Gen. Michael R. Lehnert, the marine who commands the task force overseeing the prison camp, said the privileges were useful tools in maintaining discipline because what was given could be taken away.
Before boarding the landing craft, I had been briefed, along with twenty other correspondents, on the flagship of Rear Admiral John L. Hall, Jr., who commanded the task force of which our craft formed a minute part, so I knew where we were going and approximately when.
Commanding the task force was Colonel John G. Hill, the Commanding Officer of the 9th Infantry Regiment.
Davidson commanded the task force, which was composed of the US 19th Infantry, less the 3rd Battalion, the 3rd Battalion of the 9th Infantry, the 13th Field Artillery Battalion, C Battery of the 15th Field Artillery Battalion, A Company of the 3rd Engineer Combat Battalion, the 9th Infantry Regimental Tank Company, two batteries of antiaircraft automatic weapons, and other miscellaneous units.
He also sent the assistant division commander Brigadier General Vennard Wilson to command of the task force, renaming the task force "Task Force Wilson".
Command of the task force was given to Brigadier General Robert T. Frederick, who had previously commanded the 1st Special Service Force.
Col. Emmett H. Du Bose Jr., who in December 2003 assumed command of the task force of the Corps in charge of the project, said other items in the $220 million job order, like putting emergency power generators at oil installations, did get done.
Erich Bey, by now promoted to Konteradmiral, was given command of the task force.
He assumed command of the task force on October 25, five weeks after Obama announced the deployment of US troops to West Africa.
The First Armored, which provided the troops for the previous American peacekeeping deployment in the Army, as well as the current one, has the highest retention rate in the Army, according to Sherman J. Fuller, command sergeant major for the task force.
