I don’t know if this is true or not, since I’m not familiar with the source, but I found it interesting nonetheless:

The commander of U.S. soldiers accused of forcing two Iraqis to jump from a bridge into the Tigris River says he told his men to lie about the incident.

Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Sassaman, who was granted immunity for his testimony, but who also received a reprimand, said Friday he told his soldiers not to talk about the water, CNN reported Saturday.

In all the stories from Iraq involving bad soldiers, I’ve seen the same common thread: Piss-poor leadership. Abu Ghraib and this incident should be introduced into the various leadership curricula to illustrate why we do things the way we do. Every time someone asks, “Why can’t we be more familiar with our subordinates?” or “Do we really have to be anal about regulations and discipline?”, all you’ll have to do is point at these incidents for an answer.

The Command reflects the Commander. Look at the Commanders from Abu Ghraib, this Bridge Incident, as well as other breaches of discipline, and then note the character of their commands. The Command reflects the Commander.