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GWOT IV - Camp Alviso
Jun. 21st, 2019 06:45 pmI have put up my right hand and taken the oath.
I couldn't have put up the left anyway. Even with pain meds, it still hurts like a bastard.
I have to return to site weekly for followups. I may need another surgery to remove the remaining bone fragments.
I am handed two documents.
One is my commission. I read it carefully.
Then I sign it. And by so doing, guarantee my death warrant should I ever come into custody of American forces again.
I look for the signature and title of the officer granting my commissions. The name, I have no idea who "Pat McGregor" might be. But the title is "Provisional Emergency Governor," and that is enough to convince me that someone above me in the chain of command knows what the fuck they are doing. I am directly commissioned Captain. Nice of them, not having to be a lieutenant.
The second document is a brief set of orders. Two pages, both addressed to me.
The first orders me to proceed to and take command of Alviso Prison.
The second appoints me a member of the Resistance Military Commission, empowered to 'investigate, adjudicate and punish atrocities committed by criminals, unlawful paramilitaries, and persons adjudicated by the Commission to be outside the protections of the laws of war.'
Someone has done their homework.
###
The first day is a blur.
It is actually in a way worse than my first day at Site. And my first day after the massive attack at Site, making a small infirmary into an emergency disaster medical site.
Because now I have the lawful authority to correct the situation, and the duty to do so, at my very real and grave personal peril.
I'm going to be on a commission that shoots and hangs people for how they treated prisoners.
Someday I might face such a commission myself.
###
The supply officer is staring at me.
"Sir, are you serious? We don't have most of this stuff!"
"Get it. We are legally obligated under the Geneva Conventions to treat every single one of these prisoners as Prisoners of War until their status has been adjudicated by a military commission. So they are all treated as POWs. Right now and until further notice."
"We've been lucky to feed ourselves, let alone them!"
"We don't eat until every prisoner has eaten. Water, soap, and basic toiletries will be provided to all prisoners. I want sick call in one hour and I want every prisoner reported as sick charted with a proper medical chart and a treatment plan by the end of this day."
###
If someone was hoping I'd be cruel to the thousands of Homeland soldiers, paramilitaries and adherents crammed into these former classrooms, library, auditorium and even wired cages, someone fucked up.
###
"Get those tarps up over the top."
"Sir, I don't think the prisoners will let us."
"Give me your rifle."
I fire a single round into the air, which gets everyone's attention.
"Prisoners! Guards! My name is Captain [18], and I am the new Warden, and if you break military law I am your worst fucking nightmare. This facility will be run according to the laws of war. Strictly.
"Prisoners. We are going to give you tarps to put up for shade over the tops of the fences. You are going to put them up. POWs can be required to do nonmilitary work, and this is nonmilitary work.
"Once you are adjudicated, you will either be a POW or you will be an unlawful combatant. If you are an unlawful combatant, you will be tried by the military commission.
"Meanwhile, if you attempt to escape, you can be SHOT!"
I handed the rifle back.
"OK, now hand them the tarps."
###
The guards are tense in the dim light. This is the third group of four I am addressing.
"We will use the HALT! rule. You shall shout HALT! three times before you shoot an escaping prisoner. If they stop you shall not shoot.
"If you do not shout HALT! three times before you fire, you will be in direct violation of a lawful order from a superior officer during a time of war. You will become subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. We will take away your uniform and your possessions and we will put you in with the rest of the prisoners.
"Is this clearly understood?!?"
Then I explained what a "NO HOSTAGES FACILITY" was, and why.
###
"Emergency Regulations
"For The Operation Of Alviso Prison
"Per Warden, Captain [Echo 18]
"
"These regulations will be posted in all prisoner exercise areas. They will be read out loudly daily after the morning count and after the afternoon count."
###
"You shall elect a delegation. All members of the delegation must hold a commission in the American armed forces or be of manager rank in Homeland or the equivalent. Three members shall be elected.
"These members will report to me daily on the status of conditions within the camp. Within the bounds of being prisoners, they will be treated with military courtesy and shall have the freedom of the camp in order to inspect as is their duty. If their conduct is unacceptable or they attempt to escape, I shall dismiss them from the delegation and you shall select another to take his or her place.
"I suggest, but do not insist, that delegates be familiar with the laws of war and not be likely to be charged with committing atrocities."
###
A Homeland trooper picked up a pot of boiling water and threw it on a guard.
After the double-prisoner was secured, the guard's burns were treated and the ambulance took him away, I called for two other Resistance commissioned officers to arrive.
One was from the section guarding the water treatment plant. The other had been recuperating at the site hospital after being wounded in Fairfield last week.
"Lieutenants. Have either of you been on a court before?"
No.
"I am, as warden of this prison, convening a military court to investigate repeated violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice by a prisoner. Specifically, assault with a deadly weapon on a guard and maiming of that same guard. You will hear witnesses. Then the three of us will render our unanimous verdict."
###
"... You shall therefore hang by the neck until dead," I concluded.
The prisoner glared defiance at me.
"Drag him," I ordered, and walked us around the corner.
From the top of the bleachers of the high school, a rope dangled. With a noose.
The guards held hard onto him and dragged him over to it.
I put the noose around his neck with my hands.
The officers and I grabbed the other side of the rope, which had been looped over the top bleacher.
We hauled.
He was heavy.
He turned purple and kicked.
We hauled.
He kept kicking. But weaker and weaker.
I tied off the rope to a support.
One of the members of the delegation, whom I had summoned as witnesses, vomited copiously.
When the corpse was still, I addressed them.
"You are under the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ask someone who was a soldier what the means. But because I am ignorant and unschooled, I am following letter of the law without particular knowledge of precedent. The UCMJ says I can hang POWs who injure a guard in an escape attempt. And. I. Will."
###
"Sir, the delegation is asking for toothbrushes."
"A reasonable request we are unable to supply at this time. This is for both safety and security reasons. A toothbrush makes a great shank. Please advise them that POWs will have access to toothbrushes once their status has been adjudicated."
"They also don't like sharing soap."
"I respect that. We are trying to get dispensers, because we have lots of liquid soap."
"Sir, is there any reason we can't reuse all these hand sanitizer pumps?"
"No. Good suggestion. Implement it."
###
This time a prisoner has murdered a prisoner.
The two officers are drawn from the counterintelligence group still mining the ruins of the Homeland San Jose office.
The verdict is the same.
"... by the neck until dead."
But the hands on the rope are prisoners this time.
On the command, four of them haul away and one defiantly drops the rope and glares at me.
A guard starts to move towards him, and I motion him to stand down.
As the prisoners are returned to their tarp covered cages, the prisoner who glared is clearly surprised.
Refusal to participate in group punishment is not a war crime.
###
Two stencils have been prepared. One says "PW" and the other says "UC".
We are going to have to do this quickly.
But every person we put into PW status is potentially going to get away with genocide.
Every person we put into UC status is likely to hang by the neck until dead.
###
The script is quick. Name. Armed service or organization. Rank. Name of unit. As the prisoner recites these, we quickly read through the fragmentary notes sent by the unit that captured them.
One minute per person.
We will rescreen the POWs. We will give a scrupulously lawful trial to the UCs. So no one is going to die today as the results of our decisions.
Then I see someone I recognize.
A Dirty Merc.
I hold up my hand.
"This person is an unlawful combatant. Let the record show that they were a paid subcontractor to Homeland and committed atrocities including murder of noncombatants, rape, mayhem, torture and malicious wounding. Next."
"Sir? Do you have any proof of that?" the new and befuddled clerk says.
"You. Will. Write. What. I. Say. Do you know the UCMJ section for disobeying the lawful orders of a superior officer?"
"Yessir! Nosir! Right away sir."
I repeat what I have said, he writes it, and the new UC has their clothes painted and is put in segregation.
###
"Morning report," the sergeant recites. "At morning count, four thousand one hundred twenty-seven in custody. Two thousand three hundred twelve POWs. Six Resistance in custody. The remainder are UCs. All are in an adjudicated status."
It has been an enormous amount of work for six days.
But we are no longer in violation of the laws of war.
I couldn't have put up the left anyway. Even with pain meds, it still hurts like a bastard.
I have to return to site weekly for followups. I may need another surgery to remove the remaining bone fragments.
I am handed two documents.
One is my commission. I read it carefully.
Then I sign it. And by so doing, guarantee my death warrant should I ever come into custody of American forces again.
I look for the signature and title of the officer granting my commissions. The name, I have no idea who "Pat McGregor" might be. But the title is "Provisional Emergency Governor," and that is enough to convince me that someone above me in the chain of command knows what the fuck they are doing. I am directly commissioned Captain. Nice of them, not having to be a lieutenant.
The second document is a brief set of orders. Two pages, both addressed to me.
The first orders me to proceed to and take command of Alviso Prison.
The second appoints me a member of the Resistance Military Commission, empowered to 'investigate, adjudicate and punish atrocities committed by criminals, unlawful paramilitaries, and persons adjudicated by the Commission to be outside the protections of the laws of war.'
Someone has done their homework.
###
The first day is a blur.
It is actually in a way worse than my first day at Site. And my first day after the massive attack at Site, making a small infirmary into an emergency disaster medical site.
Because now I have the lawful authority to correct the situation, and the duty to do so, at my very real and grave personal peril.
I'm going to be on a commission that shoots and hangs people for how they treated prisoners.
Someday I might face such a commission myself.
###
The supply officer is staring at me.
"Sir, are you serious? We don't have most of this stuff!"
"Get it. We are legally obligated under the Geneva Conventions to treat every single one of these prisoners as Prisoners of War until their status has been adjudicated by a military commission. So they are all treated as POWs. Right now and until further notice."
"We've been lucky to feed ourselves, let alone them!"
"We don't eat until every prisoner has eaten. Water, soap, and basic toiletries will be provided to all prisoners. I want sick call in one hour and I want every prisoner reported as sick charted with a proper medical chart and a treatment plan by the end of this day."
###
If someone was hoping I'd be cruel to the thousands of Homeland soldiers, paramilitaries and adherents crammed into these former classrooms, library, auditorium and even wired cages, someone fucked up.
###
"Get those tarps up over the top."
"Sir, I don't think the prisoners will let us."
"Give me your rifle."
I fire a single round into the air, which gets everyone's attention.
"Prisoners! Guards! My name is Captain [18], and I am the new Warden, and if you break military law I am your worst fucking nightmare. This facility will be run according to the laws of war. Strictly.
"Prisoners. We are going to give you tarps to put up for shade over the tops of the fences. You are going to put them up. POWs can be required to do nonmilitary work, and this is nonmilitary work.
"Once you are adjudicated, you will either be a POW or you will be an unlawful combatant. If you are an unlawful combatant, you will be tried by the military commission.
"Meanwhile, if you attempt to escape, you can be SHOT!"
I handed the rifle back.
"OK, now hand them the tarps."
###
The guards are tense in the dim light. This is the third group of four I am addressing.
"We will use the HALT! rule. You shall shout HALT! three times before you shoot an escaping prisoner. If they stop you shall not shoot.
"If you do not shout HALT! three times before you fire, you will be in direct violation of a lawful order from a superior officer during a time of war. You will become subject to the jurisdiction of the Commission. We will take away your uniform and your possessions and we will put you in with the rest of the prisoners.
"Is this clearly understood?!?"
Then I explained what a "NO HOSTAGES FACILITY" was, and why.
###
"Emergency Regulations
"For The Operation Of Alviso Prison
"Per Warden, Captain [Echo 18]
"
"These regulations will be posted in all prisoner exercise areas. They will be read out loudly daily after the morning count and after the afternoon count."
###
"You shall elect a delegation. All members of the delegation must hold a commission in the American armed forces or be of manager rank in Homeland or the equivalent. Three members shall be elected.
"These members will report to me daily on the status of conditions within the camp. Within the bounds of being prisoners, they will be treated with military courtesy and shall have the freedom of the camp in order to inspect as is their duty. If their conduct is unacceptable or they attempt to escape, I shall dismiss them from the delegation and you shall select another to take his or her place.
"I suggest, but do not insist, that delegates be familiar with the laws of war and not be likely to be charged with committing atrocities."
###
A Homeland trooper picked up a pot of boiling water and threw it on a guard.
After the double-prisoner was secured, the guard's burns were treated and the ambulance took him away, I called for two other Resistance commissioned officers to arrive.
One was from the section guarding the water treatment plant. The other had been recuperating at the site hospital after being wounded in Fairfield last week.
"Lieutenants. Have either of you been on a court before?"
No.
"I am, as warden of this prison, convening a military court to investigate repeated violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice by a prisoner. Specifically, assault with a deadly weapon on a guard and maiming of that same guard. You will hear witnesses. Then the three of us will render our unanimous verdict."
###
"... You shall therefore hang by the neck until dead," I concluded.
The prisoner glared defiance at me.
"Drag him," I ordered, and walked us around the corner.
From the top of the bleachers of the high school, a rope dangled. With a noose.
The guards held hard onto him and dragged him over to it.
I put the noose around his neck with my hands.
The officers and I grabbed the other side of the rope, which had been looped over the top bleacher.
We hauled.
He was heavy.
He turned purple and kicked.
We hauled.
He kept kicking. But weaker and weaker.
I tied off the rope to a support.
One of the members of the delegation, whom I had summoned as witnesses, vomited copiously.
When the corpse was still, I addressed them.
"You are under the jurisdiction of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Ask someone who was a soldier what the means. But because I am ignorant and unschooled, I am following letter of the law without particular knowledge of precedent. The UCMJ says I can hang POWs who injure a guard in an escape attempt. And. I. Will."
###
"Sir, the delegation is asking for toothbrushes."
"A reasonable request we are unable to supply at this time. This is for both safety and security reasons. A toothbrush makes a great shank. Please advise them that POWs will have access to toothbrushes once their status has been adjudicated."
"They also don't like sharing soap."
"I respect that. We are trying to get dispensers, because we have lots of liquid soap."
"Sir, is there any reason we can't reuse all these hand sanitizer pumps?"
"No. Good suggestion. Implement it."
###
This time a prisoner has murdered a prisoner.
The two officers are drawn from the counterintelligence group still mining the ruins of the Homeland San Jose office.
The verdict is the same.
"... by the neck until dead."
But the hands on the rope are prisoners this time.
On the command, four of them haul away and one defiantly drops the rope and glares at me.
A guard starts to move towards him, and I motion him to stand down.
As the prisoners are returned to their tarp covered cages, the prisoner who glared is clearly surprised.
Refusal to participate in group punishment is not a war crime.
###
Two stencils have been prepared. One says "PW" and the other says "UC".
We are going to have to do this quickly.
But every person we put into PW status is potentially going to get away with genocide.
Every person we put into UC status is likely to hang by the neck until dead.
###
The script is quick. Name. Armed service or organization. Rank. Name of unit. As the prisoner recites these, we quickly read through the fragmentary notes sent by the unit that captured them.
One minute per person.
We will rescreen the POWs. We will give a scrupulously lawful trial to the UCs. So no one is going to die today as the results of our decisions.
Then I see someone I recognize.
A Dirty Merc.
I hold up my hand.
"This person is an unlawful combatant. Let the record show that they were a paid subcontractor to Homeland and committed atrocities including murder of noncombatants, rape, mayhem, torture and malicious wounding. Next."
"Sir? Do you have any proof of that?" the new and befuddled clerk says.
"You. Will. Write. What. I. Say. Do you know the UCMJ section for disobeying the lawful orders of a superior officer?"
"Yessir! Nosir! Right away sir."
I repeat what I have said, he writes it, and the new UC has their clothes painted and is put in segregation.
###
"Morning report," the sergeant recites. "At morning count, four thousand one hundred twenty-seven in custody. Two thousand three hundred twelve POWs. Six Resistance in custody. The remainder are UCs. All are in an adjudicated status."
It has been an enormous amount of work for six days.
But we are no longer in violation of the laws of war.
