The United States military will not lose a hero and an honourable man within its ranks.
The U.S. Army has reversed its earlier decision to kick out Sergeant 1st Class Charles Martland after he defended a young boy in Afghanistan who had allegedly been subjected to rape by a local commander over the course of many days.
Martland himself confirmed his retention in the U.S. Army to Fox News.
"I am real thankful for being able to continue to serve. I appreciate everything Congressman Duncan Hunter and his Chief of Staff, Joe Kasper did for me," the decorated Army officer said over the phone.
Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman, also confirmed in a statement to Fox News that Martland's status has been changed, allowing him to stay in the Army.
"In SFC Martland's case, the Army Board for Correction of Military Records determination modified a portion of one of SFC Martland's evaluation reports and removed him from the QMP list, which will allow him to remain in the Army," Pionk said.
In 2011, while he was deployed in Kunduz Province in Afghanistan, Martland confronted a local police commander accused of sexually assaulting a boy and even beating up his mother. When the suspected rapist just laughed off these claims, Martland and his team leader shoved him to the ground.
After the incident, Martland was removed from the military base in Afghanistan and sent home. The U.S. Army then issued a "memorandum of reprimand" against the officer, calling him out for his brass intervention after the alleged rape.
Martland's former team leader, Danny Quinn, said the U.S. Army is a stronger force with Martland as part of it.
"This is not just a great victory for SFC Martland and his family—I'm just as happy that he can continue to serve our country and inspire his peers, subordinates and officers to be better soldiers. Charles makes every soldier he comes in contact with better and the Army is undoubtedly a better organisation with SFC Martland still in its ranks," Quinn told Fox News.
The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) also called Martland's retention as a "significant victory."
"Justice has been served. The U.S. military has a moral obligation to stop child sexual abuse and exonerate SFC Martland for defending a child from rape. The Army finally took the corrective action needed and this is not only a victory for SFC Martland, but for the American people as well," ACLJ's chief counsel Jay Sekulow told Charisma News.
