CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Lance Cpl. Jonathan A. Phillips’ fellow Marines all knew one thing: He should not be in combat. His reaction to the deaths of four friends in the span of two weeks gave Phillips’ commanders enough concern to send him to a mental health expert. Then again. Then two more times.

But whatever the battle-hardened Marine was dealing with inside, his outward demeanor was of a man ready for duty. At least that’s the impression he gave the doctors. And to the chagrin of his fellow Marines — including his platoon commander, who personally contacted a psychiatrist at Camp Fallujah — he was sent back in.

…

Then came Jan. 20. Phillips, after hearing small-arms fire, spotted an Iraqi policeman in a marked car and shot him in his chest.

…
Charles Gittins, Phillips’ civilian attorney, said his client’s serious mental disease did not rise to a level of defense. But, Gittins said, doctors failed Phillips.

“We would not be sitting here but for that failure,” Gittins said.
At the end of his daylong court-martial, Phillips was sentenced by a military judge to three years’ confinement, reduction in rank to private, dishonorable discharge and total forfeiture of pay.

Comment: According to the story a Marine saw a mental health provider in Iraq 4x but still killed an innocent Iraqi. The account suggests the command and medical officers had a different perception/assessment about fitness for duty. Was there a communication problem between the command and medical officers? Could this have been prevented or was this an unavoidable tragedy?

Reference: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2007/10/marine_manslaughter_071002/