'Not long before he was deployed to war zones overseas, Sergeant Gibbs was a struggling teenager in Billings. “No ambition,” said a neighbor. His father worked in maintenance for the Mormon church and his family was active in the faith. He barely attended high school, earning just 1 of 20 credits necessary to graduate. In his high school yearbook during his sophomore year, he wore a T-shirt bearing the brand of a skateboarding company, “Independent.”'
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/world/asia/05gibbs.html

Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs from Billings, Montana has been described as the ringleader of the Fifth Stryker Brigade Third Platoon, Bravo Company "Kill Team".

Sgt. Samuel’s replacement was Calvin Gibbs, a physically imposing staff sergeant from Billings, Mont. At 25, Gibbs had already served two tours — one in Iraq, one in Afghanistan — and he quickly demonstrated tactical instincts that earned him the esteem of his seniors, who often placed him in the lead. His confidence and aggression made a strong impression on the other soldiers, especially those with little combat experience. “He’s the kind of guy, he would’ve been on the poster for GoArmy.com,” one soldier told me. “He’s what you want a soldier to look like, act like, speak like. He’s like the epitome of soldier.” Another said: “Gibbs was just a really personable guy. Easy to like, funny, in shape. He just had some sinister hobbies.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01KillTeam-t.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&ref=calvingibbs

'"When he arrives at this platoon in November of 2009, that's when things start going south," [Capt. Andre LeBlanc, a military prosecutor] was quoted by The New York Times as saying. "That's when people start getting killed, and that's when Sergeant Gibbs forms this team of trusted junior soldiers and he's leading them down the dark path."'

'...Gibbs as a ringleader who planned and executed killings, coerced others to participate and in one instance beat up a fellow soldier who objected. A dozen soldiers are charged with a variety of offenses including murder, drug use and conspiracy, but Gibbs faces the most charges and the most serious ones.'
http://www.aolnews.com/2010/11/10/us-sgt-accused-of-unspeakable-cruelty-in-afghanistan/

Morlock and another soldier accused of murder, Adam Winfield, have characterized Gibbs as a sociopath who orchestrated the killings, and Winfield further claims Gibbs used his rank as a noncommissioned officer to coerce him into participating. The “kill team” moniker, instantly and unanimously adopted by the news media, comes from a leaked video interview in which Winfield tells an Army special agent that Gibbs “thought I was weak and I’m not good enough to be on his quote-unquote ‘kill team.’ Then he asked me if I would be in.” Gibbs, from the beginning, has denied any wrongdoing.

There is an obvious incentive for Morlock and Winfield to advance this characterization. But the Third Platoon soldiers I spoke with paint a more complete picture. “Gibbs as this kind of Mansonesque kingpin is just completely out the window,” one of them said. Another said that one day during the deployment, Gibbs “showed me a bunch of his devices that he was going to use for some of the staged killings he planned on carrying out, kind of pitching me scenarios on how I could jump in and be a part of it.” He added: “I think at the end of the day what it boiled down to is these guys wanted some stories to tell when they got home. They weren’t getting the action they thought they deserved. So they went out and made their own action.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/magazine/mag-01KillTeam-t.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&ref=calvingibbs

Soldiers said Sergeant Gibbs threatened at least one subordinate with death if he ever disclosed the killings. Other soldiers not accused in the deaths say he mocked them for not meeting his standard for men on patrol.

“He told me the type of soldier he was looking for was the type that could kill anybody without any kind of regret,” Pfc. Ashton Moore told an Army investigator in May.

When Private Moore, who faces other charges, told Sergeant Gibbs that he would not kill someone without cause, he said the sergeant responded: “And that’s why you’ll be stuck in the truck the whole time. The guy I’m looking for is the guy that would shoot the dude just because he could shoot the dude.”

Sergeant Gibbs had openly discussed how he might kill Specialist Adam C. Winfield, another one of the accused, who he worried would report the killings.

“There were two scenarios SSG Gibbs told me about taking his life,” Specialist Morlock told Army investigators as part of the investigation into the five soldiers. “The first scenario was going to take him to the gym and drop a weight on his neck. The second scenario was SSG Gibbs was going to take him to the motor pool and drop a tow bar on him.”

Sergeant Gibbs has served two tours in Afghanistan after serving one earlier in Iraq. Now, more than one soldier who served with him described him or his actions as “savage.”

Private Stoner said Sergeant Gibbs “associates with skinheads online.” Specialist Morlock said Sergeant Gibbs had “pure hatred” for all Afghans. Fingers he is accused of collecting are now part of the evidence in the case, as is a tooth he is said to have pulled from a dead Afghan and bones other soldiers said he dug up.

Sergeant Gibbs has refused to speak to military investigators. But during fingerprinting and photographing in May, he was required to show his tattoos. On his lower left leg was an image of crossed pistols and six skulls. He told an investigator, according to an investigation transcript, that the skulls were “his way of keeping count of the kills he had. The skulls that were in red were the ones from Iraq and the other three were the kills he had in Afghanistan.”

When questioned on whether any of the incidents were staged, SSG Gibbs stated that was "offensive."

Sgt. Gibbs is married to a soldier based in the United States, Pfc. Chelsy M. Gibbs. They were married in a Mormon church in Billings.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/world/asia/05gibbs.html?pagewanted=2

Warning: the following video shows disturbing videos and images.
http://www.spiegel.de/video/video-1119435.html

Staff Sergeant Calvin Gibbs. What would make a good Mormon soldier decide that the policies in place regarding implementation of counterinsurgency tactics (COIN / “Counterinsurgency,” by Gen. David Petraeus and Gen. James F. Amos, 2006) were not applicable to him? Was he serving his country and the military policies of the United States of America? Or was he on a mission, killing for God?

You decide.

He probably learned the value of "righteous" murder from the BOM.

My dad died around july11Th from heart failure at the care home
He was a WWII veteran. He told me when we was in guard duty, a German man in his 70s in regular street clothes, was walking toward dad. He told him Stop!. He finally stopped. Dad later found out that he was just looking for a place to stay and find shelter. Dad was so happy that he didn't shoot him.
Judging by the way Gibbs company killed in such a horrible manner, they would match the mentality that nailed hundreds of people on crosses.
They wouldn't hesitate to place a crown of thorns on Jesus head just like another tomatoe,the second time around. Gibbs and his outfit were the same kind of Roman Pigs
Such an unchristian act!

My dad died around july11Th from heart failure at the care home
He was a WWII veteran. He told me when we was in guard duty, a German man in his 70s in regular street clothes, was walking toward dad. He told him Stop!. He finally stopped. Dad later found out that he was just looking for a place to stay and find shelter. Dad was so happy that he didn't shoot him.
Judging by the way Gibbs company killed in such a horrible manner, they would match the mentality that nailed hundreds of people on crosses.
They wouldn't hesitate to place a crown of thorns on Jesus head just like another tomatoe,the second time around. Gibbs and his outfit were the same kind of Roman Pigs
Such an unchristian act

There has not been a moment in which I have supported these wars because I knew that the US would reap the whirlwind. Putting men and women into these situations is a terrible, useless thing that will reverberate among us in our country for a very long time.

When will we ever learn?

by Lt. Col. (retired) Dave Grossman. Killing has profound psychological and emotional effects on the men who do the killing. Very few soldiers are psychopaths. However, sometimes those who are not can find themselves participating in unlawful killings and be deeply injured psychologically, emotionally, and morally by their participation. Most of the men involved will suffer terribly for what they have done.

In his book, Grossman discusses how atrocities occur. One cause is a failure of command to be aware of situations and enforce the rules of engagement. Also, in conflicts where there is lack of clarity about who is an enemy and who is not contributes to killing of noncombatants. It seems safer to kill if in doubt. Another factor is the psychological and emotional numbing that occurs as the soldiers participate in killing. Often they are physically sick after the first few kills, but with more kills it gets easier to do. Rage over friends killed, especially when the enemy is elusive, can find a target of whoever is available, whether involved or not. Group pressure is also a factor: You don't want to risk your buddies or you don't want to be unwilling to do what they do. Add a psychopathic team leader to all that, and you get atrocities.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316040932/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0316330116&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0ZYHFDQ5FJVXHQN04BR5



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2011 12:33AM by robertb.

I personally know a Vietnam veteran who served two tours as an NCO and saw heavy combat. He was raised a strict Mormon in a supportive and caring family. During his service in Vietnam he carried with him a summary of the Geneva Convention and he actively communicated to the men he commanded that they observe them, even at times it was difficult. Not only that, he refused to carry out an unlawful order given to him by his lieutenant to kill an enemy prisoner and he reported the order to his company commander. While this veteran suffers from combat trauma his character remains intact rather than having been destroyed by committing an atrocity. He believes, and I agree with him, that this was the result of his upbringing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/11/2011 03:28AM by robertb.

Gibbs appears to be a malignant sociopath rather than a Soldier. His situation reminds me of the times we've been warned that street gangs were grooming some of their members to get recruited into the Army or Marines just so they could benefit from the training, come back (even after three to four years) and share what they learned. We call it "train the trainer".

War has a profound effect on all involved, and it's only natural that otherwise honorable Soldiers will be drawn to people like SSG Gibbs. Confident, tactically proficient and fit leaders who are charismatic draw people to them because they assume they will survive/prevail if being led by them.

The environment is frightening enough, even for the more mature, prepared person. I certainly wasn't immune to its effects. It took a month for a lot of the daily uneasiness to go away. I'm still hyper-vigilant at times--usually while driving (which isn't good).

At best, this case is resolved through trial and appropriate punishment for those found guilty. And leaders have to watch their people and set the proper climate. There are laws which govern behavior in combat and they must be enforced, as difficult as it might be.