None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture (Paperback)

From the Publisher: None of Us Were Like This Before recounts the dark journey of a tank battalion as its focus switched from conventional warfare to guerrilla war and prisoner detention. Phillips's narrative reveals how a group of ordinary soldiers, ill trained for the responsibilities foisted upon them, descended into a cycle of degradation that led to the abuse of detainees. The book illustrates that the damaging legacy of torture is not only borne by the detainees, but also by American soldiers and the country to which they have returned.Recounts the journey of a U.S. tank battalion--trained for conventional combat--as its focus switches to guerilla warfare and prisoner detention, showing how a group of ordinary soldiers, ill-trained for their new responsibilities, descended into the degradations of abuse.