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US Soldier Claims Excessive Beating in Gitmo Training Exercise
A Georgetown [Kentucky] resident and former Kentucky National Guardsman is angry that the military is denying his claims that he suffered brain injury while being severely beaten by U.S. soldiers during a training exercise at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in January 2003. .... Sean Baker says that while serving as a member of the 438th Military Police company in Guantanamo Bay during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he was ordered to pose as the enemy for a training exercise. Baker said he received a severe brain injury because of the subsequent beating he received. ...Baker says an officer in charge issued the order because he wanted the training to be as real as possible. Baker says what took place next happened at the hands of four U.S. soldiers - soldiers he believes didnât know he was one of them - has changed his life forever. "They grabbed my arms, my legs, twisted me up and unfortunately one of the individuals got up on my back from behind and put pressure down on me while I was face down," said Baker. "Then he - the same individual - reached around and began to choke me and press my head down against the steel floor. After several seconds, 20 to 30 seconds, it seemed like an eternity because I couldnât breath. When I couldnât breath, I began to panic and I gave the code word I was supposed to give to stop the exercise, which was âred.â .... That individual slammed my head against the floor and continued to choke me ... Somehow I got enough air, I muttered out, âIâm a U.S. soldier, Iâm a U.S. soldier.â" ... Nearly 15 months after that day, and countless medical treatments at Walter Reed Hospital, Baker is now medically retired from the military, but still suffers. On Wednesday, the U.S.military, while acknowledging an injury to Baker took place during the exercise, is disputing some of Bakerâs claims, saying he left for "unrelated reasons." .... Speaking from his Scott County home Wednesday morning, Baker once again reiterated his claims, and is angry that the Army wonât admit what happened. "How can they say I was released from there for other reasons?" said Baker. "If there are other reasons, please bring forth the evidence. I"d like to see it. ... I wish they would bring forth something to substantiate their claims that I was released for âunrelated reasonsâ because the documents I have from the Medical Evaluation Board clearly state the traumatic brain injury was due to me role playing as a detainee, an uncooperative detainee." ... Baker was a member of the Kentucky National Guard from 1989 to 1997. During that time, he served in the Gulf War. In the late 90âs, he got out of the Guard, but re-enlisted after September 11th. Posted by: Mike Sylwester 2004-05-27 |
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