Testimony during the sentencing phase of Bradley Manning's court-martial has revealed that the Army Pfc. had exhibited behavior that should have led to the revocation of his classified security clearance and prevented Manning from being deployed to Iraq, according to Associated Press.
Retired Sgt. 1st Class Paul Adkins, Manning's former boss, testified that Manning had violent outbursts and send out an email with a picture of himself dressed as a woman. Adkins said that Manning should have been barred from being deployed to Iraq because of his actions but that his skills were needed so Adkins recommended therapy instead of discipline, according to the Associated Press.
"I felt that his therapy would eventually bear fruit," Adkins said. "I certainly hoped that to be the case."
An email that Manning sent out entitled "My problem" was presented as evidence that the solider was going through issues with the military's "Don't ask, Don't tell" policy that was still in place in 2010. In addition to the photo of Manning dressed as a woman the email said:
"This is my problem. I've had signs of it for a very long time. It's caused problems within my family. I thought a career in the military would get rid of it. It's not something I seek out for attention. And I'm trying very, very hard to get rid of it by placing myself in situations where it would be impossible. But it's not going away."
Defense attorneys are hoping that the evidence of Manning's troubled mindset will convince the jury to show some leniency and not sentence Manning to the maximum 90 year sentence that he is facing for espionage, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Chief Warrant Officer Joshua Ehresman told a story about Manning flying into a violent rage during a counseling session while deployed in Iraq.
"He got angry and slammed his first on the table," Ehresman said. "He grabbed on to the table and put his arm under it and flipped it onto the floor.
"I felt that he was going toward a weapons rack and I felt I needed to detain him," Ehresman continued. "I grabbed him and put him in a full Nelson and put him on a bench. Then me and him talked. I told him to relax, relax, that we could talk like adults. He said he was calm and to let him go. And he calmed down."
The sentencing phase of the court-martial is expected to finish up on Wednesday. There is speculation that Manning, who did not testify during the trial, will be heard from for the first time since February by reading a statement, according to Reuters.
