Manning's Mental Health a Concern

A mental health expert advised the Army not to deploy alleged Wikileaks leaker Pfc. Bradley Manning to Iraq because he was unfit for combat, but his immediate commanders decided to send him anyway, a military official told the Washington Post.

The report Wednesday shows that Manning, who is currently being held for allegedly leaking classified documents to the website Wikileaks, was affected by a change in his personal life following his enlistment in 2007. According to the Washington Post, stress from a faltering personal relationship led Manning, who is reportedly gay, to seek mental help.

While he was in Iraq, the master sergeant overseeing Manning kept meticulous records of the private's behavior, and steadily reprimanded him for poor behavior. In December 2009, he disabled his weapon out of concerns for his mental well-being, but he still did not suggest that Manning get mental help while in Iraq.