Lucid Agents: Peacekeeping

© 2013 by Sam Luckey. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/27/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1172-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1171-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4918-1170-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013915646

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CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER ONE NOT YOUR AVERAGE TRIP INTO ITALY

CHAPTER TWO ANSWER THE QUESTION

CHAPTER THREE DON’T WORRY—BE HAPPY—PROGRAMS ARE IN PLACE MAN

CHAPTER FOUR BACK IN KOREA—THIS TIME MUCH FARTHER NORTH

CHAPTER FIVE SOME FEEL EL PASO IS NOT REALLY TEXAS

CHAPTER SIX PRIVATE MISTAKES=LOST AND ALONE IN KOREA

CHAPTER SEVEN FROM RAILWAY MP TO FRANKFURT CID

CHAPTER EIGHT THE CID LOTTERY CHOOSES GEORGIA FOR MY NEXT ASSIGNMENT

CHAPTER NINE THE ARMY SAYS! YOU HAVE ONLY PARTIAL WILL AND VOLITION

HEAL THYSELF—INNER—OUTER—ON-DUTY—OFF-DUTY—PERCEPTION BASED TUNE-UP FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT—MILITARY—PEACEKEEPERS WITHOUT ALLEGIANCE—DIVISION—OR EXCLUSIONARY RULES…

INTRODUCTION

Military and law enforcement duties can be complicated enough in your own country. Many of us find ourselves working both military and law enforcement related tasks and assignments at the same time in the service of another country. We never feel fully prepared and usually lack the linguistic skills necessary for the country you find yourself in. It is very lonely when you find yourself in a complicated situation making decisions, some instantaneous, that may result in citizens you don’t really understand being detained and denied their liberty. Decisions you make may allow a rapist to be captured or escape. A war-crimes suspect may walk away undetected and unidentified—does that mean you have to detain and cuff everybody? Your superiors back at Headquarters will have all the time in the world to second guess your decisions implemented out on the streets.

This book is intended to assist Law-Soldier-Peacekeepers who find themselves representing their home country through routine assignments or actual Peacekeeping missions in another country. You may even find yourself working in your own country; sincerely wondering how to improve your personal or unit interaction with specific groups or within certain areas. Hopefully, through humor, basic religious and spiritual information, examples, scenarios, history and my own law enforcement experience—I can add compassion and empathy to your arsenal of material goods and weaponry. Perhaps a few readers will recognize that they live and work totally from an us and them negative attitude. Ideally, most readers will recognize the benefit behind being well-rounded in knowledge outside of your official duties and develop a sincere interest in other cultures and societies.

You may find yourself assigned a Peacekeeping mission or foreign assignment without any specialized training, information or experience. You may find yourself assigned a Peacekeeping mission or foreign assignment with accurate up-to-the date information that remains correct in the field. You may enter a Peacekeeping mission with the most confusing, inaccurate and incompetent information and guidance ever developed and disseminated. As part of your intelligence gathering, little things you read or are informed on should all be stored in your memory for later use. Don’t determine as soon as you receive the information from whatever source that it is useless and pointless to give it any attention or time. I was surprised how often a little tidbit of information that I didn’t even realize I stored to begin with, became conscious at just the right time. Especially when extracting intelligence or just general information from an open or unwitting source right in front of you. They can tell no matter how skilled you believe yourself to be that you are blowing them off or actually annoyed that you have been forced to spend valuable time with them. Treat that source right and they will come back and add to your success and the success of their country’s reconstruction. Practice storing these bits and pieces of potential useful information as an Intelligence Agent might. Not everything you receive proves valuable, but adds understanding to the puzzle of your situation.

Have you honestly evaluated your own bias and prejudice that you may consciously or unconsciously carry around. Your pre-conceived notions, impressions, misinformation and mistranslations that you fail to correct or do not realize your programming error. All the real or imagined mental blocks, errors, control issues and hindrances to peace and well-being that you or your fellow Peacekeepers put in place; or allow remaining as hindrances and obstacles. Internal obstacles like your own personal exhaustion, fear, anger and resentment concerning your deployment. The exhaustion, fear, anger and resentment directed at you from those you are intending to assist. Your own religious truths and beliefs that may contradict the religious truths and beliefs of those you serve alongside and those you are Peacekeeping on their behalf. For all the above concerns you have that affect you and those around you; realize that everyone working alongside you has the very same concerns and interests for their own welfare. Everyone you are assisting and intermingling with has their own concerns and interests for their own welfare. Can you remain open, confident and truly helpful throughout the time of your assignment? For some readers the subjects I bring up will not only be new to them, but their connection with self-improvement and unity type thinking may be difficult to realize. Fix thyself first chance you get!

This book will present ideas and suggestions for improving law enforcement interaction, foreign assignments and military style peacekeeping missions. I am not interested in pleasing a government or bureaucracy. My concerns are for those working the so-called front lines and those whose assignments bring them in contact with the very people the assistance was intended for. I intend to portray a viewpoint and Unitarian acceptance not normally disseminated by governments and military leaders. What may be viewed and interpreted as politically incorrect by government officials and to be avoided, I can hopefully, tactfully, bring light to the discarded uncomfortable conflicts and prejudice. You may find yourself being forced to follow and comply with orders that may or may not make any sense. You may receive orders to pull-back and allow a massacre to happen before your very eyes.

My two years in South Korea as an Army MP and over three years in West Germany as first an Army MP then as a Special Agent with Army CID will provide the background and carry my narrative. Off-duty interaction on and off post can solidify the opportunity you have been provided by serving in another country. Tourists visiting foreign nations usually are treated very well as long as their money keeps flowing to the locals. A week or two spent on vacation very seldom leads to the parts of a country they would rather you not see. Tourist money almost guarantees to keep you focused and located where the host government wants you. Tourists can be herded like cattle away from and around the unpleasant and discarded members of a society. Unlike today’s modern assignments in Afghanistan and Iraq, I spent every available off-duty minute seeing Korea, West Germany and the rest of Europe. I felt fairly safe and left the main streets for the side shows and out of the way businesses that needed my patronage. They seemed to appreciate me more than a highly visible tourist spot—acting as if they were sick of tourists.

Sometimes you do not need to leave your own country to feel like a tourist, stranger or just out of place. Going from High School in predominately black Gary IN to Ft. McClellan in Anniston Alabama in the 1970’s for Basic Training was like going to another country for me. Anniston is the home of the vicious fire-bombing of the Civil Rights Freedom Bus. Being stationed in El Paso (Ft. Bliss) Texas and Sierra Vista (Ft. Huachuca) Arizona seemed somewhat like another country where I witnessed prejudice against Mexican Americans and immigrants.

Up front I will advise you that I will be guilty of leaving out and censoring stories, descriptions and documentation concerning death, violence, blood, pain and tragedy. I have no intention in making or contributing any readers to relive and re-experience the parts of their life they prefer not to. This should allow even those scarred and traumatized by war, police-actions and peacekeeping missions to learn, heal and enjoy this book. The violent history of government abuses in the past and currently unfolding tragedies around the world will need other venues, other witnesses and other victims to bring to public light. I will bring readers as mentally safe as I can near elements that scar and test our faith in humanity. I intend not to include any cuss-words so all ages may read this book.

This book will also be handy and informative for those law enforcement personnel who remain on the home front. Perhaps home front is too violent of a word for what I intended. I have been around enough peace activists that I am used to being told that I can choose better peaceful language, images and symbols. So if this is your first introduction to anything with peaceful intention and action, be prepared; there are as many paradigms, methods and programs intending peace as there are people intending peace. Just like the zealot, fundamentalist or racist, peace motivation strikes each and every one of us uniquely and sometimes oddly eccentric. As grand and beautiful as racial and religious diversity is, it can complicate law enforcement actions, responses, reactions and investigations.

Law-Soldier-Peacekeepers need to remain unbiased, without prejudice and remain open minded. Instead of ego-based thoughts concerning past distractions; avoid reviewing your internal inventory of allegations, imagery, symbols and stereotyping concerning the very people you are interacting with. Remain in the HERE and NOW. When you are on the scene of a crime and spend your conscious energies visiting past transgressions and insults, you may very well miss a knife or other object headed your way. Open minds lead to open discussions that usually, but not always, lead to successful resolutions. Don’t use the threat of arrest and imprisonment as your point-man when assisting and dealing with the public. I also intend to make this book appealing to the Law-Soldier-Peacekeepers of other nations and other languages. I will add more flavorful descriptions and definitions to help make sure those who speak a primary language other than English, understand my intent. After studying ancient Aramaic and Hebrew; I now understand just how unfortunate improper, biased or faulty translations can continue to bring tragic implications to our lives.

More importantly, do not think that because I am writing a book on Peacekeeping and foreign assignments; that means I was the ultimate Diplomat Soldier or Diplomat Military Police, Investigator or Special agent. Just like books about internet and computer security being written by a reformed hacker or a book about avoiding street criminals by a former mugger or thief, I intend a book on Peacemaking. I drank entirely way too much alcohol during my military service, stateside and overseas. I was not the best example of American citizenry or military service. Fortunately 99% of my over five years overseas were very enjoyable interactions and mingling within and among the local citizens. There were a few uncomfortable ugly incidents. I did remain open enough to prove serious interest concerning local customs and religious variations distinct to my assigned areas.

Since this is not a bar or the dinner-table, I feel it is safe to review the taboo subjects of spirituality and religion in relation to Law-Soldier-Peacekeeping intentions and missions. While in a country experiencing internal strife or outside aggression demanding Peacekeepers; you will usually be told in public that it is not a religious based our god is better than their god or our god loves us more than their god loves them type of conflict. The locals from either or any side describe the apparent this religion fighting that religion division and separation as mere coincidence. Other more critical issues are claimed to be at work here. Proactively prepare for the division line where the conflicts seem to arise specifically where this group and that group are forced to remain in synthesis for basic commerce and needs. Do not add to the conflict by piling on your own ill-conceived thoughts, bias and pre-conceived notions.

From the outside, at least from my point of view—they do seem to be heavily religious based conflicts. When asked, I tell people I am not religious but very spiritual. Some seem to understand what I mean, some avoid the issue and some immediately reveal their hurt or disgust at my implication that religion and spirituality are two different things. How peaceful should I intend this book and on whose peace scale shall I be judged. Whose peace language shall I employ? This led to a conflict that took almost two years to resolve. Instead of trying to please my peacenik friends, I had to just write this book based on my own experience. It will not be peaceful enough for most of them.

After my military service I received a gentle almost a decade and a half introduction and half education concerning peacekeeping aspects of Criminology and Sociology. Except for my disgust about the misnomer War on Drugs, I was basically still a hot-head patriot and biased friend of law enforcement. I first met Harold E. Pepinsky at a rally where we each gave a speech promoting public awareness about the illogical aspects of our misnomer War on Drugs and War on Marijuana in the early 1990’s. I had become alarmed that in Bloomington Indiana home of Indiana University, a war on marijuana had been re-ignited, encouraged and funded. I had given up on eleven years of Regular Army duties in the MP’s and Army CID because I was advised that I would be taking over more Army Drug Suppression duties as the Team Chief for the Ft. Gordon CID Drug Suppression Team (DST). Having worked DST duties in Arizona and as a Team Chief for a CID DST in Frankfurt West Germany, I declined the only way the Army permitted. About the time when my reenlistment was being prepared I surprised everybody by choosing to leave the US Army.

I found out that Harold Pepinsky was speaking from the point of view of a new aspect of scholarly criminology. As a Professor at Indiana University, he took the initiative to implement the relatively new criminology/sociology Peacemaking theme as a course of instruction for his basic criminology course in Bloomington. He was providing a college criminology level course introducing the student to a developing paradigm; peacemaking applications and intentions accepted, funded and implemented for all aspects of the criminal justice system; especially including victims and the un-peaceful sounding title of offenders. Even his doctorate students were seasoned and flavored by his Peacemaking visions.

He envisions this Peacemaking criminology to be promoted and practiced from within the Law Enforcement community, not just because of outside group pressure and influence. This includes the growing and questionable private prison industry and Halliburglar type civilian-corporate service and supply support. He promotes Peacemaking at every geometric level of human interaction, even the most violent. A complete overhaul and change of heart of the Criminal Justice system is recognized and envisioned. The offender can be empowered while satisfying victim (sometimes more societies) desires for various forms of retribution or punitive action. Even against society’s apparent wishes, occasionally a victim has no desire for punishment at all. Would the legal system you are a foot soldier in or as a citizen—merely subject too—allow an offender to walk free if that was what the victim wanted? What if two years later you realize that the victim’s family was threatened to the point that the victim had no choice but request no punishment on her behalf? Does the victim or subject’s religion or lack of religion become a major factor in determining punishment? Does the victim or subject’s wealth or poverty become a major factor in determining if charges are even to be filed? Some may feel defensive and want to point out that they are just a foot soldier; a nobody who is forced to follow orders in a system that is unsympathetic to the natural violence intended and unintended in class division.

Imagine developing a system where Peacemaking intent heals (as a priority over punishing offenders) those who were involuntarily dragged into the criminal justice system or war crimes, as victims and witnesses and survivors. A change of heart that includes those accused, exonerated or convicted of offenses against the rest of us. Recognize that punishment is ordered against others on our behalf, whether we agree or not. He envisions how to include a Peacemaking frame of mind that others sense in your presence, even if you respond in a role such as Law-Soldier-Peacekeeper. Active peacemaking mediation employed within and among all, regardless of class and other categories utilized for and against humanity. Potentials for conflict and disunity are proactively dealt with as early in their development as possible. Even children have proven to grasp peacemaking or Speaking Peace in a World of Conflict as Marshall B. Rosenberg promotes worldwide. Peacemaking mediation on behalf of all parties, allowing free expression from all involved. This includes and is beyond various victim-offender-reconciliation programs around the world.

Professor Pepinsky is the author of many books that can help the Peacekeeper along their way. He co-authored a book, Myths That Cause Crime with Paul Jesilow. They explore ten particular myths that seem to have become ingrained as truth in the mind of most Americans that do not stand up to analysis and examination. Their analysis reveals that these very same crime myths meant to keep us under the illusion that we are being informed, lowering crime rates and are integral useful parts of the solution—really make us less safe, less informed and less in control. These crime myths send valuable resources, both private and government, into mazes and labyrinths created, funded and maintained by those who benefit the most by statistics of arrest and seizure over crime prevention and love-based assistance. I fear clever statisticians are becoming more important than actual on the street accomplishments. The War on Drugs cemented the government’s use of statistics of arrest and seizure as proof of success to counter the actual Drug War disaster we the people experience in the streets, hospitals and cemeteries.

Professor Gilbert Geis a past president of the American Society of Criminology provided the Foreword for Myths That Cause Crime. Geis describes and reminds us that intellectual work goes beyond only tackling the most important problems. True intellectual work requires that you go back and verify the suppositions you consciously and unconsciously use to align your work with reality and consensus. Even if investigating your operational suppositions influencing your mode, method, interpretation and documentation of your work upsets established scholarly or government agendas. The second paragraph of his foreword I originally read as only pertaining to law enforcement and criminal justice. Just in relation to Myths That Cause Crime I found a paragraph that was informative and awakening.

Occasionally, though, scholars will stand aside from the passing parade and begin to ask fundamental questions: Are the suppositions that guide the research themselves supportable? Is the received wisdom of the field merely folklore entrenched by years of repetition? Whose interests are served by what propositions and are those interests necessarily commensurate with the well-being of the entire society? What, after all, is going on here? Where does truth lie? Gilbert Geis

Decades ago I stepped back and questioned all the tax and government money, time and effort in preparing me to dedicate my life to target, arrest and prosecute certain drug consumers over legalized drug consumers. Not to make their life or their families life better and safer; but to (what appeared to me) make certain drug users worse off through arrest, seizure and jail or prison time. Marijuana was our fallback statistic of arrest and seizure when hard drug dealers escaped us. Alcohol and tobacco are truly toxic and result in hundreds of thousands of deaths yearly while I was targeted on zero-death marijuana capitalist consumers. My job seemed to make things worse for the individual, family and community. I was the first step in sending citizens to jail because of the choice in intoxication (or even to study for college exams) they chose. For every drug arrest I made I encouraged others to just go over the hill and beyond the ridge to somebody else’s enforcement zone and statistical responsibility. Out of sight—out of mind—sweet statistical success—we are out of our minds if we believe our statistics gauge the success of our advanced and highly praised criminal justice system. Statistics involving self-confessions or admissions for drug use and other illegal or looked down upon behaviors and activities are gauges of society’s criminal justice successes that I do not trust nor believe.

This book was delayed because I could not determine the format to present a peacefully inspired Peacekeeping book for law enforcement, soldiers, contractors and the civilian and military bureaucracy. Government and standard peacekeeping periodicals, manuals and policy statements seem as sterile office based productions. If given the choice they would not be sought for advice by those in the streets actually implementing policy and procedure on the behalf of local citizens, whether welcomed or not. Memories of almost fifteen years of peacemaking priority indoctrination by Professor Pepinsky pulled me to one end of the feasible Law-Soldier-Peacekeeper spectrum. My own experiences and guilty acceptance of to hell with them! arrest them all type images and symbolism seemed opposite. The false impression that something is being done, propels me to the non-feasible side of the Law-Soldier-Peacekeeper spectrum. The influence of religion and spirituality on my life, my society, government and the world; pointed out the significance and negative impact that religious views are projected on those like me who choose other ways and means.

My delay was all on me. The more I researched ancient religions and all the conflicts of truths and dogmas, the more each investigation branched into two or more directions. It turned into about ten years of research I would have never believed possible for my interests and personality. It sounds counter-intuitive that I found needs for different religions to begin Peacemaking for real, internally amongst their own internal religious division and their interaction with other religions. Not the public wink-wink and nods of no real substance and foundation, without verifiable positive change. I found alteration, mistranslation, blatant deception and manipulation involving our ancient religious texts. What was my mind-blowing personal realization after ten years of religious research? That you can never justify killing or injuring the followers, believers and religions of others based on your own personal religious and spiritual beliefs. I am convinced that all of the major religions are more based on the grounds of myth, superstition, repetition and allegory. You cannot justify your aggression and counter-productive religious superiority intentions, reactions, mindless chaos and traumatic results of bias, bigotry and the opposite of healing—as God inspired and ordered aggressive judgment.

Going back to the foreword quote by Gilbert Geis; I see this fabulous statement applying to peacemaking, peacekeeping, criminal justice, theology, even archaeology, anthropology and especially concerning religious knowledge and experience. As Law-Soldier-Peacekeepers—do we assume our actions are correct and by the book even while it is obvious our duties didn’t create or even contribute to a safer environment? Are we so busy and preoccupied in certain neighborhoods to keep enforcement out of richer neighborhoods by design or accident? Suppositions and paradigms are everything in law enforcement. It is how we keep a clear conscious while reviewing our mandatory actions taken earlier. It is so easy to limit certain individual’s liberties and excuse ourselves because it’s the law or we were under orders. It is extremely difficult to verify for yourself suppositions and paradigms that you merely inherited from your instructors, trainers, supervisors, family and religious literature.

Are the suppositions and paradigms you believe and even train and baptize younger version replacements of yourself in—still relevant? Do you even know or recognize all these suppositions and paradigms that you not only inherited, but spend quite a bit of power and energy maintaining them. Suppositions and paradigms influence and determine who you arrest, who you show compassion and discretionary policing for, and who you end up shooting? They convince you that certain areas and certain people need your presence, whether it is actually beneficial and positive or not. While working law enforcement I never remember thinking about the suppositions and paradigms that were programmed into me by government operatives (Drill Sergeants, Basic Training, MP, CID and other law enforcement schools). Jim Thompson, author of Physics of Genesis, ties the Old Testament’s Genesis with Pythagorean schools and recent revelations involving quantum physics. I’ll never read Genesis, quantum physics and Pythagorean writings under my old suppositions and paradigms again.

Jim Thompson describes and defines paradigms outside of normal scholarly science thought. Not only do paradigms influence religious interpretation and translation, but they influence Law-Soldier-Peacekeeper. We see what we expect to see. The universe we encounter is greatly influenced by the tools we use to measure it, and those tools are always a product of certain prejudices and presumptions that may or may not have any absolute legitimacy. . . . a paradigm works to define and thereby limit our perceptions of the world… When a paradigm is in place, certain questions are allowed but other questions are not allowed. Research topics that test the paradigm are ruled out of bounds. Jim Thompson credits science historian Thomas Kuhn for giving these prejudices and presumptions a name, he calls them paradigms. A paradigm is the world view we apply to the world. A paradigm provides the filter we use to determine what we expect to discover or re-experience in any set of circumstances. It determines what we look for and, by doing that, it determines what we will find. Can you see why you should verify all the suppositions and paradigms you have collected over the years?

An open-minded Law-Soldier-Peacekeeper can find lessons and ways of self-improvement from almost any classic or modern writing. For me Macbeth unexpectedly struck me as an insight into an organized crime family. I thought the original intent of Macbeth was to promote how one person assisted and encouraged by an unstable lover and a team of three spiritual advisors of conflicting and devious intentions; convinced Macbeth to murder his way into a position of extreme power. How Macbeth and his lover became mentally unstable as their actions played around in their mind. It took an unorthodox (modern crime family) movie version of Macbeth to show me how I missed the original camaraderie and family unit unification the first few deaths provided those close to Macbeth. They regrouped, appreciated those with them more emotionally and energized their thin layer of us and them feelings and beliefs in the easy to create everybody else is against us (patriotism) show of force. Then with another death, they began to suspect and admit that the killer was from within and was one of them. How quickly the group unity withdrew and smaller cliques and clans formed in defensive posturing and offensive violence.

The completion of my 1st draft for this book occurred about ten years after the incident documented in The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib was revealed to the world. If the MP who received ten years actually served his full sentence, he would be released about right now. A few other low ranking MP’s and Military Intelligence personnel were sacrificed to make it appear policies were cleared up. The actual generals and civilian leadership responsible for ordering enhanced interrogations were rewarded with medals and praise and a healthy retirement program. I fear that brand new privates in the Military Police may have no knowledge of the horrors of Abu Ghraib. If you have not seen the documentary, you really should at least once in your life. It is a prime example of how you can find yourself forced into duties you were not trained in. Except for the MP General in charge, no other high-ranking military personnel were demoted in rank. What scared me most about The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib was that if I was assigned there during my first three very gung-ho years as an MP—I would probably be just as complacent and involved. I would have probably been charged myself.

It appears to me as a former CID Agent; that the MP’s and MI staff was punished only because they took photographs that verified abuses that would have otherwise never seen the light of day. No photographic evidence and there would have been no investigation. The Army conducted over 100 investigations not designed to find the truth, but to find ways to keep upper level management from having their careers ruined because of their promotion of the very same techniques used. I was warned back in the late 1970’s by MI staff that MP’s were used in Vietnam as scapegoats—should enhanced techniques become public. These MP’s trained in Combat Operations Support functions became instant untrained correctional officers in one of the worst prisons in the world. The MP’s were now interrogation staff. Alfred McCoy, author of A Question of Torture described Abu Ghraib as an adhoc behavioral laboratory for the introduction of extreme techniques. A few quotes of the MP’s convicted by Court Martial, include; That place turned me into a monster; You become a robot; You’ll go crazy if you don’t adapt to what you are doing. The best description in the documentary describing Abu Ghraib was, Apocalypse Now meets the Shining. If we allow the embarrassment and tragedy known as Abu Ghraib to disappear from our memory—WE ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT… OVER AND OVER AND OVER!

CHAPTER ONE

NOT YOUR AVERAGE TRIP

INTO ITALY

Not what you would want to happen on your first trip to Italy. Arriving at the airport and being detained for smuggling weapons into Italy. Seven of us boarded an Italian jet in Frankfurt, what was then called West Germany. We were all armed with pistols and ammunition under our jackets. Not a problem on the jet. Arrival in Italy was uneventful. Then while heading towards the Italian version of Customs, we realized that our in-country associates were not waiting for us. They had the paperwork for us to by-pass traditional international flight Customs inspections.

The rest of the passengers had all cleared Customs while we tried to remain unsuspicious and blend in. Seven Americans were delaying the Customs personnel from their duties to clear all the passengers on our flight for entrance into Italy. We observed that only baggage was being checked, and we all confirmed that our weapons and ammunition were still all on our person. The decision was made that we would process through customs, not declaring any weapons. With verbal commands and arm gestures similar to attracting stray dogs, we were encouraged towards the Customs checkpoint. We all scanned behind the Customs personnel for our in-country associates who were also supposed to provide transportation for our ultimate mission destination in Venice.

One person, then two, then I easily pass thru the Customs check-point. Our Fourth Team member unexpectedly blurted out in a sorry Italian language attempt that we all had pistols and ammunition under our jackets. As if choreographed, we all turned our heads towards one of our own mission members. Never thought the mission would fail because of one of us! He opened up his jacket displaying his holstered pistol under his armpit.

Judas spoke loud enough that the startled Customs agent did not have to alert other Customs or airport law enforcement personnel in the area. They all heard, understood and ran towards us, their pistols and a few automatic weapons all pointing our way. I found survival, evasion and escape training failing me in such a trapped and unusual situation. I did not remember any training for this mission involving the potential of one our own to speak out about our weapons. The customs area was designed with one side leading into Italy. The other side led back out into the Jets and runways.

Other Italian authorities showed up in all kinds of different uniforms I did not recognize. Just as I was considering every option but surrender, the senior team-member still glaring at Mr. Honesty, told us to cooperate. That did not calm my urge to run. I felt trapped and my temper started to rise as I scanned for an escape route that never materialized. My memory is hazy; I’m not sure what happened next. Then two uniformed Italian law enforcement personnel were in my face speaking beyond my pretend Italian. My own team members were split on anger and compliance. One of us then identified himself with his Badge and Credentials. We were all urged to display our Badges and Credentials.

We were all Special Agents (SA) with the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigation Command, sometimes written as USACID or USACIDC. As a CID Agent I was assigned to augment the Protective Services Detail (PSD) for the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. PSD is the military version of typical body-guard duties for VIP’s. A special PSD course is required after your initial introductory course in CID school. Our in-country CID associates were supposed to meet us upon landing with all the necessary paperwork for clearance into Italy.

It took a few hours for our associates to arrive and clear up this mess. The Italian authorities having been apprised of our mission calmed both sides a bit. Fortunately this was all before the terrorist hijacking attacks of 2001 in the US. After those attacks the US Government and CIA officers began conducting snatch and grab legalized kidnappings of suspected terrorists located in Italy who was believed to be involved in terrorist activities. It appears that local Italian authorities were never involved or informed about these legalized kidnappings by Americans. If the snatch and grab operations had already occurred during my airport weapon debacle, I’m sure we would have been snatched and grabbed by Italian authorities. CID is close enough to CIA to confuse civilian foreign authorities.

Finally we left in two vehicles for a U.S. Air Force Base in Italy. We met more CID Agents, ate and then headed towards Venice. We boarded a water-taxi to our Venice Hotel which was located next to the building where both the U.S. Chairman of the Joints Chiefs of Staff and his Italian counterpart was staying. I had no credit cards back then and was desperately rationing my cash. What spare time I could manage was limited to basically walking around Venice leaving my money just for meals. We would not be reimbursed until we returned to West Germany and submitted our military travel voucher claims.

Shifts for military security personnel were very long. They were made even longer with the mandatory pre and post shift briefings. Except for the initial airport problem, the weeklong meetings went well. Our team of West German assigned CID Agents we thought worked smoothly with the permanent PSD CID Agents. I was looking forward to other temporary assignments augmenting the security details of the top US military and civilian defense officials.

When we returned to our assignments in West Germany I still believed all went well. I found out otherwise when the Special Agent in Charge (SAC) of the Frankfurt Resident Agency (RA) called me into his office. He reported that complaints had been received on me and other CID Agents augmenting the Venice mission. They had originated with just one permanent member of the Chairman’s security detail. I had heard stories by senior CID Agents that working with the permanent PSD CID Agents can seem like a bad movie or nightmare but thought they were exaggerated. Many senior CID Agents openly stated that they would never go on another PSD mission if they could prevent it.

The complaints seemed trivial, mostly about attitude in our interaction with the permanent PSD CID Agents. When word spread that a particular PSD CID Agent had made the complaints, a senior CID Agent from our office came to our defense. It turned out he also had a run-in with this particular CID Agent on several occasions during a long security detail. He pointed out that once this CID Agent was assigned to guard the wife of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, she changed, became overwhelmed and insecure. She had complained to each and every one of our supervisors about minor and insignificant events. No complaints from any other permanent PSD CID Agents were ever received.

Having been Regular Army for about ten years, I took my ass-chewing even though I believed I was being wronged. As I left my boss’s office, I commented that it was weird that she had all these complaints about minor little things, yet she was the CID Agent who was supposed to be waiting for us on arrival in Italy with the weapon permits and other documents. I had assumed that my boss had heard about our detention upon arrival in Italy, yet he had not.

His eyes widened as he grinned, inviting me back into his office to hear all about this new information. He called several of the other West German stationed CID Agents from the Venice mission and confirmed my story. It turned out that none of us had mentioned our detention in Italy to our bosses. We all assumed they would