Medals axed for brigade in abuse scandal

Arizona Daily Star ^

[SandRat]

BAGHDAD - The prisoner abuse scandal has so tarnished the Army's 800th Military Police Brigade that soldiers slated to receive an Army Bronze Star medal have been dropped from the list, the brigade's commander, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, said Sunday.

"The vast majority of fine, outstanding soldiers in the brigade are paying dearly," Karpinski told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

After the Army started its investigation into abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib penitentiary, ...

[beckett]

They should disband the brigade permanently and merge its personnel into other units. No MP brigade should be called the 800th ever again.

[SandRat]

The fallout from the sad saga of the 800th MP Brigade continues.

[cavtrooper21]

Never fails..
The majority getting the smack-down because of a few dip-s#!*s.
Might be some "barracks justice" going on soon.
Hope the higher-ups got "leash girl" and her fellow bed-wetters under protective custody.

[kenth]

Why is Karpinski still in her position of brigade commander?

[SAMWolf]

Soldiers who earned the Bronze Star shouldn't be penalized for the acts of others. This really sucks.

[SandRat]

Last I heard she was not. That she'd been suspended. Now that's confusing.

[mylife]

She has been relieved of duty, perhaps thats why her piehole never shuts.

Its sad that honorable soldiers would suffer because of the acts of others.

There has been talk of doing away with the 800th brigade as its has been shamed so badly by its commanders and the few perps at the bottom.

[LenS]

Until they get to the bottom of this mess, you really can't give awards to anyone under Gen. Karpinski's command. Clearly, she's a liar without any control over her unit. So how can the Pentagon trust any award recommendations from her unit?

[SandRat]

Too bad we don't have public Drumming Out Ceremonies anymore. That might help return some of the honor of the good soldiers in the unit.

[steplock]

...Karpinski told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

So the bitch is now probably disobeying more orders with her, typical of the clinton era appointees, blaming everyone else but herself and corresponding directly with the leftist ap

[SandRat]

if not a military order then one from her attorney to - Shut Up!

[Spirited]

Why should bronze star winners be penalized for what some others did?

They either are earned or are not! Are they lolli-pops these days?

This makes no sense at all.

[gilliam]

The brigade is tarnished. It isn't surprising and the brigade should feel humiliated. Now their job is to overcome.

[TheBattman]

Agreed.

Hopefully, after the investigations are complete and the guilty are brought to justice, the innocent who deserve awards receive what they earned.

[sarasmom]

It makes sense to me.
Medals frozen means that that unit is tarnished from the top command element down.
It doesn't mean that every single individual involved was derelict or dishonorable, just that too many were to consider them sporadic acts or isolated incidents by depraved individuals.
IG investigations must have turned up major dysfunctions.
No doubt more sickening details will come out, eventually.

[Spirited]

In other words there can be some bronze star winners who did not earn them? In other words they are lollipops?

[windchime]

Bump!

[An.American.Expatriate]

BINGO!

The awards will probably be reviewed and, where merited awarded - but HOW on earth could ANYONE trust a recomendation from Gen. Karpinski at this stage??

The Pentagon needs to place a gag order on her and all other military personnel about this until the court martial / investigation proceedings are complete.

I can understand that Gen Karpinski is trying to "save her skin", but in order for justice to be served - the military needs to clamp down on these people!

[Kenton]

Boy, I sure am glad that this isn't nearly as serious as the "Tailhook" scandal, and that the General in charge is a woman, or the General would probably be out of a job already. /SARCASM OFF