Army general apologizes for tattoo strip search. National Guard soldiers ordered to remove clothes while on duty in Kuwait, MSNBC, Updated: 7:38 p.m. CT June 12, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A top U.S. Army investigator has apologized to New Mexico National Guard soldiers who were ordered to strip to their gym shorts and were searched for gang tattoos while they were on duty in Kuwait.
I know this occurred some time ago but this story highlights the focus on irrelevancies by the military leadership in this war.
No tattoos were found on the 58 members of Task Force Cobra, made up of soldiers from Guard units around New Mexico. Task Force Cobra was sent to the Middle East in November 2005 to provide security for military convoys in Iraq, Kuwait and Qatar. Its soldiers returned home last November and the unit has since been disbanded.
Task force members and the commander of the New Mexico National Guard, Brig. Gen. Kenny C. Montoya, have alleged the unit was targeted because of its large number of Hispanic soldier
Can you believe this? What did they think these guys were going to do, setup links with insurgents? The people in charge of the military obviously have too much time on their hands, as evidenced by the incompetence of war planning and implementation. They sent people over there to fight but want to make sure they are the right sort AFTER they get there. What would they have done to them if they had found gang tattoos? That is the scary part...would they have put them in some kind of detention?
Soldiers are dying in increasingly rapid numbers and these idiots, generals in charge, even in 2005-2006, were concerned about gang members infiltrating the national guard and doing something terrible like serving in the hell hole that is Iraq.
This is our military leadership at work.
Based on comments, I have several questions?
Why not check unit before deployment?
Does military check for white supremist group members?
Do Muslims have have to swear allegiance to USA?
Isn't training possible future internal or external opponents an unintended consequence of war?