The Marines Act on the Fallujah Shooting

The Marine chain of command in Washington learned of the shooting early on November 15, Washington, D.C., time. Within a few hours the Marines made tough decisions, including these:

• They launched an investigation into what happened and why, to be conducted by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), an independent law enforcement agency under control of the Secretary of the Navy.

• They removed the Marine involved in the shooting from the battlefield.

• They made a public announcement in the name of the top Marine, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, announcing the investigation and affirming the Marines’ commitment to the Law of Armed Conflict.

• The Marine commander in Fallujah conducted a press conference, both describing the investigation and affirming commitment to the Law of Armed Conflict.