Marines Investigating Corpse Desecration

by: Richard Allen Smith

Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 15:47:16 PM EST

The United States Marine Corps is launching an investigation into a video which appears to show Marines in full combat gear urinating on several dead bodies ... TMZ has learned.

In the extremely graphic video, which appeared on various websites this morning,  at least 4 male Marines expose their genitals and urinate on the bodies.

The mystery person who posted the video included a caption that reads, "scout sniper team 4 with 3rd battalion 2nd marines out of camp lejeune peeing on dead talibans."

This is #FAIL on so many levels. First, these actions violate the General Order 1 ban on corpse desecration. So these Marines are looking at the possibility of a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and confinement for 2 years under Article 92, UCMJ. Secondly, that provision of General Order 1 exists for a reason. Aside from basic human decency, corpse desecration harms our mission by disrespecting the culture of Afghanistan and the families of the dead. Think this video isn't circulating in Afghanistan already? You think some young Afghan male who was on the fence about the insurgency won't be knocked off it?

Additionally, these Marines have dishonored the image of the American Service Member stateside. The media already portrays us as a monolithic group of living time bombs, rocking ourselves in a corner or beating our families. Reports like this, as well as stories like the Army death squad from last year, will only reinforce that image and give unknowing civilians an image of uniformed Americans wondering the desert and mountains of Afghanistan looking for atrocities to commit. I, for one, don't want to have to ever tell people "yeah, I served. But I didn't piss on corpses."

Lastly, this goes back to a theme I've been discussing here for several months: the effects of a decade of incessant war on a military. This is clearly a leadership failure. I don't mean to argue a conspiracy where these Marines were instructed to urinate on dead insurgents by higher headquarters. But what is clear is that these Marines' leaders did not instill in them the regulations they were to follow, the importance of those regulations to the mission and how doing something like this can adversely affect the mission and fuel the insurgency. Endless war causes a degradation of leadership. It becomes more clear with each new scandal that this is undoubtedly happening to our military.