The Army just delayed the discharge of the sergeant accused of shoving an Afghan police commander to the ground for raping a small boy.
Army Secretary John McHugh’s decision to grand a 60-day reprieve for Sergeant First Class Charles Martland follows on the heels of a discussion earlier Tuesday with GOP Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Army Times reports.
Thornberry asked McHugh in a phone call and subsequent letter to delay Martland’s discharge in order to allow him adequate time to mount an appeal. Now, Martland will have just a little more time to file with the Army Board for the Correction of Military Records.
Martland’s case has attracted wide support from the public, veterans’ group and members of Congress. GOP Reps. Duncan Hunter and Vern Buchanan recently introduced a resolution into the House calling for the legislative body to demand that Martland be fully reinstated. (RELATED: House Reps Introduce Resolution To Reinstate Green Beret Turfed For Roughing Up Afghan Boy Rapist)
Many view him as a hero for standing up to an Afghan rapist, especially amid recent reports that the U.S. military encouraged troops to look the other way and ignore the sexual abuse of boys. The Army selected him for discharge four years after the incident occurred. (RELATED: Major Veterans’ Organizations Support Resolution Demanding Reinstatement Of Green Beret Discharged For Shoving Afghan Rapist)
“Congress cannot substitute our judgement for that of the military chain of command,” Thornberry wrote in the letter. “We are, however, responsible for ensuring that the processes in place are fair and adequate to the demands of an Army at war. In my review of SFC Martland’s case, I noted potential procedural errors in due process. I believe the best recourse now would be to allow SFC Martland to remain in the Army long enough for him to prepare an appeal with adequate military counsel and for the Army to act on such an appeal.”
McHugh stated that he made the decision “out of respect for Chairman Thornberry’s continued strong support for our military and his personal appeal.”
Follow Jonah Bennett on Twitter
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.