‘He Should Never Have Gone to Iraq’

The United States Air Force took my long haired, punk ass, off the streets of Fremont California, whipped my ass into a man, taught me a craft, sent me to high school to get a diploma, gave me a home, a job, and a good life. There is a job for nearly everyone in the service. Many of those jobs entail large risk.
The only problem here is one of classification. This kid is a hero who wanted to serve his country. There were and are a lot of jobs for his skill sets. The recruiter needs to be taken to the woodshed.

I have another post because this is truly important to me...not only because i knew David as a person spending HRS AND HRS with him, but that i fear the same thing is going to happen to someone else. It was clear that David should have never been able to enlist in the military. I will give you many instances in which the company that i worked for made him a harder person physically, but tore him down psychologically.

I would like to add that i had the pleasure of spending 4 months with this young man while he was in an adjudicated facility where i worked. He mostly cared for those that took him seriously and didn't take him for granted. It truly is amazing that the military would take such an individual that had such a profound mental retardation and instability. I remember many nights where David would not go lay in his bunk after lights out....which meant he had to be subdued. His physical presence obviously took the forefront to his intelligence. As sad as it is to say...i demote the Umilitary for sending this person to become a soldier

How is it that service members today are still sent to war and even allowed into the military. We can put a 2,000 lb guided bomb in an air shaft in Ramadi to deal with a much wanted killer yet we can't bring forward our mentally ill soldiers for treatment and seperation from service. Hmmm, okay how about this....The numbers of suicides are through the roof and off the charts in todays military. PTSD is off the charts in todays military. Mental issues are at the headlines in major papers and magazines and no one in this soldiers command had enough backbone to use their right to take this case higher until a competent leader could remove him from service? Something tells me that this dead soldiers leaders received medals for their leadership and performance while they should be investigated and brought onto the legal carpet. Unless of course this isn't wanted because it would expose too many more cases with similar results. The recruiter that recruited him, the drill sergeant that trained him, the instructor that qualified him and the unit leaders that allowed him on the plane to the Middle East....well, hats off to each of you. You have certainly raised the level of incompetence to a whole new bar. Sleep well and eat well. In the meantime, consider your options next time when another David Dietrich enters your radars. That is if you have them turned on and know how to read them.

First and foremost, this story was very well written. As a retired military leader that served and was wounded and disabled in the Iraq War in 2005, this is not something new in the United States Army from my experience. Sadly, this soldier lost his life. Who fired the shot remains a question in my mind but, that is a whole other issue. My experiences while serving in my career found multiple cases where soldiers were a threat to themselves and many others in the line of their duties. This responsibility lies solely in the laps of Private Dietrichs' chain of command from his squad leader to his BN Commander. It is the daily responsibility of leaders in todays Armed Forces to see to it that the welfare and health of their soldiers are monitored and reported effectively AND immediately through the most senior leaders overseeing such said soldiers. That said, most can argue that Private Dietrich lied on his entrance exams when joining the Army. Case point here is that he was enlisting into Combat Arms and everyone knows where they end up in the battle field. Next, as a former Combat Arms soldier who served in combat training combat arms soldiers as a qualified FT Knox Instructor, not only did Private Dietrichs' leaders fail, so too did his instructors at Ft Knox and Kuwait that recertify 90% of U.S. Servicemembers before pushing north into enemy occupied Iraq.
Having a 19 Delta Qualified soldier stay behind in the rear to fill sandbags and pull meaningless details is not an acceptable form of handling a soldiers competence and capabilities when just over the wall lies the enemy. The fact that he made it through 19 Delta School at Ft Knox and then made it to a war zone is troubling and an open book for investigations by any competent law firm and all competent governments. This factual case DOES NOT PASS THE SMELL TEST at all corners and surely has the aroma of " our nation sent a mentally incompetent human being to war." Leaders at all levels are responsible for the failures and successes of the servicemembers in their chains of command period. Private Dietrichs' family needs more that a handfull of medals, and money and a flag. They need answers. Answers that far outweigh medals and money and yes, even this nations flag. Those answers needed are simply the truth because the truth far outweighs all things material.
I personally have seen the other side of mentally incompetent soldiers serving in a warzone. I know of two widows and 5 children that are without their loved one forever because leaders failed to remove such an obvious derelict. Private Dietrichs Bronze Star and Purple Heart were earned with a price that many have paid. I sense that many will continue to pay this price because of recruiting efforts that remain the toughest since the Cold War. My sincerest respects and sympathy to Private Dietrichs family and fellow soldiers.

This Article Should be about. "Why are so many young Americans with good educations avoiding the Military while others who might be less qalified are left to answer the call?" The Military is not to blame. Like my Brother Capt James Shull, Pvt David Diethich is a true Ameican Hero.

Wow, I am shocked that people are still descussing this article. This kid wasn't the first to die in Iraq we should all keep this in mind. I don't blame the military untirely for this botched war, as i do the president and his friends. In response to Randy H... I know the pledge that the american military gives to it's country, but you missed my point, I honestly believe... no! I know that if they(the american soilders) were not recieving any type of compensation for their "so-called efforts" (paychecks, free degrees, etc...) then we would see a definite decline in people who join the army, these little tid bits of life give them incentive and hope, the problem is if they die, they(the american soilders) don't see a penny of it in their grave, all they get is a nice coffin and a small white stone. So behind all the honor and pride for there country, in the end they still have a "fat" check waiting for them if they live. So in reality they do fight for this because if you remove it, I am sure they would look for a way out of this job, because nobody would fight for free, except fprthose defending their country... and as of now that is not america... america is fighting for her intrest. I hope this made my comment clear. Take care.

Ok...ask yourself this ..What did I do for my country. Did I babble about how bad our Government is? Did I believe in the war on terror? Did I offer myslef to my country ? In ten years when most of this Iraq incursion, it will show how beneficial it had been to the area. The U.S. did not start this, nor will we end it. It in our best National intrest to be in Iraq, Afghanistan, and possibly Syria and Iran. The same people that criticize this war are the same people that cry out for help in Darfur. The same genocide was happening in Iraq, and throughout the Muslim world. It has been going on for Centuries, wthout out our help. Which one of the experts can say that it won't . The only thing that is proven is that without our help killings and terrorism continue, It remains to be seen if it will help.. I am a Iraq veteran, and have seen first hand, the gratitude the Iraqi citizens have for us. If the citizens in Iraq had more constructive input in there own country, our presence would naturally diminish. But hey that is asking for alot, hell people in our country rarely do anything but throw their own misguided opinions around and go out of there way to improve it. If every citizen in the U.S. would fulfill their duty to their country and serve it well, guys that shouldn't be there medically and mentally wouldn't. In respect To Pvt. Deitrich he died a honorable death, in battle, in defense of his country. Name something that you snickering ingrates have done that was honorable for your country...

Yeah judgment like voting NO for the NEW GI BILL, Hey Mr. McCain who are we suposed to be killing in Iraq, sunni or shia? What's a Kurd? And even though the US weapons inspectors said there were NO weapons, expolsives, or ammunition from Iran, and the latest NIE said Iran had backed away from uranium enrichment...why are you deterimined to take this country into another, a third war? Is it because of your "experience" and "Judgment"?

OMG Look at what CornHolyO posted...it's amazing...

Posted By: HolyRoller @ 07/11/2008 21:56:41
Comment: 4+ a gallon. If Israel bombs Iran US gets involved, McBushes wet dream, except we have NO military to support a third war, more of our children die, which if fine with McCain as he does not support them anyway oh yeah, soon 7-8/gallon.

McCain-Killing and Drilling now
"Handsome"-kNOws it will have no immediate effect on prices and infact would take years and caot billions to even get to, cost passed on to the US in dollars on the gallon, and if there ever was oil found, NO promise from any of the US oil folks to NEVER RAISE PRICES AGAIN ABOVE 1$ a gal.

McCain-Nucular Energy Plants Now but also thinks that NE plants have root and grow in the ground
"Handsome"- tells George Bush the word is NUCLEAR...

McCain-Clean Coal Energy Now, thinks this means polishing all the little pieces of coal, insists this would be a great job for illegals.
"Handsom"-NO problem with it at all, unless you ask Sean Hannity.

McCain-Shale Oil Now, thinks that Shale is another faction of epople from Iraq, sunni Shia, Shale, and "What the hell is a Kurd."
"Handsome"-NO problem here either, wow he's on the ball.

McCain-Independent from Middle East Oil or stay in Iraq for 100 yrs? What ever comes first
Hussein-kNOws, they are out of oil in Saudi in 2015, let them dry up and blow away. along with the oil a$$es here.

McCain-American Hero, crashed 5 fighters before being shot down, cried "my daddy is an admiral" when he was caught, willingly did 32 propagnada films for the VC, earning the nickname ":Song Bird" (google it)because as soon as he was caught he started singing for the enemy, lied to America's POWs when he said he wouild never politicize his status as a "pow", and then never stopped doing it. Turned his back on our troops on the recent GI Bill Vote, where he no showed and no voted because he was to afraid to face the music and just vote against it...my hero.
Hussein-Not only out of power but DEAD and even though that was our "mission" we are still in Iraq and our children are still sying,

NOTHINGLIKEOBAMA!!!
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WOW! What a statement, good for you ConrHolyO, way to go...glad to see you come around