Green Beret Who Beat Afghan Child Molester Will Get to Keep His Job

When Sergeant 1st Class Charles Martland learned that a young boy had been raped by a powerful Afghan police commander (who had been trained by the U.S. military), he knew that he had to do something. The higher-ups encouraged him to let it go, saying that it was just part of the culture in Afghanistan, and that the local authorities would handle it. Instead, Martland and his team leader Daniel Quinn, approached the police commander and physically attacked him after he admitted to the rape and laughed about it.

That was in September of 2011. Martland and his team leader were then removed from their post, and eventually reprimanded for their actions. For kicking the crap out of a rapist, they were discharged and sent home.

Quinn left the Army, but Martland has never stopped fighting his discharge, and it seems he has finally won. On Thursday the Army reversed its decision to discharge Martland. According to an Army spokesman, “In SFC Martland’s case, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records determination modified a portion of one of SFC Martland’s evaluation reports and removed him from the QMP list, which will allow him to remain in the Army.”

The Chief Council for the ACLJ, which lead a petition in support of Martland last year, stated “Justice has been served. The U.S. military has a moral obligation to stop child sexual abuse and exonerate SFC Martland for defending a child from rape. The Army finally took the corrective action needed and this is not only a victory for SFC Martland, but for the American people as well.”