Sean Baker
Encyclopedia
Sean Baker, a native of Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
, is a United States Air Force
veteran
and former member of the Kentucky National Guard
, who served during the first Gulf War
, and as a member of the 438th Military Police at Guantanamo Bay
.
In January 2003, Baker was ordered by an officer at Guantanamo to pretend to be a prisoner in a training drill. As per instruction, Baker wore an orange prison jumpsuit over his uniform and crawled under a bunk in a cell, so an "internal reaction force" consisting of four (possibly five) US soldiers could practice extracting an uncooperative inmate from his cell. The soldiers in the reaction force were operating under the impression that he was a genuine detainee that had assaulted a sergeant.
During an interview with WLEX, a Kentucky television station
, Baker stated that he was beaten severely and that a soldier pressed his head down against the steel floor of the facility to the point where he became unable to breathe. Although Baker shouted out the safeword
("red") he had been given to stop the exercise and stated that he was a U.S. soldier, the soldier continued beating Baker's head against the floor and choking him. Only after ripping his prison jumpsuit in the struggle, revealing that he was wearing a battle dress uniform
and government-issue boots underneath, did the beating stop.
Baker was transported to a military hospital
for treatment of head injuries and then transferred to a Navy
hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia
, where he was treated for six days and given a two-week injury discharge
. During that discharge Baker began suffering major seizure
s indicative of traumatic brain injury
, and was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center
, where he stayed for forty eight days. Afterwards, he was transferred to light duty with a burial detail at Fort Dix, New Jersey
, and received a medical discharge in April 2004.
After Baker revealed his story to a Kentucky reporter, a spokeswoman for United States Southern Command
questioned the validity of Baker's injuries, and denied that his medical discharge was related to the training drill. However, the Physical Evaluation Board
stated in a document on September 29, 2003, that "the TBI
was due to soldier playing role of detainee who was non-cooperative and was being extracted from detention cell in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during a training exercise."
The Army has since recanted its denial of the relationship between Baker's injury and the training drill, although the spokeswoman continues to claim that the injury was only partly caused by the incident. A military investigation concluded that there was no misconduct that led to Baker's injury. A videotape that should have been made of the incident for training purposes has yet to be found.
In light of recent allegations of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib
and Guantanamo Bay, the mistreatment of this U.S. soldier (posing as a prisoner) has created an additional public relations burden for the military. Military spokepeople have consistently stated that the Guantanamo detainees have been treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention, despite their indefinite legal status. If Baker were to receive disability
retirement
pay because of injuries received in this incident, the legal petitions of U.S. military detainees might be made stronger.
Baker filed a lawsuit in May 2005, against Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
, Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey
, and Secretary of the Navy Gordon England, among others. Baker alleges the events in the incident violated his constitutional rights. In his suit Baker is asking for $15 million in compensation and damages, and for re-instatement in the Army.
Baker still wants to serve his country, in the Army, and thinks the Army can find him a job that accommodates his disability. As of June 2005 Baker receives $2,350 a month in military disability benefits, plus $1,000 a month in Social Security, which he would have to give up if the Army finds a way to reinstate a position for him.
A June 2005 BBC
story reports Kentucky Congressman Ben Chandler
"urged
the military to turn over Mr. Baker's medical records."
A June 2005 LA Times
story quotes an unnamed official about the Baker incident: "While it is unfortunate that Spc. Baker was injured, the standards of professionalism we expect of our soldiers mandate that our training be as realistic as possible,"
Lawrenceburg, Kentucky
Lawrenceburg is a city in Anderson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 10,505 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Anderson County...
, is a United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
and former member of the Kentucky National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
, who served during the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, and as a member of the 438th Military Police at Guantanamo Bay
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
.
In January 2003, Baker was ordered by an officer at Guantanamo to pretend to be a prisoner in a training drill. As per instruction, Baker wore an orange prison jumpsuit over his uniform and crawled under a bunk in a cell, so an "internal reaction force" consisting of four (possibly five) US soldiers could practice extracting an uncooperative inmate from his cell. The soldiers in the reaction force were operating under the impression that he was a genuine detainee that had assaulted a sergeant.
During an interview with WLEX, a Kentucky television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
, Baker stated that he was beaten severely and that a soldier pressed his head down against the steel floor of the facility to the point where he became unable to breathe. Although Baker shouted out the safeword
Safeword
A safeword is a code word or series of code words that are sometimes used in BDSM for a submissive to unambiguously communicate their physical or emotional state to a dominant , typically when approaching, or crossing, a physical, emotional, or moral boundary...
("red") he had been given to stop the exercise and stated that he was a U.S. soldier, the soldier continued beating Baker's head against the floor and choking him. Only after ripping his prison jumpsuit in the struggle, revealing that he was wearing a battle dress uniform
Battle Dress Uniform
The Battle Dress Uniform were the fatigues that the armed forces of the United States used as their standard uniform for combat situations from September 1981 to April 2005. Since then, it has been replaced in every branch of the U.S. military. Only the U.S. Navy currently authorizes wear of the...
and government-issue boots underneath, did the beating stop.
Baker was transported to a military hospital
Military hospital
Military hospital is a hospital, which is generally located on a military base and is reserved for the use of military personnel, their dependents or other authorized users....
for treatment of head injuries and then transferred to a Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, where he was treated for six days and given a two-week injury discharge
Discharge
Discharge in the context to expel or to "let go" may refer to:* A military discharge, issued when a member of the armed forces is released from service* Termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer...
. During that discharge Baker began suffering major seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s indicative of traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
, and was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
The Walter Reed Army Medical Center was the United States Army's flagship medical center until 2011. Located on 113 acres in Washington, D.C., it served more than 150,000 active and retired personnel from all branches of the military...
, where he stayed for forty eight days. Afterwards, he was transferred to light duty with a burial detail at Fort Dix, New Jersey
Fort Dix, New Jersey
JB MDL Dix , better known as Fort Dix, is a United States Army base located approximately south-southeast of Trenton, New Jersey. Dix is under the jurisdiction of the United States Army Reserve Command...
, and received a medical discharge in April 2004.
After Baker revealed his story to a Kentucky reporter, a spokeswoman for United States Southern Command
United States Southern Command
The United States Southern Command , located in Miami, Florida, is one of nine Unified Combatant Commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingency planning and operations in Central and South America, the Caribbean The United States Southern Command...
questioned the validity of Baker's injuries, and denied that his medical discharge was related to the training drill. However, the Physical Evaluation Board
Physical Evaluation Board
The Physical Evaluation Board is a board within the United States Department of the Navy that makes fact finding decisions when members of the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps challenge a discharge on the grounds of physical disability....
stated in a document on September 29, 2003, that "the TBI
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
was due to soldier playing role of detainee who was non-cooperative and was being extracted from detention cell in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during a training exercise."
The Army has since recanted its denial of the relationship between Baker's injury and the training drill, although the spokeswoman continues to claim that the injury was only partly caused by the incident. A military investigation concluded that there was no misconduct that led to Baker's injury. A videotape that should have been made of the incident for training purposes has yet to be found.
In light of recent allegations of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib prison
The Baghdad Central Prison, formerly known as Abu Ghraib prison is in Abu Ghraib, an Iraqi city 32 km west of Baghdad. It was built by British contractors in the 1950s....
and Guantanamo Bay, the mistreatment of this U.S. soldier (posing as a prisoner) has created an additional public relations burden for the military. Military spokepeople have consistently stated that the Guantanamo detainees have been treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention, despite their indefinite legal status. If Baker were to receive disability
Disability
A disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these.Many people would rather be referred to as a person with a disability instead of handicapped...
retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
pay because of injuries received in this incident, the legal petitions of U.S. military detainees might be made stronger.
Baker filed a lawsuit in May 2005, against Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
, Secretary of the Army Francis J. Harvey
Francis J. Harvey
Francis Joseph Harvey served as the 19th Secretary of the United States Army from November 19, 2004 to March 9, 2007.-Education and family:Harvey was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania...
, and Secretary of the Navy Gordon England, among others. Baker alleges the events in the incident violated his constitutional rights. In his suit Baker is asking for $15 million in compensation and damages, and for re-instatement in the Army.
Baker still wants to serve his country, in the Army, and thinks the Army can find him a job that accommodates his disability. As of June 2005 Baker receives $2,350 a month in military disability benefits, plus $1,000 a month in Social Security, which he would have to give up if the Army finds a way to reinstate a position for him.
A June 2005 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
story reports Kentucky Congressman Ben Chandler
Ben Chandler
Albert Benjamin "Ben" Chandler III is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2004. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early life, education and career:...
"urged
the military to turn over Mr. Baker's medical records."
A June 2005 LA Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
story quotes an unnamed official about the Baker incident: "While it is unfortunate that Spc. Baker was injured, the standards of professionalism we expect of our soldiers mandate that our training be as realistic as possible,"
External links
- Army Now Says G.I. Was Beaten in Role, New York Times, June 9, 2004
- Former Soldier Disputes Army Denials That He Was Beaten During Training Exercises In Cuba, Lex18, October 17, 2004
- G.I. Attacked During Training , CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
, November 4, 2004 - US probes trainee soldier beating, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, June 16, 2004 - US asks judge to dismiss lawsuit filed by soldier injured in Cuba, Lexington Herald Leader, August 17, 2005