Richard Huck

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Richard A. Huck

Major General Richard A. Huck
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1971-2007
Rank	Major General
Commands held	2nd Marine Division II MEF (FWD)
Battles/wars	Operation Iraqi Freedom
Awards	Defense Superior Service Medal Legion of Merit

Brigadier General Richard Huck

Richard Huck congratulates reenlisting Marines

Major General Richard Huck is a United States Marine Corps officer.^[1] Huck served as Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division from 2004 until June 16, 2006. Huck is currently serving as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters Marine Corps. ^[2]

1 USMC career
2 Role in the Haditha massacre
3 Role in the Ilario Pantano shooting incident
4 References

[edit] USMC career

Huck graduated from Kent State University, and received his commission through the through the Platoon Leaders Course in 1971.^[1]
1971-1975, various junior officer positions in the 2nd Marine Division.
1975-?, various junior officer positions in the 3rd Marine Division, in Okinawa.
-1982, Served in the Panamanian Marines.
1982-1991, mid-level battalion, regimental, divisional and HQ staff positions.
1991-1993, Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines
1993-1995, Commanding officer, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division.
1995-1997, Senior level staff positions in NATO.
1997-1999, Military Assistant to the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps.
1999-2001, Assistant Divisional Commander, 2nd Marine Division.
2001-2003, Chief of Staff, United States Southern Command.
2003-2004, Director, Personnel Management Division, Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps.
2004-2006, Commanding General, 2nd Marine Division.
2006, also Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward).

[edit] Role in the Haditha massacre

Marine Corps Commandant. Michael Hagee visited Iraq following a Time magazine's report of an atrocity in Haditha. Time reported that a squad of Marines from the 2nd Regiment, 2nd Marine Division had reacted to a colleague's death from a hidden land mine by killing 24 unarmed civilians.

Main article: Haditha Massacre

The unit involved was more specifically 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, normally assigned to the 1st Marine Division, however, at the time of the incident they had been temporarily attached to 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division to strengthen the ongoing Marine operations in theater. In being assigned as such, they fell under the command of Huck.^[3] US Army Lieutenant General Peter W. Chiarelli, the second in command in Iraq directed an inquiry into failures of leadership in the Marine command structure.^[4]

The Los Angeles Times reported, on July 9, 2006, that Huck retired from the Marine Corps on June 19, 2006.^[3] DoD spokemen said that Huck's retirement had nothing to do with Hagee's visit to Iraq, that Huck's retirement had been previously scheduled, and that its announcement following Hagee's visit or the conclusion of Chiarelli's inquiry, was just a coincidence.^{[citation needed]} As of June 2006, Huck is serving as Assistant Deputy Commandant for Plans, Policies and Operations, Headquarters Marine Corps.

[edit] Role in the Ilario Pantano shooting incident

Lieutenant Ilario Pantano was a platoon commander in 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division. In April 2004 the Marines launched their first assault on the city of Fallujah. The assault was planned and conducted by military commanders after insurgent activity had been growing in that city for months. The climax of the enemy activity just prior to the assault was the ambush, burning and desecration of four American "private military contractors" from Blackwater Security, by an angry mob fueled by insurgents.

Main article: United States occupation of Fallujah

It was during this period of heightened enemy activity that Pantano and his Marines were dispatched to a housing compound to search for a bomb workshop. After arriving at the compound, a weapons cache and a vehicle with bomb compartments were found at the reported location along with two military age males. It was these two unarmed Iraqi detainees that Pantano shot under unclear circumstances. Immediately after the incident, Pantano's chain of command relieved him of his command and directed that the matter be forwarded to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) for further action. Pantano allegedly confessed that he had slowly and methodically riddled his captive's corpses with four dozen bullets, because he wanted "to send a message" after the detainees had refused repeated commands to step away from the vehicle with the bomb compartments. He also allegedly confessed to investigators that his decision to use maximum violence "to send a message" was premeditated. After the shooting, Pantano scrawled a warning which he placed on the vehicle near the bodies. After apparently leaving the area before local authorities could tend to the bodies, the Marines were later accused of leaving the dead as a message to their neighbors.

At the conclusion of the NCIS investigation, Pantano was charged with murder. The initial investigation began while Pantano's unit was under the command of the 1st Marine Division - a temporary command relationship relating to troop rotation cycles. However, by the NCIS investigation's conclusion, 2nd Battalion 2nd Marines had reverted back to the 2d Marine Division - its permanent home. Of significance, by the time the NCIS investigation was concluded, the second assault and seizure of Fallujah had already occurred in November of 2004. This now presented an opportunity to return to the scene of the incident, gather any additional evidence and locate additional Iraqi witnesses; this was an opportunity NCIS had not been able to execute freely as the area had been under insurgent control during their inquiry. Huck then appointed Major Mark Winn, as the command investigating officer, to conduct an additional investigation as per the Manual of the Judge Advocate General, otherwise known as a "JAGMAN". As per the manual, Winn's findings would include recommendations whether Pantano's case should be referred to an article 32 hearing based on the NCIS investigation and any additional factual evidence encountered during this inquiry.^[5]^[6] Winn recommended that the murder charges be dropped, because he did not find the prosecution's key witness credible. But he also recommended that Pantano be held responsible for desecrating his captive's corpses. After reviewing the evidence gathered by all the investigations, Major General Huck dropped the murder charge and did not accept the recommendation to charge Pantano with body desecration.