Soldier Refused to Leave Fallen Fort Hood Comrade

A wounded soldier with a clear path to the exit refused to leave his fallen comrade behind even as a gunman fired off shots near them during last year's deadly rampage at the Fort Hood Army post, a military court heard Thursday.

Spc. Alan Carroll said he had been shot in the arm but that as soon as he realized the chaos unfolding around him wasn't a training exercise he had to concentrate on helping a more seriously wounded fellow soldier.

"The only person I could see from ground was Pfc. [Aaron Thomas] Nemelka," Spc. Carroll said to the Article 32 hearing via a live video link from Kandahar, Afghanistan. "I told him it was not training and to get down."

Spc. Carroll was subsequently shot in the back and leg, but said he could have reached the door. Nevertheless, his training prevented him from escaping the bloodshed without Pfc. Nemelka.

"I'd been told never leave a fallen comrade. That's what was going through my mind. I needed to get out, but I needed to get him out with me," said Spc. Carroll, who was deployed to Afghanistan 10 months ago.

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This is what bravery is. This is what good soldiering is. It's not drones and satellite tech - it's comradeship. He doesn't need a medal - he needs to be teaching our armed forces what it's all about.

All the best to Spc. Carroll!

And to anyone who reads this account still believes it was just a random act of violence, I'd love to hear your explanation.