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Soso native Robert Bartran commanded a military police unit to guard al-Qaida detainees in Cuba. Bartran is shown here on a plane leaving Cuba for the United States. (Submitted photo)Jones County man spends months guarding al-Qaida detaineesBy Jason Niblett Staff reporterA Jones County man just spent six months guarding al -Qaida detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.Robert Bartran III of Soso is the commander of the 114th Military Police Unit based in Clinton. He is also the commander of two detachments located in Vicksburg and Canton. He is also an agent with the Southeast Mississippi Drug Task Force.The unit was responsible for the protection and care of hundreds of detainees. Bartran said this was a strange task for them.“We had 620 of the world’s most dangerous terrorists,” Bartran said. “Part of the danger you expect. It’s kind of like with drug enforcement, you come to expect the dangers.“It was very clear-cut how they were to be handled. This is the first time the government had to deal with detainees. They were not P.O.W.’s (prisoners-of-war) because we were not in war. My experience was in combat. We were trained to patrol battle fields and pick up stragglers and prisoners. The army didn’t have regulations on detainees at first.“It made me want to pull my hair out sometimes -very challenging but it was a good experience.”Bartran said their detainees were the ones shown insalaries, medical care for the detainees and employees, food, housing, and other necessities.Bartran said he gets cold chills when he thinks about the Sept. 11 anniversaiy last year.“On the one-year anniversary, I was there,” Bartran said. “It was red hard knowing I had to protect these guys when we were going through a memorial ceremony. The TV was in front of me and we saw people remembering those who died. Right behind me, the detainees were in the background chanting and holler-ing. .“I was thinking, people at home were remembering dead people and I am sitting here with the people who did this.”Bartran said there are a couple reasons why the United States treated the detainees so well.“It shows the professionalism of the U. S. and the commitment to make it all right in the end. It will show people how merciful the United States is. I commend our soldiers,” Bartran said.Bartran said he is a third generation combat soldier.He said his grandmother mentioned one time writing letters to Robert Bartran, Robert Bartran Jr., and Robert Bartran III, at the same base.He took command of the 114th M. P. Unit in 2000. He said commanders usually only serve two years but newspapers and electronic media around the world, he was asked to continue service because of OperationThe military officers shown in these pictures and Enduring Freedom/Noble Eagle.reports were from the Mississippi units.He also said the U. S. Government spent $1.5 mil-Bartran will deploy again next week for another tour of duty. He said that he isn’t sure where the tour will be,lion every day to run the detention center. This paid for but he does expect it to be overseas.
Newspaper Details
Laurel Leader Call
Laurel, Mississippi, US
Sun, Feb 16, 2003
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Pike C.
KY, USA 16 Jul 2020
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