An exemplary US soldier who shot and burned 16 civilians

"One of Bales' former commanders, who spoke to the Seattle Times on the condition of anonymity, called him "a great noncommissioned officer" who distinguished himself during an intense battle with Shiite militia members in Iraq in 2007, a battle he said earned Bales an Army commendation.  "He was the guy who didn't get excited, because he had more life experiences. If you picked 10 guys to go into combat with, he would be on the list," he said, adding: "When I found out who the name was, I nearly fell off my chair, and I had a good cry."  Browne said the soldier's reputation among friends and co-workers was exemplary.  "Public reports that Sgt. Bales' supervisors, family and friends describe him as a level-headed, experienced soldier are consistent with information gathered by the defense team," Browne and his co-counsel, Emma Scanlan, said in a statement Saturday."