When their troops deployed to Helmand in 2006, 16 Air Assault brigade was parcelled out in "platoon houses" across the province.
The establishment by the Parachute Regiment of isolated platoon houses in Helmand looked brave and decisive in 2006.
But they charged off to outlying areas and set up platoon houses, in effect inviting Taliban attacks.
But under pressure from the government to stop outlying towns from falling to the Taliban, the force was parcelled out into "platoon houses" that came under severe attack.
Butler's supporters feel that he has been made the scapegoat for the plan to scatter small units of the brigade, the 3 Para battle group in particular, across half a dozen villages in Helmand in "platoon houses", mud compounds which soon became each a little Alamo.
The platoon soon surrounded the lighted house.
His platoon chanced upon an abandoned house, which his fellow soldiers proceeded to loot.
There was a time in 2007, in between Chris Kyle's deployments, when half my platoon was trapped behind a house while two Iraqi insurgent machine gunners pinned us down.
A group of marines from 2nd Platoon rushed up to a house on a corner lighted by dim street lamps and prepared to break through the front gate, their M-16's raised.
Pantano's platoon found weapons inside the house and the two men were taken into custody and handcuffed on the suspicion of aiding insurgents, or "Ali Baba" as the Marines called them.
