The Kill Team

[NatureNinja22]

Has anyone seen the 2013 documentary The Kill Team? If not I'll summarize. Basically a few men in an Army infantry platoon murderred 3 Afhgani civilians in cold blood back in 2010. In the end, the men in the platoon were caught and brought to justice, but one thing stuck out to me about the movie in particular.

At the end of the movie, a private that was involved with the murders said that murders committed on civilian Afghanis were commonplace and took place all throughout combat positions in the military. Is this true? To me it seems like there is something seriously wrong if so.

 

[NatureNinja22]

Can someone explain to me why my post was disliked? I have a complete civilian perspective here so maybe there is something offensive in my post?

 

[Ooh-Rah]

@Kaldak -


To the OP:

My initial reaction was to “dislike” your post as well. Think about the audience of whom you are asking the question to.

You are brand new here and have never served in the military. How forthcoming do you expect folks to be with you around such an unpleasant topic?

 

[NatureNinja22]

I have no idea how forthcoming a topic like this will be. I don't know anything about the general view of this topic nor if it is a touchy subject. I have no problem deleting the post. I'm not trying to stir controversy or bother anyone.

 

[NatureNinja22]

@Ooh-Rah

I enjoy being a member of this forum so I'd like to keep the privilege of being a member. How can I delete this post so that I may refrain from offending more people. Apologies to all whom I have offended.

 

[Grunt]

You have not offended me. You have to understand that we are all a little skeptical of any "documentary" that shows that our guys are willy-nilly killing *anyone* without reason -- especially to where we are described as being a *Kill Team.*

We are generally the first to cry out and condemn murdering clowns - especially if they are in a uniform.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

@Ooh-Rah

I enjoy being a member of this forum so I'd like to keep the privilege of being a member. How can I delete this post so that I may refrain from offending more people. Apologies to all whom I have offended.

No need to delete, and you did not do anything wrong. As is said here often, sometimes it is best to ‘read more and post less.”

The search function on this site is one of the best on any forum, pick a topic and and read the threads....it can be a fun rabbit hole to go down. Doing so will give you a better idea of who’s who, and which topics are better left alone until you are more established.

Glad to have you here!

 

[NatureNinja22]

You have not offended me. You have to understand that we are all a little skeptical of any "documentary" that shows that our guys are willy-nilly killing *anyone* without reason -- especially to where we are described as being a *Kill Team.*

We are generally the first to cry out and condemn murdering clowns - especially if they are in a uniform.

That's really good to know. I assume 99% of people who have been in combat are decent people that take no pleasure in these acts. I appreciate your input.

 

[NatureNinja22]

No need to delete, and you did not do anything wrong. As is said here often, sometimes it is best to ‘read more and post less.”

The search function on this site is one of the best on any forum, pick a topic and and read the threads....it can be a fun rabbit hole to go down. Doing so will give you a better idea of who’s who, and which topics are better left alone until you are more established.

Glad to have you here!

I will remember that. Thank you.

 

[Kaldak]

What @Ooh-Rah said and @Agoge said.

Sadly there will always be a bad apple or two in the whole of any orchard. The question and thread title rub me wrong. Nothing towards you personally.

 

[NatureNinja22]

What @Ooh-Rah said and @Agoge said.

Sadly there will always be a bad apple or two in the whole of any orchard. The question and thread title rub me wrong. Nothing towards you personally.

Understood. Thank you.

 

[Marauder06]

Yes, I saw the video. In fact, I moderated a screening of the movie and panel discussiOn with Adam Winfield and the “Kill Team” producer when they came to West Point a couple of years back. If I remember correctly there were about 500 cadets and faculty in the audience. They asked some really tough and thoughtful questions and the panel members were extremely forthcoming.

In answer to your question, the assertion that murders are, or were, widespread is absolutely ridiculous. The modern US military is perhaps the most disciplined, and certainly the most heavily monitored, fighting force that has ever existed. I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan seven times and never committed or observed any war crimes. They are rare. Unless you believe “anything more than one” is “commonplace,” then it’s not.

I personally found the events laid out in the book “Black Hearts” to be far more disturbing than “Kill Team.”

 

[Gunz]

We had actual "Kill Teams" in my unit--and that's the only reason I looked at this thread. But our KTs (Kilo Tangos) were comprised of two or three Marines with a radio, rifles, kabars and frags who left the main ambush site to prowl the trails in search of the enemy--NOT civilian targets.

To add: I've been called a "Baby Killer" by some hippy bitch just for serving my country honorably in an unpopular war. I don't take kindly to any suggestions that American Warfighters are murderers.

 

[AWP]

In answer to your question, the assertion that murders are, or were, widespread is absolutely ridiculous. The modern US military is perhaps the most disciplined, and certainly the most heavily monitored, fighting force that has ever existed.

This.

---

Widespread, organized killing of civilians and we have a documentary, and only a blurb in a documentary as "evidence?" Yeah, I'm good. Next up, Afghan Clue. It was AWP in the tunnel with a hammer.

 

[Marauder06]

^yep. And I think people tend to forget that Kill Team was pretty much Adam Winfield’s defense team’s project. It didn’t even try to be objective.

Kil Team and Black Hearts are extreme examples, but they are useful to show what can happen if NCOs and junior officers aren’t in everyone’s business on a consistent basis. Bad things can happen when young men are scared, bored, angry, and armed.

 

[SpitfireV]

I think the basic thing to look at is: If this is true and was widespread, where are the independant sources? There'd be multiple.

If a secretive unit like the SASR can't keep alleged war crimes secret, what hope would multiple regular force units have?

 

[Gunz]

...Kil Team and Black Hearts are extreme examples, but they are useful to show what can happen if NCOs and junior officers aren’t in everyone’s business on a consistent basis. Bad things can happen when young men are scared, bored, angry, and armed.

True. If those young men lack solid training, if they don't have a clear understanding of the mission, if they start to resent the locals for their own predicament, for the losses they've suffered, if they're exhausted and sleep deprived, if morale and attitudes are at an all-time low...bad things can happen in seconds. Calley is an extreme and rare example, a bad officer leading demoralized draftees...but in every war, in every army, we can find flash-point atrocities against civilians.

But, as you wrote, sir:

"The modern US military is perhaps the most disciplined, and certainly the most heavily monitored, fighting force that has ever existed."

I also believe it would be very hard these days for a William Calley to make it through the pipeline.

 

[Marauder06]

I also believe it would be very hard these days for a William Calley to make it through the pipeline.

Having taught at West Point for the last five years, I’m not so sure brother. ;)

 

[Gunz]

Yes sir, I forgot about Spencer Rapone and some of the other asshats who've tarnished the Academy over the years. Thankfully they are in the minority.

 

[Muppet]

I've seen it pop up on NETFLIX. I've made the decision, not to watch it, based on the aforementioned comments made by my brethern here.