Marines Charged in Desecration Incident Face Trial

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Froma Marine Corps Combat Development Command News Release
QUANTICO, Va. – Charges against twoMarines were referred to trial by courts-martial Sept. 21 for their allegedinvolvement in urinating on deceased Taliban fighters and for posing forunofficial photographs with human casualties in Afghanistan.
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Richard P. Mills,commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development command, referred thecharges.
The incident allegedly took place duringa counterinsurgency operation near Sandala in the Musa Qala district ofAfghanistan’s Helmand province on or about July 27, 2011. The charges werereferred to courts-martial by Lieutenant General Richard P. Mills, theCommanding General of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.
Marine Corps Staff Sgts. Joseph W.Chamblin and Edward W. Deptola also were charged for other misconduct thatallegedly took place during the same operation, including being derelict intheir duties by failing to properly supervise junior Marines, failing torequire junior Marines to wear their personal protective equipment, failing tostop and report the misconduct of junior Marines, failing to report thenegligent discharge of a grenade launcher, and failing to stop theindiscriminate firing of weapons.
Deptola also is charged with failing tostop the unnecessary damaging of Afghan compounds and wrongfully andindiscriminately firing a recovered enemy machine gun.
Both Marines are assigned to 3rdBattalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Last month, three Marines receivednonjudicial punishment for misconduct that came to light during severalinvestigations into the desecration incident, shown in a video that becamepublic and circulated widely on the Internet in January. Disciplinary actionsregarding other Marines will be announced at a later date, officials said.
The charges are accusations against theindividual Marines, officials emphasized, and the accused are presumed innocentand are guaranteed the right to due process under the Uniform Code of MilitaryJustice.
“There are other pending cases relatedto this incident. In order to preserve the integrity of the investigations andto ensure fair and impartial legal proceedings in the future, we will notdiscuss evidence or specific findings of the investigations,” the command saidin a written statement. “We will be as forthright as possible while preservingthe rights of the accused and the fairness and integrity of the militaryjustice process.”