Witness | US v Pfc. Manning, Captain Barclay Keay, S2X

  • posted December 21, 2011

UPDATE POST COURT-MARTIAL

United States v. Pfc. Manning was conducted in de facto secrecy. The public was not granted contemporaneous access to court filings or rulings during her trial. In addition to reporting on her trial, I transcribed the proceedings, reconstructed the censored appellate list, and un-redacted any publicly available documentation, in order to foster public comprehension of her unprecedented trial.

As a result of a lawsuit against the military judge and the Military District of Washington brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights, as well as my own FOIA requests and research, an official court record for US v. Pfc. Manning was released seven months after her trial. That record is not complete.

The official trial docket is published HERE and the entire collection of documents is text searchable at usvmanning.org.

*During the pretrial proceedings, court-martial and sentencing of Pfc. Manning, Chelsea requested to be identified as Bradley and addressed using the male pronoun. In a letter embargoed for August 22, 2013 Chelsea proclaimed that she is female and wished to be addressed from that moment forward as Chelsea E. Manning.

General Description

Captain Barclay Keay testified that he “probably” saw soldiers listening to music or watching movies: “I think they were just passing stupid clips around.” Keay testified that he never caught anyone playing games. Keay testified that he asked “lots of people” why soldiers could listen to music or play games, and that “[w]hat he saw is not what he expected.” Keay testifiedKeay testified that he never got straight answers to his questions. Keay testified that “[m]edia had never been allowed during training or at Fort Huachuca. Things were different down-range. It wasn’t a big deal, but we were more lax than we should’ve been. Listening to music in the SCIF was accepted.” Keay testified that listening to music also occurred at his next job, but his next job was not in a T-SCIF. Keay testified that soldiers in a T-SCIF should not be listening to music.

Captain Barclay Keay testified testified that he gave a sworn statement to US Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID).

Captain Barclay Keay testified that his initial impression of Pfc. Manning was that he wanted to try to be a good soldier and that he did good analytical work.

Individuals mentioned in the testimony of Captain Barclay Keay

  • Sergeant (former Specialist) Daniel Padgett
  • Cooley, a soldier who worked on the night-shift with Sergeant (former Specialist) Daniel Padgett and Pfc. Manning under Captain Barclay Keay the first three weeks of Captain Barclay Keay ‘s deployment at FOB Hammer
  • Unnamed soldiers who Captain Barclay Keay testified he saw listening to music of watching movies in the T-SCIF at FOB Hammer.
  • Unnamed individuals that Captain Barclay Keay asked why soldiers were listening to music and watching movies in the T-SCIF.
  • Unnamed agent(s) from US Army CID that took Captain Barclay Keay’s sworn statement.

No. 17 on the December 2, 2011 Defense Request for Article 32 Witnesses

17.) XXXXXXXXXX [CAPTAIN BARCLAY KEAY] He will testify that he believed PFC Manning was good at his job and he was also impressed with PFC Manning’s computer skills. Despite this belief, he will testify that PFC Manning should not have been a soldier as he seemed to act immature. He will testify that you could not demand things from PFC Manning as he had a soft skin and was not receptive to commands. He will testify that there was a lack of leadership on the night shift which PFC Manning worked on. He will testify that from his perspective PFC Manning wanted to be a good soldier, but naturally was not good at the basic soldier skills. He will also testify that music, movies, and games were common on SIPRNet machines. He will testify that he went to a lot of people to try to determine if it was a problem to have media on SIPRNet because he did not think it was proper. He will testify that he spoke with several individuals within the T-SCIF about this issue, but no one could provide him with an answer. He will testify that eventually it became the norm to see soldiers listening to music, watching movies, and playing games on SIPRNet machines.

Captain Barclay Keay’s testimony at US v Pfc. Manning Article 32 Pretrial

See Transcript of US v PFC Manning, Article 32 Pretrial, 12/21/11 (by an anonymous journalist, ed. by Alexa O’Brien)

DEFENSE CALLS CAPTAIN BARCLAY KEAY via TELEPHONE

Prosecution (Morrow): Captain Keay? This is Captain Morrow.

[Missed something.]

Defense (Coombs): Did you ever deploy to Iraq with the 2nd BCT, 10th Mountain [2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division]?

Keay: In November of 2009 I caught up with them at F.O.B. Hammer. First deployment in S2, or Intelligence. Initially, I didn’t have a specific intelligence position. Took awhile for me to link up with the unit.

Defense (Coombs): Job?

Keay: S2 X. But when I arrived, I was the night shift OIC [Officer In Charge].

Defense (Coombs): Job?

Keay: Had a few soldiers. Had to take over tasks they had left. Skeleton crew at night. My first position.

Defense (Coombs): How many soldiers?

Keay: Three.

Defense (Coombs): Non-commissioned officer with you?

Keay: No.

Defense (Coombs): Why no N.C.O.I.C.?

Keay: My guess, there wasn’t enough going around. Primary focus was the day-shift. That is when everything was happening, and when most of the intelligence was happening.

Defense (Coombs): Who worked under you?

Keay: Three specialists: Manning, Padgett, and Cooley (sp.)

Defense (Coombs): Who gave them tasks?

Keay: They got handed tasks from the day-shift. I made sure they weren’t sleeping…but big analysts. I did that for a few weeks, then went to the day shift.

Defense (Coombs): You were the night shift OIC for three weeks?

Keay: Yeah. Eye-opening.

Defense (Coombs): Did you hear or see soldiers listening to or watching music?

Keay: I probably did. I think they were just passing stupid clips around.

Defense (Coombs): Did you catch them playing games?

Keay: I never caught anybody with their hand in the cookie jar.

Defense (Coombs): Ever ask why they could listen to music or play games?

Keay: Yes. What I saw was not what I had expected.

Defense (Coombs): Did you give a sworn statement to Army CID [Criminal Investigation Command]?

Keay: Yeah.

Defense (Coombs): Who had you ask about appropriate behavior on SIPRNet side?

Keay: Lots of people. I never got straight answers. Media had never been allowed during training or at Fort Huachuca. Things were different down-range. It wasn’t a big deal, but we were more lax than we should’ve been. Listening to music in the S.C.I.F. was accepted.

Defense (Coombs): [Coombs asks Keay about his next job.] Was there media there too?

Keay: Yeah, but it wasn’t a S.C.I.F.

Defense (Coombs): What should a S.C.I.F. look like?

Keay: You should not be listening to music while soldiers are working.

Defense (Coombs): Did you believe Pfc. Manning wanted to be a good soldier?

Keay: My initial impression is that he wanted to try, and he did do good analytical work.

9:35 a.m. CAPTAIN KEAY PERMANENTLY EXCUSED.

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