War trophies or building an arsenal?

From today's Sun-Sentinel-

David Kellerman, an Army Special Forces soldier, treated Camp Phoenix in Afghanistan like a personal weapons warehouse, according to a federal indictment. He smuggled and stockpiled at least one machine gun, a disassembled grenade launcher, explosives and grenades and thousands of rounds of varying types of ammunition.

None of it makes sense to his father.

Lawrence Kellerman, of Lake Worth, can't figure out what went wrong enough to put his son, a U.S. Army reservist and air marshal, in federal custody on multiple firearms and explosives charges. Maybe it was a head wound he suffered in Afghanistan, he wondered. Maybe his son was overzealous in bringing back war trophies, something he himself did after the Korean War.

How many times have we heard or read of a disbelieving parent after their son or daughter commits a crime? Too many times.

David Kellerman, 44, awaits extradition in North Carolina on charges of violating seven federal laws governing weapons and explosives. Authorities said they found caches of weapons and explosives in his houseboat in Fort Lauderdale and storage units in Deerfield Beach and Dania Beach.

*****

The smuggling operation, according to federal authorities, was methodical. David Kellerman was stationed with the 20th Special Force Group in Afghanistan, once in charge of weapon systems at Camp Spann and later mail runs and equipment drop-offs at Camp Phoenix, according to the federal indictment. During his first tour from 2003 to 2004 and his second earlier this year, he disassembled weapons and explosives, hid them in innocuous items such as DVD players, fold-out cots and MRE bags and shipped them back to the United States, the indictment says.

Federal authorities suspected him of misusing operation funds and searched his baggage on Aug. 24 as he was returning to the United States, according to the indictment, and authorities found 32 pounds of plastic explosives, grenades and guns.

David Kellerman grew up in a military family familiar with guns. His father, a U.S. Marine veteran, brought back a few weapons from the Korean War.

*****

His son joined the U.S. Army Reserve in 1980, Lawrence Kellerman said, and was immediately accepted into the Special Forces. Throughout the '80s, he started several businesses, including a salvage business and a private security and training business.

But he also got into trouble. Court records show he was sentenced to probation on charges of dealing in stolen property in Broward in 1983 and carrying a concealed weapon in 1990.

David Kellerman later joined the U.S. Air Marshals. His dates of employment were unclear from documents, and federal officials were not available for comment Saturday.

TFM is a former serviceman. I'm supportive of our military members but there are a few bad apples in the military as there are anywhere in society. Is David Kellerman one?

Maybe or maybe not. There is a good reason not to allow people to collect things like grenades or explosives. They're dangerous and can very easily get in the hands of a person who doesn't know how to use them. At best Kellerman showed bad judgment. It will be up to a military court to decide if that was all he was up to.

Linked to- Bullwinkle Blog, Bright & Early, Stuck on Stupid,