Posted on 12/14/2005 2:41:02 PM PST by kellynla
HOLD THE PRESSES. I've discovered that the use of torture by the U.S. government is far more pervasive than previously believed. There are major facilities all over the country where thousands of men and women who have not committed any crime are held for prolonged periods while subjected to physical and psychological coercion that violates every tenet of the Geneva Convention.
They are routinely made to stand for long periods in uncomfortable positions. They are made to walk for hours while wearing heavy loads on their backs. They are bullied by martinets who get in their faces and yell insults at them. They are hit and often knocked down with clubs known as pugil sticks. They are denied sleep for more than a day at a time. They are forced to inhale tear gas. They are prevented from seeing friends or family. Some are traumatized by this treatment. Others are injured. A few even die.
Should Amnesty International or the International Committee of the Red Cross want to investigate these human-rights abuses, they could visit Parris Island, S.C., Camp Pendleton, Calif., Ft. Benning, Ga., Ft. Jackson, S.C., and other bases where the Army and Marines train recruits. It's worth keeping in mind how roughly the U.S. government treats its own defenders before we get too worked up over the treatment of captured terrorists.
With all the uproar over torture, you would think we handled prisoners the way Saddam Hussein did. The former dictator's trial has featured copious testimony on how his goons raped, mutilated, beat or murdered those who fell under suspicion of disloyalty. This type of treatment — fingernails pulled, electric shocks applied, sharp objects put where they don't belong — is what the word "torture" commonly connotes. That's not what American operatives are up to.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
"Forget boot camp.
Try SERE school."
No kidding. The really serious SERE experiences often do get into torture to different extents.
A pal of mine who did it years back (early 90's) snuck off base during the exercise (you could say 'AWOL')and checked in at a nice hotel and kicked it for a week while the rest of his team got 'captured'. Then he dirtied himself up, snuck back on base, and ended up with a commendation in his jacket for evading one of the best S&C teams in the world. He should have been cashiered but he cooked up some cock and bull story that mostly got a wink and a nod.
Where did he go to "Bootcamp"?
I know for a fact Fort Benning doesn't. But i've also talked to pogues who went Fort Jackson and they said they dont have them either.
Been there.Done that.
Very tough!
I guarantee you, from a psychological perspective, my ex-wife has tortured me more than 1/2 the thugs we now detain around the world.....
Years ago, I went through Navy boot camp at Great lakes. In order to stay in the Navy you had to be able to swim a certain distance. One day, thw swim test occurred. You climbed a ladder to a 20 ' platform, put your back to this enormous pool, and you were pushed off. You had to swim the perimeter without drowning. Along the side of the pool were "life guards" with long poles. If you floundered or tried to leave the pool, you got pushed down with the pole and got some encouraging words. ("Swim if you want to live, Sailor"). If you "drowned", you had to return for swim lessons. Swim lessons involved doing again what I just described until you made it around the pool.
DIs have not been allowed to put hands on recruit since 78-79. I went through Ft. Jackson in 1980. But 10 minutes in the front-lean-rest postition will have you wishing that the DI had popped you one instead. This all a bunch of crap. My daughter went through basicin 2003. No stress cards were present at Ft. Leonardwood, either.
I'm sure if they ever did come out with "stress cards", an on-the-ball DI would simply tell the recruit to do push-up or sit-ups while they "composed themselves." If it were me, I'd give them a full hour to do so, while standing ramrod straight at the position of attention.
Anyone presenting a stress card in my BCT Company (Ft Knox,1969)would have been taken behind the barracks by the junior DI (just back from 'Nam) and administered an "attitude adjustment".
Thanks for sharing what you “think”.
I remember my dad telling me a young female private pulled the "card" on him, he he told her to report back in 15 minutes.
Faulty memory?
I honestly don't remember. Somewhere back east. Georgia or South Carolina?
Air Force torture = cable out...
You got that right. My son just celebrated his first year in the MARINES. His description of BC at PI was anything but.
In fact I run a board for the familys from his Bat at Parris Island and many have shared what our fighting men endured.
I have to say the article is a spot on desciption of MARINE corp BC.
Not true! Why would you say that? Are our forces abroad fighting like they carry yellow stress cards in their pockets?
If he Infantry?
I can say for a fact Fort Benning, Georgia, doesn't have stress cards because I've talked to at least one person from every graduating class in the last 2 years. Though, I've also asked people who went to Fort Jackson which is supposed to be the easiest (yeah i know, Relaxin Jackson) and i have never heard of these stress cards from them either.
Don't know what you mean by "put hands on" but the UCMJ has always forbidden any kind of "assault" of any uniformed member,including trainees.
However,we always understood that in a court martial the NCO/Officer would *always* be believed over the recruit.
That fact that the stress card myth is perpetuated is absurd.
Stress cards??? Sheesh!...I hope they at least still kept the 'bar of soap in the towel' (no sarc)
Nope, something to do with communications. He just re-enlisted in January, so that would make it almost 4 years ago, I think.
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