What?

I'm reading this article in the New York Times about U.S. soldiers trying to get out of service in Iraq when I come accross the following passage:

Specialist Marquise J. Roberts is accused of asking a relative in Philadelphia to shoot him in the leg so he would not have to return to war.

A bullet to the leg, Specialist Roberts, of Hinesville, Ga., told the police, seemed his best chance. "I was scared" he said, according to a police report on the December shooting.

Now, far be it from me to question what it's like to have to live and work in Iraq...but let's follow the logic here. You're an active duty soldier afraid to go to Iraq because, presumably, you might get shot. So to get out of going to Iraq you ask someone to shoot you.

Huh?

Perhaps it's for the best that this guy didn't go. Were I serving in Iraq I certainly wouldn't want to be relying on him to watch out for me. From volunterring to sign up for the military and then being shocked when told to go to a warzone; to shooting himself to avoid returning to said war zone, he doesn't seem capable of even watching out for himself.