Posted on 02/06/2005 6:45:18 AM PST by presidio9
In front of a cheering male audience, two young women wearing only bras and panties throw themselves into a mud-filled plastic kiddie pool and roll around in a wild wrestling match.
At one point a man in the audience raises a water bottle and douses the entwined pair.
At another, a "referee" moves in to break up the scantily clad grapplers.
A young blond lifts her T-shirt to expose her breasts. A brunette turns her back to the camera and exposes her thong undies.
These scenes, taken from 30 photos leaked to the Daily News, could have been snapped at an out-of-control frat party.
But this happened a world away from any American college.
The photos were taken in Camp Bucca, the military prison at Umm Qasr in the hot sands of southern Iraq near the Kuwaiti border.
The women are not coeds but military policewomen who had left their uniforms in a pile not far off.
The men are soldiers, too. Most of them wore T-shirts emblazoned with Army logos, but at least one was still wearing his uniform.
Some were sergeants, including the referee, and some allegedly were drunk.
The photos were taken last Oct. 30, in the same period when enemy detainees were being transferred to Camp Bucca from Abu Ghraib, the prison made notorious by photos of Americans torturing naked Iraqis.
The Camp Bucca pictures document no such abuses.
But they do show what experts called a disconcerting lapse in discipline at a time when Army brass was touting the camp as a model of reform.
"It was basically a goodbye party for those of us who were leaving and a welcome party for those coming in," the alleged referee, Sgt. Emil Ganim of the 160th Military Police Battalion, told The News. "It was a chance for people to blow off some steam before coming home after spending a year in a combat zone."
But one participant described less-benign behavior.
Two sergeants, she said, told her "they had been lending out their room for soldiers to have sex" - a serious infraction of military regulations.
One female soldier, a prison guard with the 160th Military Police Battalion, was photographed baring her breast and showing off her thong panties.
The picture apparently was taken in the room of one of those sergeants, an investigator reported.
The witness told investigators that two high-ranking noncommissioned officers, a first sergeant and a master sergeant, were present. She "noted that these NCOs had been drinking and were noticeably drunk," the report said.
Ganim said American civilians at the camp also participated in the party, and "if anybody had liquor, it was them."
Ganim has since returned to his civilian job as a deputy sheriff in Leon County, Fla.
"It appears that this event was allegedly coordinated by NCOs [sergeants] of the 160th," according to the initial investigation.
One of the soldiers told investigators the mud-wrestling match was underway when she arrived.
"She took off her uniform and joined the other female soldiers that were wrestling," the report says. But "once soldiers started asking for the females to expose themselves [she and two of the other wrestlers] put their uniforms back on and left the area."
But at least one woman was not deterred.
Deanna Allen, a 19-year-old prison guard with the 105th MP Battalion, smiled and lifted her T-shirt. Photos show a man standing close to her and leering at her breasts while another G.I. snaps pictures.
"From what I understand they dared her to do it," said Allen's grandmother, Luci Tomlin, in Black Mountain, N.C. "It was a loose moment. She is a strong-headed young lady. Sometimes she can be a little irrational."
Allen, who is still stationed in Iraq, did not respond to E-mailed questions from The News. She was demoted in rank to private first class.
"A sex party with alcohol that is prohibited would suggest a serious breakdown of military discipline," said Washington-based lawyer Eugene Fidell, a military-justice expert. "Just how it would be handled would be determined by the commander, who has very broad discretion in situations like this.
Fidell said punishments could range from "a good chewing out to loss of rank" for enlisted personnel and "a letter or career-killing transfer" for officers who allowed it to happen.
Look slick.........save your lame sarcasm. You miss the point, so instead of publicly embarrassing yourself, why don't you scroll back up, try READING, and then come to talk to me, ok son?
Oh..and BTW.......my Dad was enlisted AF 20 years; my mother was enlisted Army, my older brother was enlisted Navy, my younger brother was enlisted AF, my oldest son was enlisted Army before going ROTC to get his commission.....and my wife was enlisted AF.
So SPARE me your put-upon-by-an-officer bullshit.
Thanks for your service. And thanks for "getting it" on this one! Some of us have tried to explain to a "few" that what these people did was reprehensible, but to no avail.
How anyone can defend this kind of behavior is appalling.
As a female veteran who served during an extremely stressful period, I find the actions of these women demeaning and disgraceful. Women have died wearing the uniforms of our nation. These women were dying to get out of their uniforms to roll in MUD! I'm deeply offended by their actions and I don't take it lightly.
I'm totally disabled from my service (I have a 100% permanent and total rating) and as I've tried to explain to a couple people here, that we represent our country "on and off duty" at all times. Every person who has entered the military has been told that and had that pounded into their brains from basic training and on!
You couldn't go march at a KKK rally and expect to report to duty the next day without H*ll to pay!
To equate having one too many drinks, to what these people did is ludicrous. This was beyond compare.
It demeans the sacrifices and good works of every soldier and troop out there. Past and present.
Fortunately, they are being punished. I can't imagine what kind of military we would be left with if they weren't.
FRegards, and thanks again for your service.
You've lost it.
I can assure you, everyone I served with could find ways of getting rid of stress without dishonoring our country or the uniform.
What we did in private was one thing, what we did in public was another. Everyone who serves knows that. You had to be brain dead to not know it. We were taught the UCMJ. You knew there were consequences if you violated the rules.
If we thought like you do and we ever started allowing people to denegrate the ethics of the miltary, we would allow the foundations, the very core of the military to collapse. Thankfully, the majority of us who serve(d) "get it". There are a few who don't and "wash" out. It's always been that way. Unfortunately, they put a temporary "stain" on all of us when they go down.
Now I've had enough of your arguements. If you served, I suspect you were reprimanded once yourself. Because we both served and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know this was depraved behavior in a military setting!
What we did in private was one thing, what we did in public was another. Everyone who serves knows that. You had to be brain dead to not know it. We were taught the UCMJ. You knew there were consequences if you violated the rules.
Since you're struggling to keep up, I'll say it one more time. This was not a public act. They were not in garrison! They were in a combat zone, and all the clothing they have is their uniforms. I'm very sorry you're having so much trouble getting it through your skull that these soldiers should not have to answer to you or any other civilians sitting in your comfy lazy chairs.
I may have gone overboard with ad-hominem attacks. I apologize if you are perturbed by the forum comments I posted. You sure seem to dish it out well enough.
I would not be too proud of being an USAF Academy Grad "At this time" considering the shenanigans that have been occurring for the last 7-8 years with harassment, drunkeness, rapes and congressional investigations pretty well documented by the press. You had better consider the caliber of the new academy grads and their reputation before you paint anyone else with a broad brush.
Yes - I also am a USAF combat veteran - with over 25 years in, started 3 days after I graduated high school, and am classified a VN and DS/DS, Haiti, Bosnia and OEF/OIF Vet. I also did some time in the ARNG. I think I am qualified to comment. Yes; I have been in Centcom's AOR repeatedly
You are calling for the blood of someone who is a Reservist who was in the AOR and off duty at the time. The individuals involved probably did get reduced in rank and are upset about the outcome and went to the press with pictures and a story. If this is the worst our folks can do in the AOR I am quite satisfied. There was no physical harm. There was harm to reputations after this was published. The press is actively looking for these types of stories to beat the DoD and Rumsfeld with and this may actually be a recruiting gain.
I suppose you see no qualitative difference between a Guard/Reservist and Active duty - there is - in training and experience and they way they are equipped and supported by the different branches of service. These MP's were not Active Duty folks.
Is not the point of the UCMJ fairness in in punishment? And equal treatment? The lead JAG for the USAF was doing serial adultery ;things much worse than a single out of hand party; and prevaricating to investigators about it. Bust in rank and Article 15 for someone whose job it was to administer punishment for individuals Air Force wide. I suppose you do not see the difference between O's and E's. I do.
I have not embarassed myself. I would be glad to discuss it anytime and stand by these comments for sure.
ROTFLMAO!!! Good one. What were they saying about dishonoring those who came before?
Oh, do I?? Shall I get you a tissue, Sweetie? I didn't realize I was supposed to accept your almight word as the Gospel. Sir, begging your pardon, Doctor Sir. [bowing]
If you'd really like to see me insult a poster, keep up your attitude.
I forgot to add how amazing it is that you've assigned this chronic condition to me in your two weeks on the forum. Impressive, Dr. Spock.
And after you're done throwing books, who will you use to replace the trained personnel you just removed from the military because of your discomfort?
Cue Bart Simpson voice: "Wow, man!"
Did you notice the 'underwear'? Looks more like athletic bras and boxer or bike shorts to me. It's certainly not the sexiest of lingerie.
The military will deal with its own in regards to this hilarious party (wish I had been there) and the sooner the civs understand this the better off everyone will be.......
This topic is now being talked about in O'Rielly and Col David Hunt disagrees COLMPLETELY with you and everyone else here,who thinks that this is no biggie and maybe even a good thing. His explination of why this is a bad thing,certainly makes you and your agreeing compatriots look follish,at the least.
O'reilly is a real moral judge!?!.
See my #565
I don't give a hoot what COL Hunt says. It's no biggie.
I was young in the '60s and never engaged in this kind of behavior or worse.And at that time, few young people engaged in bad behavior,but those who did,got the press,so now people think that everyone did. It's a myth,akin to the now,sadly accepted,myth that everyone lost money in the CRASH OF '29,when few,back then,owned stocks.
There's blowing off steam and then there's ridiculous,immoral,irresponsible behavior. This falls into the latter category.
Had I been following you around with a camera, I can guarantee you wouldn't be feeling so high and mighty right now.
You are full of it.
More concerned with imagery than reality.
Coop, Servant and many others are right on the money.
This is a topic that the press and leftist press including the phone sexer O'reilly himself are demagoging to belittle the DoD and Rummy. Take it for what it is.
No harm no foul.
I assume you mean foolish.
His arguments would if they held water.
The man has been out of the service and around politicians so long he has caught creeping political correctness, just like Hackworth.
So9
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