Samuel Provance Samuel Provance is a former U . S . Army military intelligence sergeant , known for disobeying an order from his commanders in the 302nd Military Intelligence Battalion by discussing with the media his experiences at the Abu Ghraib Prison , where he was assigned from September 2003 to February 2004 . After being disciplined for his actions , he eventually brought his case to the United States Government in February 2006 , resulting in a Congressional subpoena of the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld . The main points of his testimony are that military intelligence soldiers and contracted civilian interrogators had abused detainees , that they directed the military police to abuse detainees , the extent of this knowledge at the prison , and the subsequent cover - up of these practices when investigated . Military intelligence soldiers from the 205th Military Intelligence Brigade , with firsthand knowledge , had in fact spoken with the media weeks before Provance did , which corroborate his claims , saying they wanted to " do what ' s right . . . get the truth out , " but they chose to remain anonymous , " because of concern that their military careers would be ruined . " In addition , the military police themselves said they were ordered and encouraged by interrogators to treat detainees harshly , to " soften " them up for interrogations , and were commended by their commander for doing so . Background . Provance was assigned to Abu Ghraib prison ( also known as the Baghdad Correctional Facility ) shortly after a mortar attack at the prison killed and wounded several soldiers from his unit on September 20 , 2003 . Though an intelligence analyst supporting the V Corps during the initial phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom , under the command of General William S . Wallace , at Abu Ghraib he supervised the systems administration on the so - called " infamous " night shift , under the command of Lieutenant General Ricardo S . Sanchez . In January 2004 , the same month that saw the unexplained death of his Command Sergeant Major Stacy Adams , Provance was interviewed by a US Army Criminal Investigation Command ( CID ) agent , as part of Major General Antonio M . Taguba ’ s investigation of Abu Ghraib . Taguba considered Provance a witness based on his sworn statement . His name , along with other witnesses , were made known in May 2004 when the classified Taguba Report was deliberately leaked to the public . Provance was also interviewed by Major General George Fay , the lead investigator of a second major investigation of Abu Ghraib . Provance later claimed Fay was more interested in the military police in the photographs , not of intelligence operations ( Fay was charged with investigating military intelligence ) . He also claimed Fay resisted his testimony ( largely the same provided to Taguba ) , who afterward decided to recommend charges of " dereliction of duty " against him for not coming forward any sooner , saying if he had , he could have prevented the scandal . Provance was then issued an order by his company commander , Captain Scott Hedberg , and subsequently his battalion commander , Lt . Colonel James Norwood , not to communicate with anyone about his experiences at Abu Ghraib . Perceiving the threat of charges and the gag order as part of a larger " cover - up " , Provance spoke with the media , hoping they would investigate where the military was apparently failing to . His top secret security clearance was suspended and he was administratively " flagged " ( a career hold ) for 16 months , until he was given an Article 15 ( non - judicial punishment ) . This began with the May 18 , 2004 broadcast of ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings , where he said , " there ' s definitely a cover - up . . . people are either telling themselves or being told to be quiet . . . many people are probably hiding and wishing to God that this storm passes without them having to be investigated [ or ] personally looked at " . According to the Stars and Stripes , Provance , " still speaks passionately about his dedication to the Army and condemns the few leaders above him " . Provance told them , " I would never speak out against the Army , that ’ s not what I ’ m doing . . . the Army is an awesome organization that I respect and honor . . . it ’ s only a matter of time before the truth comes out " . On May 26 , 2004 former Vice President Al Gore referred to Provance during a speech at New York University , as the Abu Ghraib scandal evolved into a heated political debate , with the Presidential election coming up that November . In June 2004 , Jerry Fleishman wrote a profile of Provance for the Los Angeles Times . " Provance speaks in a near - whisper , but he possesses a steely defiant streak " . It was reported that he studied to be a Christian Pastor at Holmes College of the Bible in Greenville , South Carolina , " quitting . . . after raising too many questions about faith and fundamentalism " . He then joined the US Army , enlisting in Air Defense Artillery , later tried out for Special Forces , and then reclassified into Military Intelligence . Despite his circumstances as a result of the Abu Ghraib investigations and scandal , " he reveres the spirit of the combat soldier " , and worried that this was now in jeopardy . The German newspaper Tageszeitung also wrote a profile . On July 5 , 2004 the German news program " Report Mainz " broadcast an interview with Provance , where he revealed that children were detained at Abu Ghraib . In response , the Norwegian government joined the Red Cross and Amnesty International in protest . Jon Ronson published the book The Men Who Stare at Goats , later made into a motion picture in 2009 . Provance , under the name " Joseph Curtis " to protect his identity at that time , is in a chapter named " The Haunted Hotel " . Television ' s Public Broadcasting Service ( PBS ) , as a part of its documentary program , Frontline ( U . S . TV series ) , features Provance ' s perspective in the documentary " " The Torture Question " " , in October 2005 . Congressional Testimonies . In September 2004 , Provance was sent to Washington D . C . to speak with Senate Armed Services Committee staff , in preparation for a Congressional hearing of Major General Fay ' s investigation . It has not been made public what happened during these meetings or why they were held . In February 2006 , Provance testified before Congress alongside Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer ( intelligence officer ) from the US Army , Michael German from the FBI , and Russell D . Tice from the NSA . He testified that at his Article 15 proceeding in July 2005 , he was threatened with up to ten years in military prison if he did not accept the terms of punishment . He accepted the terms , and for “ disobeying a lawful order ” , he was demoted in rank . He also testified about many other things before unknown or not as detailed . Congressman Chris Shays ( R - CT ) , the committee chairman , said to Provance , " I just want to say to you it takes a tremendous amount of courage with your rank to tell a General what they may not want to hear , and people like you will help move our country in the right direction . And so this full committee thanks you for what you have done . " In July 2006 , Provance ' s interview with Report Mainz was selected among other news stories in its forty - year broadcasting history for recognition . He gave an update on that television event . On July 6 , 2006 the New York Times reported that the House Committee on Government Reform issued a subpoena to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld because he had not responded to a March 7 , 2006 request for information regarding Provance ' s demotion and testimony . Four months later , Rumsfeld resigned , citing Abu Ghraib as his " darkest hour " , and ignored the subpoena . Post Army . Provance was honorably discharged from the United States Army in October 2006 in Heidelberg , Germany . In November 2006 , Provance spoke to a group of 350 people in Maplewood , New Jersey and received a certificate of appreciation . In February 2007 , Provance appeared in a HBO documentary , " Ghosts of Abu Ghraib " , where he describes the prison as , " " Apocalypse Now " meets " The Shining " . " An extended interview is included in the DVD release . He later wrote an article about his experience at a screening of the film in Washington DC , criticizing Senator Lindsey Graham ( R - SC ) , who had also been in attendance for a post - screening discussion with Senator Ted Kennedy ( D - MA ) , for changing his opinions of Abu Ghraib since he ’ d been in contact with him . Tara McKelvey published the book , " " Monstering : Inside America ' s Policy of Secret Interrogations and Torture in the Terror War " " , which includes Provance ' s story most in - depth . She describes him as , " unconventional . . . a keen sense of injustice " . The New York Times , in a book review , reported , " if the United States still has a chance of winning the battle for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world , then we have people like Provance to thank " . On September 20 , 2007 Provance was given the Sam Adams Award for " integrity in intelligence " at the American University . He described missing the Army " more than anything else " , and that after having lost his friends and family , speaking to the media was not worth it on a personal level . An interview with Provance was broadcast on the Democracy Now ! television program with Amy Goodman . He lamented that " even to this day . . . there ’ s been nobody else that has had their conscience bother them to come forward and say , look , this is what was really going on , and that it wasn ’ t just these MP ' s , and that these MP ' s were really doing what they were told " . Provance wrote a critical editorial about the documentary , " Standard Operating Procedure " , directed by Oscar winning director Errol Morris . He claims Morris promised , " a no - holds - barred documentary " , but instead only " focuses on the awful photos , the people in them and those who took them " . Portions of his interview with Morris , cut from the film ' s release , are however on the Blu - ray Disc edition ' s special features . Provance gave a radio interview for Chicago Public Radio ; saying he wished he had exhausted more " official channels " , but that it is speculation to say if that would have changed anything . He wanted to discuss things more with his leadership , but having reprimanded him for bizarre things like not doing their laundry or not washing vehicles with water they were rationing , he felt they could not be trusted . He wanted to testify on behalf of the military police at their trials , but like in Lynndie England ' s case , her lawyers were erroneously told he could not be found . He compared his plight to Serpico , but instead of meeting the same fate , says he still loves being a soldier and could return to the Army , though he fears his career would be sabotaged by " higher - ups " who might fear he has ulterior motives . On October 22 , 2009 , Provance was given a letter of commendation signed by former President Jimmy Carter and 15 , 000 others , for his " uncommon courage in defending the rule of law and standing up against torture " . In his acceptance of the letter , he responded , " if and when we do the right thing , we may not ever know to what extent our words and actions are ever used by other people , or even God , but you can be sure that they will be " . Days later he was interviewed by Karen Kwiatkowski ; his final words being , " not to give up on the Army or our country . . . there are still good people doing good things " . On May 7 , 2013 , the documentary , " Doctors of the Darkside " ; " , produced and directed by Martha Davis , is dedicated , " to Sam Provance and the courage to bear witness " , and is screened internationally to raise awareness of " the critical role of physicians and psychologists in detainee torture " . On September 10 , 2013 , photographer Jo Metson Scott published the book " The Grey Line " ; " , which documents , " the perspective of US and UK soldiers who have spoken out against the Iraq War " . Provance is featured on the front cover , and a synopsis of his story is in the book .