Report: General's killer fired 30 rounds

Army Times — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:10:06 -0500

From: Army Times

Maj. Gen. Harold Greene, the first American general officer to be killed by combat fire since Sept. 11, was shot by an Afghan MP who fired approximately 30 rounds from a barracks bathroom window into a large crowd of coalition forces.

These details of the Aug. 5 insider attack are included in the investigative report, released Thursday morning detailing the events that led to Greene's death. You can download the complete investigation here.

Greene was killed at the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul, Afghanistan. As many as 15 others were wounded, including U.S. troops.

At the time, Greene was the deputy commanding general of Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan.

The organization, along with NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan, is primarily responsible for training and advising the Afghan National Security Forces.

Greene and about 90 other U.S. and coalition forces were visiting the university for a status update on its construction and a preview of its officer producing capabilities. "The threat level that day was assessed as low, with no indicators of unusual activity or concern," the report states.

During an unplanned stop near the MP barracks a group of about 60 U.S. and coalition forces gathered for a briefing. That's when the Afghan National Army MP, identified as Rafiqullah, entered the barracks.

"At some point afterwards, Rafiqullah positioned himself in the bathroom, in direct view of the gathering, stuck the barrel of his M16 rifle out of the bathroom window, and fired approximately 27-30 rounds into the crowd," the report summary states. "He hit 18 people, killing MG Greene and seriously wounded several others before two Coalition Forces soldiers returned fire and killed him."

The investigation found no links between the soldier and the Taliban or any other extremist groups, although International Security Assistance Force- Afghanistan continues to investigate.

"It may be that the shooter was self-radicalized, or that he suffered from some sort of psychological condition (which the ANA claims is the cause.)," the report states.

The investigators found "no negligence on the part of event planners or leaders present." They suggested that leaders consider the purchase of "concealable body armor to be worn by senior leadership, and possibly by all personnel who work individually or in small groups on a daily basis in Afghan facilities and outside standard ISAF facilities."

Before deploying to Afghanistan, Greene was deputy for acquisition and systems management in the office of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology at the Pentagon.

Greene, 55, was born in Boston and commissioned at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as an engineer officer in 1980. He held a doctorate in materials science, master's degrees in engineering and a master's in strategic studies.

He served at all levels of the Army, serving in places such as Fort Polk, Louisiana; Germany; Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri; Natick, Massachusetts; and at the Pentagon, spending much of his career in acquisitions.

During a memorial service at the Pentagon shortly after his death, Greene was remembered as a leader, scholar and family man who cared deeply about his soldiers.

The standing room-only crowd gathered in the Pentagon auditorium for the memorial, which was marked with tears but also laughter as Greene was remembered for his sharp wit, his love of the Boston Red Sox and his outsized personality.

Greene was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.

He is survived by his wife, retired Col. Susan Myers, his daughter Amelia, his son 1st Lt. Matthew Greene, his daughter-in-law Kasandra, and his father Harold Greene.

http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2014/12/04/greene-afghanistan-friendly-fire/19479293/

Response by MAJ Haris Balcinovic made Dec 4 at 2014 10:49 AM

MAJ Haris Balcinovic — Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:49:49 -0500

Great man, and a very smart individual - got to brief him on several engineer projects about couple of weeks before he was killed. News shocked us all.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2014 6:21 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 18:21:51 -0500

LTC Private RallyPoint Member, that was the rationale (I heard, anyhow) for why President Obama didn't go to MG Greene's funeral.

I agree with you. The loss of any American life is tragic, and a two-star's life is no more important than a PV2's life, or anyone's life. Of course, it's just natural for the media, the public, and even the military to pay more attention to the loss of a GO.