BAMBERG, Germany — The rear detachment commander of the deployed 54th Engineer Battalion said Thursday he never would have imagined that Army Sgt. John M. Russell would be the man accused of killing five fellow servicemembers in Iraq on Monday.
Capt. Jason Meier worked as executive officer from 2006 to 2007 in the 541st Engineer Company, where Russell served as a communications sergeant. The two interacted often, said Meier, describing Russell as a quiet, calm soldier who was proficient at his job.
"I would have guessed a thousand people before I guessed Sergeant Russell would do this," Meier said.
He said Russell had not gotten into any trouble while under his command.
"I’m shocked at this tragedy. This is a tragic event at all levels," Meier said.
Russell, 44, allegedly opened fire Monday at a combat stress control center at Camp Liberty, Iraq, killing four U.S. soldiers and a U.S. Navy officer. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault in the Baghdad shootings. He was on his third Iraq deployment and his second with the 54th Engineers.
A memorial service for Sgt. Christian Bueno-Galdos and Pfc. Michael Yates, both Grafenwöhr, Germany-based soldiers with 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, will take place Saturday at Forward Operating Base Hammer, where the soldiers served during their current deployment, said Capt. Stephen Short, public affairs officer with the 172nd Infantry Brigade.
Also, a memorial service for Bueno-Galdos and Yates will be held at 1:30 p.m. on May 21 at the Grafenwöhr community chapel, according to U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr spokesmen.
After Russell was charged in the shootings, Meier personally delivered the news to Russell’s wife. He declined further comment on the visit.
He said, though, that he had been to Russell’s house before and it was apparent that Russell had a lot of pride in his military service because the house was adorned with various military-themed decorations.
Meier said he communicated with the 54th’s battalion commander in Iraq on a daily basis, but did not know what happened downrange that may have led to Monday’s shootings, or of any plans to remove Russell from the war zone before the shootings.
Once he found out that Russell had been accused in the shootings, he called a unit formation in Bamberg and read the official statement on the incident and advised soldiers how to react to media questions.
Other Bamberg soldiers declined Thursday to talk about Russell or the shootings, Meier said.
"The unit here is shocked by this tragedy and we are concerned for the families of all the individuals involved," he said. "They don’t want to talk because of the severity of the situation and as a courtesy to the family and the investigation."
A V Corps spokesman said Thursday that units are like surrogate families.
"They need the necessary space and time before people can deal with it," said Lt. Col. Todd Breasseale. "They are trying to process the event and their minds are just bouncing around. It’s a natural reaction."
Breasseale said Russell is still considered part of the "Army family."
"One of our own is accused of killing one of our own," Breasseale said. "Without a doubt he is still part of the Army family and we will afford him every instrument the Uniform Code of Military Justice allows. At the end of the day we have a soldier who will remain innocent until he is proven guilty."
A military spokesman in Iraq said Thursday that the Army is working with military investigators and no further information would be released at this time.
Stripes reporters Steve Mraz and Seth Robson contributed to this story.
