Lynndie England gets 3-year sentence

[Ani_Ibi]

Here is which officer got what:

Army releases findings in detainee-abuse investigations

Regarding officer accountability, roughly 25 percent of the adverse punishments to date have been applied against officers, who make up about 16 percent of the total Army force. While there are still officer cases that remain open, to date, the Army has taken the following actions against officers in the ranks of brigadier general to warrant officer:

Brigadier General - Promotion vacated, relief from command, one letter of reprimand

Colonel - One non-judicial punishment

Lieutenant Colonel (four officers) - Two letters of reprimand, two non-judicial punishments

Major (three officers) - Three letters of reprimand, one non-judicial punishment

Captain (10 officers) – Three courts-martial, one other than honorable discharge, five letters of reprimand, one non-judicial punishment

1st Lieutenant (four officers) – Two courts-martial, one letter of reprimand, one non-judicial punishment

2nd Lieutenant (two officers) - One other than honorable discharge, one letter of reprimand

Chief Warrant Officer 3 - One court-martial

Chief Warrant Officer 2 - One court-martial.

Specifically on what Gen Karpinski got:

Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, then Commander 800th Military Police Brigade, was investigated by the DAIG for the following allegations:

1. Dereliction of duty

1. Making a material misrepresentation to an investigating team

1. Failure to obey a lawful order

1. Shoplifting.

The DAIG found two of the allegations unsubstantiated, while the allegations of dereliction of duty and shoplifting were found to be substantiated.

Based upon the DAIG investigation, Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Dick A. Cody issued Brig. Gen. Karpinski a memorandum of reprimand and directed that it be filed in her Official Military Personnel File. The Commander of the U.S. Army Reserve Command, Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly, formally relieved Brig. Gen. Karpinski from command of the 800th Military Police Brigade on April 8.

Today, the President approved a recommendation to vacate the promotion of Brig. Gen. Karpinski from her rank of brigadier general. This action was in response to a recommendation by the U.S. Army Reserve Command commander, the Chief of Staff of the Army, and the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary of Defense and the President. This decision reduces her rank to colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Though Brig. Gen. Karpinski’s performance of duty was found to be seriously lacking, the investigation determined that no action or lack of action on her part contributed specifically to the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Here is some context:

IG: Individual discipline failures led to detainee abuse

The report noted that detainee abuse does not occur when Soldiers remain disciplined, follow known procedures and understand their obligation to report abusive behavior. Nor does detainee abuse occur when leaders enforce basic standards of humane treatment, provide oversight and supervision of detainee operations and take corrective action when they see potentially abusive situations develop, it stated.

During the course of the inspection, five Soldiers came forward to the IGs to report possible detainee abuse, Mikolashek told the senators. All of those cases were referred to the Criminal Investigation Command, he said.

Other major report findings/observations include:

–Doctrine does not clearly specify the interdependent and independent roles, missions and responsibilities of military police and military intelligence units in the establishment and operation of interrogation facilities.

–While officially approved Combined Joint Task Force 7 and 180 interrogation policies and procedures generally met legal obligations, some were vague and ambiguous. Further, implementation, training and oversight of those policies were inconsistent.

–MI units do not have enough interrogators and interpreters to conduct timely detainee screenings for usable tactical intelligence.

–Tactical MI officers lack the proper training to manage all aspects of the collection and analysis of human intelligence.

–Of the 16 detention facilities inspected in both countries, Abu Ghraib was the only one in an undesirable location, overcrowded and frequently attacked with mortar and rocket fire.

–Some CENTCOM civilian interrogation contractors worked without adequate formal training on military interrogation techniques or policy.

 

[Arba_Sicula]

Ani Ibi:

Here is some context:

IG: Individual discipline failures led to detainee abuse

Thanks for both posts, Ani, they were most informative and wonderfully detailed.

I was struck by the shoplifting charge. Fer cryin’ out loud, she was a B. General. How pathetic that someone who earns as much as she did should be lifting merchandise. It’s not as if she were the spouse of some Private.

And as far as those other punishments - a letter of reprimand certainly isn’t jail nor a bootmark on your backside as you leave the Post, but it’s the Kiss of Death come promotion time.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Arba Sicula:

Thanks for both posts, Ani, they were most informative and wonderfully detailed.

I was struck by the shoplifting charge. Fer cryin’ out loud, she was a B. General. How pathetic that someone who earns as much as she did should be lifting merchandise. It’s not as if she were the spouse of some Private.

And as far as those other punishments - a letter of reprimand certainly isn’t jail nor a bootmark on your backside as you leave the Post, but it’s the Kiss of Death come promotion time.

Interestingly enough, Major Marcus A. Reno, who was Custer’s second-in-command at the Little Bighorn, was cashiered for window-peeping and starting a fistfight in a pool hall.

A hundred years later, his descendants convinced the Carter administration that his dismissal should be reversed on the grounds that he wasn’t responsible for Custer’s defeat.

 

[Arba_Sicula]

vern humphrey:

Interestingly enough, Major Marcus A. Reno, who was Custer’s second-in-command at the Little Bighorn, was cashiered for window-peeping and starting a fistfight in a pool hall.

A hundred years later, his descendants convinced the Carter administration that his dismissal should be reversed on the grounds that he wasn’t responsible for Custer’s defeat.

Great. Sounds as if Gen. Karpinski might be able to get her punishment reversed on the grounds that she wasn’t responsible for the U.S. deaths in Afghanistan.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Arba Sicula:

Great. Sounds as if Gen. Karpinski might be able to get her punishment reversed on the grounds that she wasn’t responsible for the U.S. deaths in Afghanistan.

No doubt in years to come, when people have forgotten what really happened, someone will take up her cause.

Under the Carter Administration, the case of Dr. Mary Walker came up. She was illegally awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and stripped of the award by the “Benzine Board” of 1917 (which also revoked the Medals of the 27th Maine – who were given the Medal as an inducement to re-enlist.)

The case was rejected by the Board for the Correction of Army Records twice – because Mary Walker’s actions never met the legal standards for the Medal. The second time, the Board pointed out she was never in the Army at all. The Carter Administration “retroactivelly enlisted” her and the Board finally bowed to pressure.

In the George HW Bush admnistration, someone brought up the case of Buffalo Bill – whose actions did meet the legal standards, but who lost his Medal because he wasn’t legally in the Army, either. Buffalo Bill was also “retroactivelly enlisted” and his medal was restored.

 

[Arba_Sicula]

vern humphrey:

No doubt in years to come, when people have forgotten what really happened, someone will take up her cause.

Under the Carter Administration, the case of Dr. Mary Walker came up. She was illegally awarded the Medal of Honor during the Civil War, and stripped of the award by the “Benzine Board” of 1917 (which also revoked the Medals of the 27th Maine – who were given the Medal as an inducement to re-enlist.)

The case was rejected by the Board for the Correction of Army Records twice – because Mary Walker’s actions never met the legal standards for the Medal. The second time, the Board pointed out she was never in the Army at all. The Carter Administration “retroactivelly enlisted” her and the Board finally bowed to pressure.

In the George HW Bush admnistration, someone brought up the case of Buffalo Bill – whose actions did meet the legal standards, but who lost his Medal because he wasn’t legally in the Army, either. Buffalo Bill was also “retroactivelly enlisted” and his medal was restored.

I didn’t think that people could ever play footloose with the Medal of Honor like that. (I know that the soldiers guarding Lincoln’s funeral train were given the MoH, and that was reversed, but that reversal stood to reason).

Seems that there’s nothing that is outside the reach of political expediency.

 

[vern_humphrey]

Arba Sicula:

I didn’t think that people could ever play footloose with the Medal of Honor like that. (I know that the soldiers guarding Lincoln’s funeral train were given the MoH, and that was reversed, but that reversal stood to reason).

Seems that there’s nothing that is outside the reach of political expediency.

Nothing. Dr. Mary Walker could have been awarded the Medal of Freedom (the highest civilian award) but that wouldn’t do for the feminists. The case of Buffalo Bill is a bit different – his actions were within the meaning of the statute, it was only his status that resulted in his Medal being revoked.

 

[estesbob]

Arba Sicula:

You are in error. Gen Karposki, who commanded the prison, did nothing. She hardly ever inspected the prison she was in charge of, and when the abuses were uncovered, she claimed that the information had been kept from her and that during her “inspections,” she was kept away from the areas where the abuse was taking place.

No excuse. No excuse whatever. She was in command. Even if she were just a Captain and not a General, she was still the Officer Commanding, and had a duty to command.

You are right-I was mixing my Generals up. I think her punishment was too light.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Arba Sicula:

Thanks for both posts, Ani, they were most informative and wonderfully detailed.

My pleasure. Actually I have some questions. Does anyone have a link to an account of exactly what Karpinksi did or did not do? I would also like to know the significance of the shoplifting conviction. Is this the ‘scrounging’ I hear of which is discouraged in the military? Can anyone give some interpretation of what these charges and convictions mean, please?
Arba Sicula:

And as far as those other punishments - a letter of reprimand certainly isn’t jail nor a bootmark on your backside as you leave the Post, but it’s the Kiss of Death come promotion time.

I have no idea of what is justice in this case. But, as I have said before, the investigation into AbuGraib has been much more satisfactory than the investigation into the Arone affair. I want to think we are making progress.