WASHINGTON – For a soldier on a far-off battlefield, nothing is more important than a rifle – and a package from home.
Soldiers in remote outposts in Afghanistan are seething after the arrests of a dozen service members caught stealing mail meant for troops in harm’s way. Last weekend, three soldiers at Bagram Airfield’s post office, where mail is processed, were found guilty in court-martial hearings of mail theft, a base official confirmed.
“The other nine service members suspected are awaiting (punitive) action,” said Army Lt. Col. Jerry O’Hara. “All involved have been removed from duties that involve mail or mail handling.”
The three convicted soldiers got sentences ranging from four to 30 months in a brig, were stripped of rank and pay, and will be dishonorably discharged.
The wait for mail in Afghanistan is a particularly long one because of a shortage of helicopters. “It would be just theft if it wasn’t for the impact on morale here,” said a Purple Heart recipient fresh off a combat patrol. “Imagine you’re away from home for so long and you receive a gift or package from a loved one, only to find out the contents have been gone through, or you’ve not received the package at all,” the soldier said in an e-mail. “Maybe they’ll let me cut off their hands.”
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