Megan Ambuhl
Encyclopedia
Megan M. Ambuhl is a former United States Army
reservist and member of the 372nd Military Police Company who was convicted in court-martial
in connection with the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
.
. She graduated from high school
in 1992 and attended Coastal Carolina Community College
, where she received a Associate of Science degree
in biology
. Her GT score
is 128.
Ambuhl entered military service on January 31, 2002. She attended One Station Unit Training
at Fort Leonard Wood
in Missouri
, completing basic training
around June 23, 2002. After completing Military Occupational Specialty
training, she was released from active duty
on August 23, 2002. In civilian life Ambuhl was a histology
technician
at LabCorp
in Herndon, Virginia
.
Including Delayed Entry
time, Ambuhl served in the United States Army Reserve
for two years and nine months. On February 21, 2003, Ambuhl was activated for service in the Iraq War. In a stipulation
made during court-martial proceedings, Ambuhl wrote that she "received Geneva Convention
and UCMJ
training during an approximately 60-90 minute block of instruction in basic training, but cannot remember any specifics of those classes."
Ambuhl was originally assigned to the 352nd Military Police Company, but was involuntarily transferred to the 372nd Military Police Company. The 372nd Company spent three months training at Fort Lee, Virginia on Law and Order Missions.
In May 2003, Ambuhl and the 372nd Company arrived in Kuwait
, proceeding north to Al Hillah in Iraq
, where the company "was responsible for, among other things, assisting and training the Iraqi Police
in the surrounding area." On October 15, 2003, the company assumed duties at the Baghdad Central Confinement Facility
(BCCF, better known as the Abu Ghraib prison
) 12 miles west of Baghdad
.
From October 2003 to January 2004, Ambuhl worked at Abu Ghraib, primarily as a night shift
guard for tier 1B, which housed "certain sub-categories of civilian detainees - including women, juveniles, and detainees suspected of psychiatric/psychological problems or mental instability," as well as "detainees that had caused serious disciplinary problems." Ambuhl's particular responsibility was to guard women and juveniles in tier 1B. The 372nd Company was not trained in internment and resettlement (IR).
In her stipulation, Ambuhl admitted that between October 20 and December 1, 2003, she was derelict of duty
in that she had "willfully failed to protect Iraqi detainees from abuse, cruelty, and maltreatment." Specifically, Ambuhl stipulated that she witnessed "numerous acts" of abuse, cruelty, and maltreatment, writing that "This time was very confusing for me, and things were done to detainees that I questioned, but that apparently were permissible. But there were some things that were done that I knew were wrong at the time, and I did not act to stop this behavior to protect the detainees."
Ambuhl was served with a court-martial in August 2004 in connection with prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. She was represented by a Washington, D.C-based civilian lawyer
, Harvey J. Volzer. A June 2004 Newsday
article reported that Ambuhl, who had not yet appeared in any of the released photographs, was not involved in the incidents at Abu Ghraib
:
In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
article, Volzer was quoted as saying:
As part of a plea agreement, Specialist Ambuhl was convicted by court-martial on October 30, 2004, for Dereliction of Duty. In punishment, she was demoted to Private, discharged from the Army, and docked half a month's pay. Additional charges brought against Ambuhl were dropped following a pretrial guilt plea but had included allegations of conspiracy, maltreatment, and indecent acts. She was the third MP reservist and fourth U.S. soldier convicted in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
.
In March 2006, Salon.com published the most extensive known collection of images relating to the prisoner abuse scandal in Abu Ghraib. Ambuhl appears in several images, including one captioned:
Another photograph appears to show Ambuhl administering an injection to a prisoner.
None of the photographs published by Salon, though, appear to show her directly engaged in prisoner abuse.
Megan Graner at one time ran the website: www.supportmpscapegoats.com where she posted documents in support of her husband's innocence. (The website is no longer operational.) In a Washington Post web interview, she also stated: "[Graner] should be let out now because he and the others in prison have served more prison time than any other soldier sentenced for similar cases [--]including murders."
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
reservist and member of the 372nd Military Police Company who was convicted in court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
in connection with the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse
Beginning in 2004, human rights violations in the form of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse, including torture, rape, sodomy, and homicide of prisoners held in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq came to public attention...
.
Life and career
Ambuhl was born in Centreville, VirginiaCentreville, Virginia
Centreville is an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau as a Census Designated Place , the community population was 71,135 as of the 2010 census and is approximately west of Washington, DC.-Colonial Period:Beginning in the 1760s,...
. She graduated from high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in 1992 and attended Coastal Carolina Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College
Coastal Carolina Community College is a community college located in Jacksonville, North Carolina.-References:* -External links:*...
, where she received a Associate of Science degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. Her GT score
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery is a multiple choice test, administered by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command, used to determine qualification for enlistment in the United States armed forces...
is 128.
Ambuhl entered military service on January 31, 2002. She attended One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training
One Station Unit Training, sometimes referred to as One Site Unit Training, is a term used by the United States Army to refer to a training program in which recruits remain with the same unit for both Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training . Immediately following Basic Training,...
at Fort Leonard Wood
Fort Leonard Wood (military base)
Fort Leonard Wood is a United States Army installation located in the Missouri Ozarks. The main gate is located on the southern boundary of St. Robert. The post was created in December 1940 and named in honor of General Leonard Wood, former Chief of Staff, in January 1941...
in Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, completing basic training
Recruit training
Recruit training, more commonly known as Basic Training and colloquially called Boot Camp, is the initial indoctrination and instruction given to new military personnel, enlisted and officer...
around June 23, 2002. After completing Military Occupational Specialty
Military Occupational Specialty
A United States military occupation code, or a Military Occupational Specialty code , is a nine character code used in the United States Army and United States Marines to identify a specific job. In the U.S. Air Force, a system of Air Force Specialty Codes is used...
training, she was released from active duty
Active duty
Active duty refers to a full-time occupation as part of a military force, as opposed to reserve duty.-Pakistan:The Pakistan Armed Forces are one of the largest active service forces in the world with almost 610,000 full time personnel due to the complex and volatile nature of Pakistan's...
on August 23, 2002. In civilian life Ambuhl was a histology
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...
technician
Technician
A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skills and techniques, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Experienced technicians in a specific tool domain typically have intermediate understanding of theory and expert...
at LabCorp
LabCorp
Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings , more commonly known as LabCorp, is an S&P 500 company headquartered in Burlington, North Carolina. It operates one of the largest clinical laboratory networks in the world, with a United States network of 36 primary laboratories. Before a merger with...
in Herndon, Virginia
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
.
Including Delayed Entry
Delayed Entry Program
The Delayed Entry Program, also called the Delayed Enlistment Program, is a program where individuals going into active duty in the United States Armed Forces enlist first into the DEP before they ship out to Basic Training, or "boot camp". This is not a legally binding contract, but an agreement...
time, Ambuhl served in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
for two years and nine months. On February 21, 2003, Ambuhl was activated for service in the Iraq War. In a stipulation
Stipulation
In the law of the United States, a stipulation is an agreement made between opposing parties prior to a pending hearing or trial. For example, both parties might stipulate to certain facts, and therefore not have to argue those facts in court. After the stipulation is entered into, it is...
made during court-martial proceedings, Ambuhl wrote that she "received Geneva Convention
Geneva Conventions
The Geneva Conventions comprise four treaties, and three additional protocols, that establish the standards of international law for the humanitarian treatment of the victims of war...
and UCMJ
Uniform Code of Military Justice
The Uniform Code of Military Justice , is the foundation of military law in the United States. It is was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power . ....
training during an approximately 60-90 minute block of instruction in basic training, but cannot remember any specifics of those classes."
Ambuhl was originally assigned to the 352nd Military Police Company, but was involuntarily transferred to the 372nd Military Police Company. The 372nd Company spent three months training at Fort Lee, Virginia on Law and Order Missions.
In May 2003, Ambuhl and the 372nd Company arrived in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, proceeding north to Al Hillah in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, where the company "was responsible for, among other things, assisting and training the Iraqi Police
Iraqi Police
The Iraqi Police Service are the uniformed Territorial police force responsible for the enforcement of civil law within Iraq.The current organisation, structure and recruitment practice was guided by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
in the surrounding area." On October 15, 2003, the company assumed duties at the Baghdad Central Confinement Facility
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....
(BCCF, better known as the Abu Ghraib prison
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....
) 12 miles west of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
.
From October 2003 to January 2004, Ambuhl worked at Abu Ghraib, primarily as a night shift
Night Shift
A night shift is either a group of workers who work during the night, or the period in which they work. See shift work.Night Shift may also refer to:* Night Shift , a fictional team of supervillains in the Marvel Universe...
guard for tier 1B, which housed "certain sub-categories of civilian detainees - including women, juveniles, and detainees suspected of psychiatric/psychological problems or mental instability," as well as "detainees that had caused serious disciplinary problems." Ambuhl's particular responsibility was to guard women and juveniles in tier 1B. The 372nd Company was not trained in internment and resettlement (IR).
In her stipulation, Ambuhl admitted that between October 20 and December 1, 2003, she was derelict of duty
Dereliction of duty
Dereliction of duty is a specific offense under United States Code Title 10,892. Article 92 and applies to all branches of the US military. A service member who is derelict has willfully refused to perform his duties or has incapacitated himself in such a way that he cannot perform his duties...
in that she had "willfully failed to protect Iraqi detainees from abuse, cruelty, and maltreatment." Specifically, Ambuhl stipulated that she witnessed "numerous acts" of abuse, cruelty, and maltreatment, writing that "This time was very confusing for me, and things were done to detainees that I questioned, but that apparently were permissible. But there were some things that were done that I knew were wrong at the time, and I did not act to stop this behavior to protect the detainees."
Ambuhl was served with a court-martial in August 2004 in connection with prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib. She was represented by a Washington, D.C-based civilian lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, Harvey J. Volzer. A June 2004 Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
article reported that Ambuhl, who had not yet appeared in any of the released photographs, was not involved in the incidents at Abu Ghraib
Abu Ghraib
The city of Abu Ghraib in the Baghdad Governorate of Iraq is located just west of Baghdad's city center, or northwest of Baghdad International Airport. It has a population of 189,000. The old road to Jordan passes through Abu Ghraib...
:
- A key part of the defense being prepared by Harvey Volzer, a lawyer for Spc. Megan Ambuhl, who England and another soldier both have said was not directly involved in the abuse. Volzer will argue Ambuhl could not have been derelict in her duty to guard prisoners because the memos show that the government believed the rough treatment to get information was justified. "We have multiple legal memoranda ... condoning what these people did," he said.
In a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
article, Volzer was quoted as saying:
- "They don't have a case against her. They really don't ... She's not in any of the photographs you've seen or in any of the ones you haven't. She's not mentioned in any of the statements of doing anything other than being there. She's being charged because everybody on the night shift was being charged."
As part of a plea agreement, Specialist Ambuhl was convicted by court-martial on October 30, 2004, for Dereliction of Duty. In punishment, she was demoted to Private, discharged from the Army, and docked half a month's pay. Additional charges brought against Ambuhl were dropped following a pretrial guilt plea but had included allegations of conspiracy, maltreatment, and indecent acts. She was the third MP reservist and fourth U.S. soldier convicted in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal.
Life post trial
In April 2005, she married Charles GranerCharles Graner
Charles A. Graner, Jr., is a former U.S. Army reservist who was convicted of prisoner abuse in connection with the 2003–2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal...
.
In March 2006, Salon.com published the most extensive known collection of images relating to the prisoner abuse scandal in Abu Ghraib. Ambuhl appears in several images, including one captioned:
- 8:16 p.m., October 24, 2003. The detainee "GUS" has a strap around his neck. The detainee is being pulled from his cell as a form of intimidation. SPC AMBUHL is in the picture observing the incident. CPL GRANERCharles GranerCharles A. Graner, Jr., is a former U.S. Army reservist who was convicted of prisoner abuse in connection with the 2003–2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal...
is taking the picture. SOLDIER: PFC ENGLANDLynndie EnglandLynndie Rana England is a former United States Army reservist who served in the 372nd Military Police Company. She was one of eleven military personnel convicted in 2005 by Army courts-martial in connection with the torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the occupation...
; SPC AMBUHL.
Another photograph appears to show Ambuhl administering an injection to a prisoner.
None of the photographs published by Salon, though, appear to show her directly engaged in prisoner abuse.
Megan Graner at one time ran the website: www.supportmpscapegoats.com where she posted documents in support of her husband's innocence. (The website is no longer operational.) In a Washington Post web interview, she also stated: "[Graner] should be let out now because he and the others in prison have served more prison time than any other soldier sentenced for similar cases [--]including murders."
See also
- Javal Davis
- Lynndie EnglandLynndie EnglandLynndie Rana England is a former United States Army reservist who served in the 372nd Military Police Company. She was one of eleven military personnel convicted in 2005 by Army courts-martial in connection with the torture and prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad during the occupation...
- Ivan FrederickIvan FrederickIvan Frederick II , called Chip Frederick, of Buckingham County, Virginia, is a former Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. He was the highest in rank of the seven U.S. military police personnel who have been charged with torturing prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, all of whom were...
- Charles GranerCharles GranerCharles A. Graner, Jr., is a former U.S. Army reservist who was convicted of prisoner abuse in connection with the 2003–2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal...
- Sabrina Harman
- Jeremy SivitsJeremy SivitsJeremy C. Sivits is a former U.S. Army reservist, one of several soldiers charged and convicted by the U.S. Army in connection with the 2003-2004 Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal in Baghdad, Iraq during and after the 2003 invasion of Iraq...
- 372nd Military Police Company, the MP unit assigned to Abu Ghraib
- Standard Operating ProcedureStandard Operating Procedure (film)Standard Operating Procedure is a 2008 documentary film which explores the meaning of the photographs taken by U.S. military police at the Abu Ghraib prison in late 2003, the content of which revealed the torture and abuse of its prisoners by U.S. soldiers and subsequently resulted in a public...