Soldier Who Hit Detainee Demoted
An American soldier who hit a bound Afghan detainee in the head with a rifle has received the maximum punishment for the assault, including a rank reduction, a military spokesman said Thursday.
The soldier, from the 82nd Airborne Division, was reduced two grades in rank from private first class to private E1, the lowest rank in the Army, said Maj. Gary Tallman at the Bagram air base, the U.S. military headquarters in Afghanistan.
He also must forfeit half a month’s salary for two months, perform extra duty and face restrictions for two months, Tallman said. The soldier involved in the June 22 incident was not identified, under the federal Privacy Act.
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