Placing an entire nation on trial and its military at risk, one Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is deservedly getting a very public vetting. Perhaps an honest exploration into the background of this man will reveal markers to identify other treats simmering in plane view. America is so desperate for heros and uplifting stories its easy to slap the label of great guy/gal on anyone willing to put on a uniform.
However, a closer inspection of these so called heroic warriors may uncover an uncomfortable percentage of really troubled souls. Like most successful serial killers and career criminals, many of those who "knew them well" would often give glowing recommendations, while rarely pointing out any of the culprit's negative points.
Considering the troubles Sergeant Bale was facing in his personnel life we, were wondering what the percentile of "loose screws" the military is returning to the states and how they can be recognized before they're seen on CNN hold up in some family garage with a hostage. Many of these souls were troubled long before they signed up for service and multiple tours of duty certainly didn't help them improve their personal state of being.
As a result, some are returning far more damaged than when they left. Making matters worse, these people now have convenient explanations for behaviors they might have been prone to engage in without the hell of war. According to the Washington Post, Sergeant Bales was a crook with serious character flaws before he enlisted in the Army.
An arbitrator ordered Bales and the owner of the firm that employed him to pay $1.4 million — about half for compensation and half in punitive damages — for taking part in “fraud” and “unauthorized trading,” according to a ruling from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the independent disciplinary board for brokers and brokerage houses. This court ordered judgement was never paid. The guy Bales defrauded never got a penny.
But fraud was not the only issue Sergeant Bales was having with the law. This heroic warrior had repeated encounters with the local authorities over drunk driving, a hit and run accident and an assault charge. With his home being sold at a loss, what exactly did Sergeant have to return to?
The Bottom line is how many more like Staff Sergeant Bales are returning to the States wearing a weary smile and harboring a distant emotional state. We need to know who is ready to face poor job prospects, bills they can't pay, families they really don't know and friends that really don't understand or care enough.
We need to know can handle real life and who can't. We really need to know who we're driving in front of on the highway or standing in line behind at the supermarket before we engage someone who might be easily enraged. In a nutshell, We need to know who America is defending.
Are we defending a soldier who cracked or just a garden variety loser? Either way, thankfully Staff Sergeant Bales cracked his nut before he came home. Unfortunately, others may be able to restrain themselves or hide their issues a little longer. Bales is being held at a detention center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He is expected to be formally charged in the coming days.
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