No doubt there are abuses during war in our armed forces, it's probably inevitable really, but whether there's a culture of it remains to be seen I think.  It's a brutal business, war.  There's one benefit anyway; stories like this are a reality check against propaganda and hegemony.  I suspect the government is very keen to see the various Hero campaigns put about, and probably encourages them directly, as well as making remembrance events very high profile because it makes it seem unpatriotic to criticise the armed forces and question the various missions they're put into.  It's the equivalent of political correctness for the right wing really.

Spot on! Danjay.
I think that those of us who were brought up near military bases were already aware of the potential of our men in uniform. Just like the rest of us they vary from people who missed the boat and should have been studying at a Redbrick somewhere, right down to the professional gentleman thug. It's impossible to generalise IMO.

Soldiers aren't any more likely to be either saints or sinners than the general population are. They are subject to the same character assets or flaws as all of us.

The main difference is, extreme situations can often bring out extreme behaviour. On some occasions, that's extreme bravery. On others, it's behaviour like this, unfortunately.