Fragging In the United States military , fragging ( from fragmentation grenade ) refers to the act of murdering members of the military , particularly commanders of a fighting squad . Additionally , the term can be applied to manipulating the chain of command in order to have an individual , or unit , deliberately killed by placing the personnel in harm ' s way , with the intended result being death . An example would be to order a soldier to perform a particularly hazardous task , and continue to repeat the order until the soldier met his demise . Originating among United States troops during the Vietnam War , the term was most commonly used to mean the assassination of an unpopular officer of one ' s own fighting unit . Such incidents have been documented in European military history back to the 18th century . Current usage could apply to murder of any other member , enlisted or officer , and has nothing to do with rank . Initially , the killings were effected by means of a fragmentation grenade , making it appear as though the killing had been accidental , or the result of combat action with the enemy , thereby obscuring the assassin ' s true intentions . The term now encompasses any means of deliberately and directly causing the death of fellow military members . The most common motive for choosing a fragmentation grenade or similar device is a perpetrator ' s desire to avoid identification and the associated consequences of punishment by one ' s superiors or dishonor brought to one ' s unit . Where a grenade is thrown in the heat of battle , soldiers can claim that the grenade landed too close to the person they " accidentally " killed , that another member of the unit threw the grenade , or that an enemy soldier threw it back . Unlike a firearm projectile , an exploded hand grenade cannot be readily traced to anyone with ballistic forensics or other means . The grenade is destroyed in the explosion , and the characteristics of the shrapnel cannot be traced to a specific grenade or soldier . Motivation . The characteristics of the Vietnam War resulted in high stress for military officers and NCOs , and their troops . At the same time , relations within the military reflected social problems and issues in the US such as racial tension , drug use , and resentment toward authoritative leaders . within the ranks . As the program of training Vietnamese for combat roles known as Vietnamization began , young American enlisted men lost a sense of purpose in fighting the war , and the relationship between enlisted men and their officers deteriorated . The resentment directed from enlisted men toward officers was exacerbated by their generational gaps , as well as different perceptions of how the military should be conducted . Enforcement of military regulations , especially if done overzealously , led to troops ' complaining and sometimes threats of physical violence directed toward officers . Fragging most often involved the murder of a commanding officer ( C . O . ) or a senior non - commissioned officer perceived as unpopular , harsh , inept or overzealous . As the Vietnam War became more unpopular in the United States , soldiers became less willing to go into harm ' s way . They expected their leaders to have a similar sense of self - preservation , even if these motives were obstructive to the goals of the overall war effort . If a C . O . was incompetent , fragging the officer was considered a means of self - defense for the men serving under him . Fragging might also occur if a commander freely took on dangerous or suicidal missions , especially if he was deemed to be seeking personal glory . Lower enlisted - rank soldiers used the threat of fragging to influence officers . Sometimes a warning would be given to the target by placing a grenade pin on his bed . Fragging would take place if his actions continued as before . The use of fragging served to warn junior officers to avoid angering their enlisted men through recklessness , cowardice , or lack of leadership . George Cantero , who served as a medic in Vietnam during the early 1970s , later explained that incompetent officers who gave dangerous orders and refused to listen to reason or threats were fragged because that was the only way for the men to gain a new and presumably safer commanding officer . Underground GI newspapers sometimes listed bounties offered by units for the fragging of unpopular commanding officers . Throughout the course of the Vietnam War , fragging was reportedly common . Cases have been documented of at least 230 American officers killed by their own troops , and as many as 1 , 400 other officers ' deaths could not be explained . Between 1970 and 1971 alone , there were 363 cases of " assault with explosive devices " against officers in Vietnam . Incidents of fragging have been recorded as far back as the 18th - century Battle of Blenheim .