From AP, Army capt.: Afghan killing suspect has saved lives (by Gene Johnson, March 17, 2012):

SEATTLE—A former platoon leader for the soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians says the allegations are "100 percent out of character" for the man, whom he described as a model soldier who saved other soldiers' lives.

Army Capt. Chris Alexander, 32, said Robert Bales worked as a stock trader before the Sept. 11 attacks motivated him to enlist in the Army.

"I've always admired him for that -- he had a good thing going, and he dropped it to serve his country," Alexander said Saturday in a phone interview.

Bales enlisted about two months after 9/11 and had served with the 3rd Stryker Brigade based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord since Sept 11, 2002.

He became a staff sergeant in April 2008, following his second deployment in Iraq. He went to Iraq one more time before his fourth deployment, to Afghanistan. ...Alexander was Bales' platoon leader during one of his Iraq missions. He described Bales as "one of the best guys I ever worked with."

"He always made sure his team was ready, that they were briefed on the mission, that the equipment was checked," Alexander said. "Anything he was given to do, you never had to worry about it getting done and done well."

Alexander said he and others who served with Bales are stunned by the allegations. ...
More in story, but substantially the same as the Free Republic posts.

Regards

Mike