Staff Sergeant Bales murdered 16 unarmed Afghans in March of 2012.  The News Tribune secured the 1,500-page report from the Army Criminal Investigation Command used to prosecute SSG Bales through Freedom of Information Act requests and published a story exposing under reported facets of the incident.

The story paints a soldier who was well respected by superiors and who wanted to cultivate a reputation as being the “go to guy to get things done.  His subordinates presented a much less positive picture using words as bipolar, paranoid and crazy.

Bales unit was also newly reported as being employed differently than most Infantry units in that he led a squad that was detailed to a Special Forces team that exercised day to day supervision of the unit.

Besides contrasting portrayals the story goes on to highlight potential mental health problems and that Bales had a steroid given to him by a special forces soldier in his bloodstream.  His unit’s medic would not issue him more than a day’s worth of Benadryl because he was known to take five days’ worth of pills in one sitting.

Bales plead guilty to the 16 murders to avoid the death penalty.  He was sentenced to life without parole at the Ft. Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks, a military prison.  The Army has not publicized any additional actions taken against those who exercised supervision over him.