Army Memo re: Inspector General Questionnaire for the Soldiers of Task Force Geronimo, 1-501st Parachute Infantry Regiment

Page 332
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
COMBINED/JOINT TASK FORCE (CJTF)-180
OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN
APO AE 09354

REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF

CJTF-180-IG 7 MAR 04
MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, CJTF-180, Bagram, Afghanistan, APO AE 09354
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st •
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04 .
1.
The CJTF-180 IG conducted a sensing session of TF Geronimo 1-501 PIR as part of an inspection on detainee operations on 29 February 2004. The sensing session consisted of 3 separate groups: Enlisted Soldiers, NCOs, and Officers. The following paragraphs contain comments from all sessions. These comments are perceptions of soldiers who participated and are not necessarily founded facts.

2.
Sensing Session Group '1 - Junior Enlisted Soldiers. The first sensing session
was for Junior Enlisted Soldiers-the questions and responses are as follows:

Question #1 How many people believe that you are required to report acts of poor
treatment of prisoners or detainees/PUCs? 8 of 8 junior enlisted soldiers replied that
they had to report violations.
Question #2 Do you know who you could report violations of prisoners' rights to? All
Soldiers knew that they could report violations to their chain of command and that they could inform the IG or Tactical HUMINT Team (THT), Chaplain, or SJA.
Question #3 Has anyone ever witnessed anyone murder anyone? 8 of 8 junior enlistedsoldiers replied No
Question #4 Have you ever seen anyone torture or beat anyone? 8 of 8 junior enlistedsoldiers replied No
FOR OFFICIAL SE ONLY
"This document tains information"Dissemination is ibited except

EXEMPT FROM
DATORY DISCLOSURE
authorized b 20-1."
under the FOI xemptions 5 & 6 apply."
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Question #5 Have you ever seen anyone deprive a PUC of their 5 senses? If so, why and for how long? 8 of 8 junior enlisted soldiers replied Yes. Use earmuff and sandbags. We have put a PUC near the engine of a running truck so that they couldn't hear questioning of another PUC. We use blindfolds to transport. We do this in the PAA cage (Position Area of Artillery). The Artillery establishes a holding area for PUCs when we conduct operations. It's in our SOP.
Question #6 Has anyone seen anyone cruelly treat or degrade a PUC? 8 of 8 replied no. There have been rumors of soldiers urinating on PUCs or spinning them in circles until they get dizzy and fall down. We heard that THT uses loud music while they sleep. Certain PUCs are not allowed blankets. One soldier was ordered to take a blanket away for an hour and to restrict their sleep.
Question #7 How do you treat PUCs or detainees? Good/Fair/Poor? 8 of 8 junior enlisted soldiers felt that we treated detainees Good. They stated that the only time that we didn't was during in processing when we yell and scream at them.
Question #8 How many people know what the 5 S's stand for? Search, Silence, Segregate, Safeguard, and Speed to the rear? Only 3 of 8 soldiers knew all of the 5 S's. All of the individuals knew at least one of the words for the acronym.
Question #9 How do you safeguard a PUC against public curiosity? In the PAA we
moved the PUC cage to the back. Initially we had the PUC cage forward and too many
civilians came over looking. Also, no one is allowed in the Detention Facility except by
the S2.
Question #10 Has anyone ever taken a picture of a PUC? 3 of 8 junior enlisted soldiers replied that they have seen people take pictures of PUCs for personal purposes. 6 of 8 soldiers knew that taking a photograph of a PUC for person reasons
was wrong.
Question #11 What would you do if you found a PUC with large sums of money? 7 of 8 Soldiers stated that they would count and inventory it. 1 of 8 said that money is eventually inventoried. All 8 Soldiers knew that large sums of money is an intelligence
indicator.
2

FOR OFFICI SE ONLY
"This document c ins information
"Disseminations rohibited except

EXEMPT FROM M ATORY DISCLOSURE
authorizetAR 20-1."
under the FOIA mptions 5 & 6 apply."
Page 334
AFZS-IG (20)
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Question #12 What is the rule for deadly for against a PUC in the event that they are
•tescaping? Onl 1 of 8 Soldiers knew that in a
19 N 3
e o er 7 oto diers state t a they wou • use the minimum amount o orce necessary to control the situation. All 8 of 8 soldiers stated that they would yell Halt three times.
Question #13 How much sleep is a PUC allowed each night. 4 of 7 Soldiers knew that the PUC is allowed 4 hours in a 24-hour period.

Closing Comments from the soldiers.
We treat the PUCs extremely well. We take them to pray. When it rains we give them our ponchos. We might be too nice to them. When it started to snow we took them into a mosque. 7 of 8 soldiers know that they are supposed to repatriate them where they captured them and provide them food and water. Villages know our TTP and that we won't detain them if they don't talk to us. We have caught some of them on raids before and they know that we only hold them for 72 hours.
3. Sensing Session Group 2 — NCOs. The second sensing session was for NCOs
the questions and responses are as follows:

Question #1 Do you have a unit SOP to take, handle, and care for detainees/PUCs?
6 of 7 NCOs replied yes that they had an SOP. 1 of 7 replied No.

Question #2 How quickly do you hand over PUCs to MPs?
All NCOs replied that it is supposed to be within 72 hours.

Question #3 Is mistreatment of a PUC an SIR? 7 of 7 NCOs replied yes and that
whoever found out about it would initiate the SIR and the commander would initiate a
commander's inquiry.
Question #4 Did your unit train on Law of War prior to deploying or during deployment?
7 of 7 NCOs replied yes and that they had both hands on training and classroom
instruction.
3

FOR OFFIC USE ONLY
"This docume tains information
"Disseminatio i prohibited except

EXEMPT FROM DATORY DISCLOSURE
authorize y AR 20-1."
under the FOI xemptions 5 & 6 apply."
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Question #5 What do you use to track and account for captured personnel? Capture
Tags, Document it on a spreadsheet, PUC ID sheet, one document goes in the plastic
bag.
s.
atiestion #6 How do.you 'account for money taken from captured/detained personnel?
Same as with other items.
Question #7 What do you allow a captured/detained person to keep on their person?
Clothing on their persons if they had them.
Question #8 Does your SOP include the date of capture, grid coordinates of capture,
and how the person was captured? 7 of 7 said it was in the SOP. 6 of 7 said they are
required to use an 8-digit grid coordinate.
Question #9 How do you prevent physical or mental torture or coercion of the detained
person? NCO supervision. PUC handling training. The officer and NCOs have
underwent PUC handling training 3 -times since we have been here. The junior enlisted
have undergone PUC handling training twice since they have been in theater.
Question #10 If a detained person refuses to answer your questioning can threaten the
Detainee? Can you insult the Detainee? 7 of 7 said No.
Question #11 Do you know who you could report violations of detainees or PUCs rights to? Chain of command, IG, Chaplain, commander's open door policy, medics, and SJA.
Question #12 Has anyone ever witnessed anyone murder anyone? 7 of 7 NCOsreplied No.
Question #13 Have you ever seen anyone torture or beat anyone? 7 of 7 NCOs repliedNo.
Question #15 Has anyone seen anyone cruelly treat or degrade a PUC? 7 of 7 NCOsreplied No.
4
FOR OFFICI SE ONLY "This document ns information
"Disseminatio is rohibited except EXEMPT FROM TORY DISCLOSURE
authoriz d y AR 20-1." under the FOI emptions 5 & 6 apply."

Page 338 •
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Question #16 How do you treat PUCs or detainees? Good/Fair/Poor? Treat them just
like a PUC. 5 of 7 felt that we were treating PUCs good. 2 of 7 felt that we were
treating PUCs fair
Question #17 How do you safeguard a PUC against public curiosity? Only people who
have a need are authorized access to the detention facility. We transport them in a
covered HMMWV and we will put soldiers next to them in an open vehicle.'
We use the AMF to keep the crowd back when we are conducting operations. The AMF
Is looked at as a police force by the local population.

Question #18 Has anyone ever taken a picture of a PUC? For S2 reporting only.
Question #19 What is the rule for deadly for against a PUC in the event that they are
escaping? 6 of 7 NCOs stated that deadly force was situationally dependent and
wouldn't shoot a PUC because they had intelligence value. They felt that you should
use the least amount of force possible. 2 of 7 NCOs felt that you only had to yell Halt
once. 5 of 7 NCOs felt that you only had to yell Halt twice.
Question #20 Do you leave detainees with Other Government Agencies or Afghan
Militia Forces? 6 of 7 NCOs stated that they wouldn't.
4. Sensing Session Group 3 — Officers. The last sensing session was for Officers, the questions and responses are as follows:
Question #1 Do you have a unit SOP to take, handle, and care for detainees/PUCs? 7 of 7 Officers stated that they had an SOP.
Question #2 How quickly do you turn over detainees to MPs? Supposed to be 72hours.
Question #3 Is mistreatment of a PUC an SIR? 6 of 7 officers replied yes.
Question #4 Did your unit train on Law of War prior to deploying or during deployment?7 of 7 Officers stated yes.
5

FOR OFFI A SE ONLY
"This document co information"Disseminati prohibited except EXEMPT FROM MA
ORY DISCLOSURE
autho by AR 20-1."
under the FOIA.tx ptions 5 & 6 apply."
3995
DA IG
Page 337
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Question #5 What do you use to track and account for captured personnel? Capture
tags recently got the new ones that are plastic coated. We used photocopied tags
before that and property record. S3 and PUC NCOIC keep a spreadsheet.
Question #6 How do you account for money taken from captured/detained personnel?
Goes on inventory sheet by type of money, whether it is Pakistani, Afghani, or US.
Question #7 What do you allow a captured/detained person to keep on their person?
Shawl and headgear, clothes. We take their weapons vest off.
Question #8 Do you tag captured or detained persons or their property? Does the commanding officer of the capturing unit ensure that all prisoners of war and retained persons will, at the time of capture, be tagged? We use a Ziploc bag, AK47s are tagged and we mark it as his with a shoe tag.
Question #9 Does your SOP cover the 5 S's? Yes, same SOP used throughout the 1-
501 st Battalion.
Question #10 Does your SOP include the date of capture, grid coordinates of capture,
and how the person was captured? Yes, it includes the name, grid, circumstances of
capture, we sketch a map of the village or compound area.
Question #11 How do you prevent physical or mental torture or coercion of the detained person? Supervise. Set the example. Talk to the Soldiers. Mostly everything is out in the open. At night we have NODs (Night Observation Devices) and we can see everyone. We do PUC capturing rehearsals and PUC training. We also conduct AARs after the mission and use thorough documentation.
Question #12 If a detained person refuses to answer your questioning can threaten the Detainee? Can you insult the Detainee? 7 of 7 Officers say No to physical harm. They all stated that you could tell the Detainee that he was going on a helicopter ride. Some officers stated that there are varying degrees of insult. 6 of 7 officers said that they wouldn't insult the Detainee. 1 of 7 officers said he-didn't know.
Question #13 How do you take care of the prisoners basic needs for food, water, clothing, shelter, and medical treatment? We place them in a PM (Position of Area
6

FOR OFFI A USE ONLY
"This documen tains information"Disseminatitprohibited except
EXEMPT FROM DATORY DISCLOSURE
authortby AR 20-1."
under the F Exemptions 5 & 6 apply."
Page 938
AFZS-IG (20)
SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st
Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04

Artillery) after detaining them on a mission. In the PAA there is a mess tent and Trauma life surgical team. We provide them Halal meals forward, because sometimes you bring a PUC back 24 hours later. We provide them water and take them to the latrine. We take our guidance on what we can and can't do from the THT (Tactical HUMINT Team).
Question #14 Do you keep detainees near fuel, ammo, or commo equipment? 7 of 7
officers replied No.
Question #15 Do you know who you could report violations of prisoners' rights to? All
Officers knew that they could report violations up their chain of command, the IG,
Chaplain, or SJA.
Question #16 Has anyone ever witnessed anyone murder anyone? 7 of 7 officers
replied No.
Question #17 Have you ever seen anyone torture or beat anyone? 7 of 7 officers
replied No.
Question #18 Have you ever seen anyone deprive a PUC of their 5 senses? If so, why and for how long? 7 of 7 Officers replied Yes. To disorient the PUC, for intelligence, an because it is in the SOP.
Question #19 Has anyone seen anyone cruelly treat or degrade a PUC? 7 of 7 officers
replied No.
Question #20 How do you treat PUCs or detainees? Good/Fair/Poor? 7 of 7 officers felt that they treated detainees Good.
Question #21 How do you safeguard a PUC against public curiosity?' We place them in the PAA in their own wired in area and the entire PAA is surrounded by another wire. AMF keep populace away from the outer wire and disperse crowds.
Question #22 Has anyone ever taken a picture of a PUC? 6 of 7 stated No. Photojournalist have taken pictures of detainees hands and of blindfolded persons. We take photos for processing. We don't take them for laughs.

FOR OFFICI U E ONLY
"This documen thins information
"Disseminations ohibited except
EXEMPT FROM DATORY DISCLOSURE
authorize b AR 20-1."
under the F Exemptions 5 & 6 apply."
AFZS-IG (20) SUBJECT: Inspector General Sensing Session, Task Force Geronimo, 1-501 st Parachute Infantry Regiment 29 Feb 04
Question #23 What would you do if you found a PUC with large sums of money. It is an intelligence indicator. S2 uses it to determine the value of a PUC. Everything is based on the situation, not a dollar threshold.
Question #24 What is the rule for deadly for against a PUC in the event that they are escaping? 4 of 7 officers knew the rule for deadly force against an escaping PUC. They did state that there hasn't been any indication that Detainees are trying to escape and that it hasn't been communicated to them by anyone.
Question #25 Do you leave detainees with Other Government Agencies or Afghan Militia Forces? 7 of 7 NCOs stated that they wouldn't allow solo access of OGA. The ODA sends detainees to the 501 st. We send out interrogators to interrogate their PUCs. We use our SOP on our prisoners and require OGA to use our SOP as well. We have a feeling that AMF will be hostile. We have 4 to 10 AMF soldiers with us on operations, but they are best at crowd control.
5. Comments from officers. The 1 501 st officers recommended a MTT (Mobile Training Team) conducting detainee training prior to deploying. They felt that it had to be by someone who was stationed over here and that they would have to validate the whole process. It needs to include AOR specific training. For example, we are dealing with tribes, elders, and the father's name when we fill out an EPW tag.
5. Point of contact is the undersigned at DSN Or
MAJ, IG CJTF-180 Inspector General
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FOR OFFICIAL U NLY "This document S information "Dissemination is ptited except EXEMPT FROM TORY DISCLOSURE authorized by R 20-1." under the FOI mptions 5 & 6 apply."
998
DA IG