The battalion, which consisted of insurance agents, checkout clerks and sales people, would take part in the highly publicized incidents of prisoner abuse that horrified the nation. The rise of anti-American insurgency and orders to gather intelligence were cited as some of the building pressures on the unit.

The following account on the troubled actions of the battalion is based on interviews with soldiers, their relatives, military commanders and Army reports.

Entering Camp Bucca, Camp of Iraqi Prisoners

Scott McKenzie, a sergeant who has since been discharged from the service, stated how they were never prepared or trained on how to handle a riot or on what steps to take if someone was being assaulted. After the first riot incident broke out, McKenzie and two other soldiers badly beat and kicked one of the prisoners. McKenzie claimed they used the necessary amount of force to regain control of the prisoners.

The lack of consequences for their actions led to a near complete breakdown of discipline in the unit. The army then decided upon Saddam Hussein’s old palaces Abu Ghraib, which held the history of executions and tortures, as their new U.S. headquarters for detaining prisoners of war.

Reservists Turned Wardens of the World’s Largest Prison Ran by the U.S. Army

The number of inmates grew, however the number of guards remained the same, which created a high-stress environment. Clashes of culture and a prison filled with large numbers of criminals freed by Saddam accounted for a lack of compliance among the prisoners.

The population of prisoners skyrocketed from 2,000 to 7,000 and their average stays became longer and longer, approaching four to six months. Overcrowding, disciplinary problems and being in the middle of a hostile fire zone added to already high-anxiety levels. Some of the other factors that were believed to have caused problems in the battalion were poor supervision of troops and an unclear chain of command.

Reports of Abuse Leak out to the Public

• Human rights groups heard numerous complaints of prisoners being handled roughly or abused by U.S. soldiers
• A riot that broke out in one of the camps resulted in the shooting of 12 prisoners, three of who were killed.
• At Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi prisoner died while he was being questioned by a CIA officer and a linguist.
• The worst incident of abuse happened at Abu Ghraib and involved prisoners being punched, slapped, kicked, forced to strip naked and form human pyramids. Also, some were ordered to simulate sex acts.
• Prisoners were forced to stay in unventilated three-by-three feet cells, handcuffed to the cell doors and were made to wear women’s underpants.

To date, seven enlisted soldiers are faced with criminal charges.

Most of the blame was placed upon two soldiers who both work as corrections officers in their civilian life.

New York Times May 9, 2004