Criminal Charges Preferred Against SSG Robert Bales (Panjwai Massacre, Afghanistan)

The Soldier alleged to have committed the killing of 17 civilians in Panjwai district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan has had criminal charges preferred against him by the military under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). SSG Robert Bales is currently being held in pretrial confinement at the Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The next step in the military justice process is for the special court-martial convening authority at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to decide whether to direct an investigation of the charges under the UCMJ's Article 32. Read more in "U.S. Forces Afghanistan Prefers Criminal Charges Against Bales", American Forces Press Service, March 23, 2012.