Soldier hopes accused leader wouldn't be reported

FORT BRAGG: A Green Beret testified Thursday that his team sergeant, who faces possible court-martial in the killing and mutilation of an Afghan civilian, is a man he'd want by his side during battle. Staff Sgt. Gregory Dubois testified at a military hearing that Master Sgt. Joseph D. Newell, 38, of Tecumseh, Michigan, was “a brave dude'' in battle during their deployment to a remote fire base in Afghanistan. When the allegations came out, Dubois said he hoped Newell wouldn't be reported. “The right thing to do was report it,'' Dubois said. “It's painful. The last thing in the world I wanted to see happen was it to go forward. I was hoping for something else.''Newell, who has served in the military for two decades, could face a murder charge in the March 5 killing of the Afghan man, who the team believed was an insurgent. Newell also is charged with cutting off the man's ear and stealing a scarf from his head. Dubois and Newell are members of the 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg.