“I was in Iraq with a MTT team back in 08’. For those that don’t know what that is; it’s a Military Transition Team. It was our job to train the IA and start putting an Iraqi army face on the counter insurgency effort.

Our MTT team was composed of eight SNCO’s and officers. As well as six E-5 and below. One Captain, three Lieutenants, three Staff Sergeants, One Petty officer second class Corpsman, two Sergeants and four E-3 and below.

Now that you understand the hierarchy you can imagine where shit would wind up when it rolled down hill. Being that I was among the E-3’s and below it would fall on my lap as much as the others in the MTT.

About 4 months in our captain decided the stray dogs on our patrol base had become a health hazard.

‘We could pet them, forget to wash our hands and then eat.’

Or

‘Unknowingly step in their feces and track it in common areas around the patrol base.’

So what us E-3’s and below were tasked out to do was round up all the stray dogs we’d been feeding and grown attached to for the last 4 months and execute them.

We zip tied their arms and legs and shot them execution style while they whimpered, yelped and screamed. Some of the cries almost sounded human. No matter how much time passes there are some things that can never be unheard.

I participated in the executions. This was an unlawful order I should have told my captain to shove so far up his ass that it would come back out of his mouth. But I didn’t. I did it because the other’s were doing it and I wanted to lighten the load for them. Our corpsman carried out the majority of the executions.

In the end we executed around 30 dogs about 5 of them were puppies. It was the hardest trigger I ever had to pull.

This made being around dogs difficult for a long time. And while I might benefit from a service dog, I haven’t been able to bring myself to get one.”
– Anonymous US Marine. 2nd MEF 2nd MHG Military Transition Team. Al Kharma, Iraq. 2008
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This story was documented by Battles and Beers (TM) Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.

Edit: The Marine in this photo has nothing to do with this story.