In an unusual case, five Fort Bragg soldiers are facing courts-martial after the death of a drinking buddy. On July 20, 2008, Pfc. Luke Brown, despite having recently completed an Army substance-abuse program, became drunk and unruly while visiting the Ugly Stick Saloon in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with about ten members of the 82nd Airborne Division. Brown said that he did not want to return to base and ran outside with the words, “I want to die.” His companions ran after him and, after a long struggle, pummeled and choked him and brought him back to a car. By the time they arrived at Fort Bragg, Brown was dead. On Friday, a military judge, Lt. Col. John P. Saunders, recommended that five of the soldiers involved in the case face a court-martial, including two for involuntary manslaughter. The soldiers who were charged claimed that they were simply following the ethic of the 82nd Airborne, which is to never leave a soldier behind. However, a spokesman for the division, Lt. Col. Clarence Counts, said that there is no rule condoning rendering a soldier unconscious in order to return him to base. Defense lawyes have argued that there were other factors involved in Brown’s death besides being choked. They claim that Brown had a bad heart, was drunk and habitually consumed energy drinks.