Was “fragging” (or more generally insubordination) as common during WWI and 2 as it was during the Vietnam War?

by theycallmegreat

A recent thread brought the question to mind using a particular episode of Band of Brothers as the reference. I know that troops can and will get frustrated with their COs but I am curious if there are nearly as many documented instances.

As an aside, did government censorship and propaganda play a role in the public perception of such conduct did occur?

mikedash

There will be more to say, but while you are waiting for a more specific answer to your query, it might be worth reviewing u/Georgy_K_Zhukov's detailed discussion of Vietnam-era fragging:

A recent post mentioned incidents of American soldiers "fragging" their own officers during the latter years of the Vietnam War. Just how widespread was this? Why?

This response covers the specifics of why fragging occurred in Vietnam, and it seems clear from this that while some of the motives soldiers had for attempting to intimidate or kill their NCOs or officers would have been common to troops in all wars (for instance, putting their men in harm's way by being too "gung ho"), others, such as enforcement of anti-drugs policies, were likely specific to Vietnam.

Specifically, the stat that "nearly ninety percent of 'fraggers' caught were found to be on drugs or drunk when doing the crime" suggests a fruitful line for further enquiry, since the availability of both alcohol and drugs was likely greater in Vietnam (where troops rotated in and out of relatively well appointed rear bases and where it was unusual for them to spend long periods on a defined "front line") than in WWI or WWII, where more time was spent in front line positions where access to such stimulants was much easier for the army to control.

I'd also expect factors such as relative levels of morale; the fact that junior officers in the two earlier conflicts were more obviously only parts in much larger military machines, with limited ability to affect how their troops fought or which objectives they targeted, and how; views regarding the "justice" of the cause being fought for; and perceptions of the likelihood that individual actions were leading to a defined, attainable end goal to have affected the ways in which officers and men interacted in these earlier conflicts.