Fake Navy Seal Accuses Team Members of Torture

veriSEAL.org, Salon.com, LAtimes.com ^ | 22 DEC 2004 | tht73a

[tht73a]

Fake SEAL accuses soldiers of torture

21 DEC 2004

VeriSEAL

TAMPA, Florida - A former California National Guard soldier who accused others in his unit of torturing Iraqi prisoners may have military justice problems of his own.

Frank "Greg" Ford claims to have witnessed members of his National Guard battalion torturing Iraqi prisoners while his unit was stationed in Samarra in 2003, according to David DeBatto, a former National Guard Tactical HUMINT Team (THT) member and author of a story titled "Whitewashing Torture" published on a far left web site in early December.

DeBatto says that Ford reported the alleged abuse to his commanding officer and, hours later, was strapped to a gurney and flown out of Iraq for psychiatric evaluation. According to Army sources contacted by VeriSEAL, an informal investigation pursuant to Rules for Courts-Martial was conducted in response to Ford's allegations and the allegations were determined to be unfounded. Ford was medevaced from Iraq only after exhibiting what was described as delusional behavior.

Ford's claims of torture and abuse witnessed while in Iraq are not the only contentious issues surrounding him. Over the years he has made numerous unsubstantiated claims including being a medical doctor, a Navy SEAL, and a member of President Nixon's security detail. In May 2003, Ford claimed to know the exact whereabouts of Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan al-Majid known as "Chemical Ali". Hussein and al-Majid were not located and captured until many months later.

Just prior to his battalion's deployment to Iraq, Ford was photographed at Fort Lewis in Washington state wearing unauthorized insignia on his Battle Dress Uniform. The insignia -- a Navy SEAL Trident -- is authorized to be worn only by qualified U.S. Navy SEALs, something Ford is not and never was.

While in Iraq, Ford also claims to have saved the life of a wounded soldier. According to sources familiar with the incident, sworn affidavits from medics and other witnesses at the scene say Ford did nothing more than hold the wounded soldier's IV bag.

As for wearing a Navy SEAL "budweiser" on his Army uniform, Ford has said he attended a discontinued BUD/S program for Navy corpsmen in the 1980s and was a "medic" assigned to a Navy SEAL team. While there once was such a program for SEAL corpsmen who, at the time, were precluded by the Geneva Conventions from attending BUD/S, Navy records held by VeriSEAL do not list Ford among the graduates of that program.

"The subdued Trident on his BDUs is easily recognizable by any Naval Special Warfare personnel as the SEAL breast insignia," says Kent Dillingham, a retired Navy SEAL who is the founder and project director of VeriSEAL. "He wasn't a SEAL. He wasn't authorized to wear it. Period."

Dillingham, a 30-year veteran of the active duty military, recently retired after returning from deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan with a Naval Special Warfare unit.

David DeBatto acknowledges that while in Iraq he personally did not witness any incidents similar to those reported by Ford. He maintains "every army psychiatrist diagnosed Sergeant Ford as completely normal with absolutely no psychological or mental health issues whatsoever."

DeBatto is currently writing a work of fiction based on Army counter-intelligence which is said due to be published in 2005.

Ford is reportedly close to retirement as a prison guard at California's Folsom State Prison. He claims to have retired with 30 years service in the Navy, Coast Guard and Army. VeriSEAL researchers are puzzled as to how he could have spent 30 years in the armed forces along with a presumed 20-year career as a prison guard. It is not known if the Army is investigating Ford's UCMJ violations or false military qualification claims. Wearing unauthorized insignia is a violation of both military and federal law and is punishable by up to six months in jail.

Ford could not be reached for comment.

© 2004 VeriSEAL.org. All rights reserved

[Travis McGee]

who else but a SEAL would want to swim out of a perfectly good submarine in icy cold water just to go shoot someone.

LOL! SO true!

[tht73a]

Good Question Travis,

Apparently, he passed all the investigative steps. Which should scare you a bit. Maybe when he completed his background investigation paperwork, he did not supply any of his fictional stuff.

It is not hard to pretend to be somebody else in the guard. I mean, you only have to deal with them for 2 days a month (well, that was then).

It is just a sad turn of events.