretary John McHugh decided to delay the involuntary separation for 60 days to give the Green Beret additional time to seek a hearing before the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records, according to published reports.
“Members of the Armed Forces should be rewarded, not punished, for upholding American values,” Hunter and Buchanan wrote in their resolution.
“Putting the interests of Afghan rapists ahead of American war heroes is a national disgrace. The Americans who should be punished are those who created and condone the immoral and reprehensible policy that encourages members of the Armed Forces to ignore child rape.”
The resolution requests that Defense Secretary Ash Carter wipe Martland’s slate clean and reinstate him to active duty.
— City News Service