Major General Charles 'Mark' Gurganus and Major General
Gregg Sturdevant have both been asked to retire over the September 2012 attack
Fifteen Taliban insurgents slipped into Camp Bastion and
destroyed $200million in U.S. aircraft
Prince Harry was at the base at the time and Taliban said
suicide squad had intended to kill him
Two Marine generals have been fired over the security lapses
that allowed 15 Taliban insurgents to infiltrate the NATO base in Afghanistan
where Prince Harry was housed last September.
The attack claimed the lives of two U.S. Marines, including
a Lieutenant Colonel, and destroyed six $24million Harrier jets and a C-130
transport plane - the largest single loss of American air power since the
Vietnam War.
Major General Charles 'Mark' Gurganus, the commander of
Regional Command Southwest in Afghanistan, and Major General Gregg Sturdevant,
the commander of the Marines' aviation wing, have both been asked to retire, it
was revealed today.
US Marine, Major General Charles Mark Gurganus, Commanding
General of the Regional Command Southwest
Major General Charles 'Mark' Gurganus, (left) the commander
of Regional Command Southwest in Afghanistan, and Major General Gregg
Sturdevant, (right) the commander of the Marines' aviation wing, have both been
asked to retire
Target: The Taliban said that Prince Harry, who was
stationed at Camp Bastion, was a target of the attackers
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos demanded the
resignation of the two commanders because they failed to ensure security at the
base.
On September 14, 2012, 15 Taliban insurgents, dressed in
U.S. military uniforms, slipped under a fence at the military outpost in
Helmand Province.
Taliban propagandists said the Camp Bastion attackers
intended to find and assassinate Prince Harry, who was living at the compound.
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There have been conflicting reports as to whether Captain
Wales, the fourth in line to the throne, was sent to a safe room or whether he
was treated like any other soldier during the four-hour gun battle.
Prince Harry is the pilot of an Apache helicopter
gunship.
However, the team targeted numerous NATO aircraft,
destroying or heavily damaging more than a dozen and causing hundreds of
millions of dollars in damage.
Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Raible, 40, was killed when
he mustered a counter attack against the invaders and charged armed only with
his sidearm.
Marine Sergeant Bradley Atwell, 27, was killed, as well.
American Marines and members of the British Royal Air Force
killed 14 of the attackers and captured one.
General Gurganus was in charge of ensuring that the American
aircraft were secure from assault. He requested more Marines for base security,
but was denied.
Still, commanders say the general left base guard towers unoccupied and other defenses under-manned.
General Sturdevant was faulted for assuming other units would protect his aircraft wing and not setting up security measures of his own.
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