I Knew Chelsea Manning in Basic Combat Training. Here’s the Story You Haven’t Heard

It's really too bad the Army didn't get rid of Manning when it really would have made a difference.

Good article. I'm going to assume it was a manpower issue because when I worked at BN S3 we had a PFC working in the S2 shop by himself for most of my tour in Korea. Everytime I red about Manning I can't help but wonder if he worked under similar circumstances. I don't agree with the commutation. Maybe 35 years is a long time but he should've at least served enough time equal to parole eligibility.

Really good article. This account along with the ones about Bergdahl's time in basic highlights the systematic failures that occurred in recruitment/basic training during the surge years. It blows my mind that individuals like these, who were clearly unfit for service, were time and again allowed to slip through the cracks just to fill a quota.