Witness | US v Pfc. Manning, Sergeant Chad Madaras, US Army
- posted December 18, 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
Sergeant Chad Madaras was a 35 Fox Intelligence Analyst in the US Army.
Sergeant Chad Madaras met Pfc. Manning at Fort Drum in 2008 in the smoking area.
Sergeant Chad Madaras was with Pfc. Manning at Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) for Iraq.
Sergeant Chad Madaras and Pfc. Manning worked opposite shifts in the T-SCIF until late in deployment when they switched and Manning worked the day and Madaras at night. They both worked on the “Shia Threat Team”. They shared an Alienware and a Dell computer.
Jason Allen Milliman, field software engineer contractor at F.O.B. Hammer, says that Sergeant Chad Madaras said he thought Pfc. Manning had “done” something to the computer that they shared. Said, “He’s [Pfc. Manning] always messing with them.” Jason Allen Milliman said, “I didn’t know what was going on; just figured it was defragging that was needed.”
Pfc. Manning and Sergeant Chad Madar supported Warrant Officer, One (WO1) Kyle Balonek, who invoked Article 31 at the Article 32 Pretrial hearing. They would do so by finding Shia military targets in Iraq.
Sergeant Chad Madaras recounts an incident in December 2009 or January 2010 when Master Sergeant Paul David Adkins (now Sergeant 1st Class due to administrative action) asked Bradley Manning to move a projector, and Pfc. Manning slammed a chair down.
Sergeant Chad Madaras recounts how Warrant Officer, One (WO1) Kyle Balonek and Master Sergeant Paul David Adkins (now Sergeant 1st Class due to administrative action) called Pfc. Manning’s name trying to get his attention and Bradley Manning would stared at his screen, unresponsive.
Sergeant Chad Madaras thought mIRC was mission critical.
Individuals named in the testimony of Sergeant Chad Madaras:
- Master Sergeant Paul David Adkins (now Sergeant 1st Class due to administrative action)
- Specialist David Sadtler
- Jason Allen Milliman Contractor
- Warrant Officer, One (WO1) Kyle Balonek
- Lieutenant Gaff (sp.)
- Unnamed soldiers who saw Bradley Manning running around at night and joked about it.
- Unnamed soldiers in the T-SCIF who would pull music from the shared drive and put it on their D6 Computers
- Unnamed soldiers who would play games on their D6 Computers
- Sergeant (former Specialist) Daniel Padgett
Article 32 Pretrial Transcript, 12/18/11
See Transcript of US v Pfc. Manning, Article 32 Pretrial Hearing, 12/18/11
[Next Witness. Sergeant Madaras. Via telephone. Sworn in by prosecution.]
Prosecution: Are you in an area where you can speak freely?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: No notes?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: How do you know Pfc. Manning?
Madaras: Met at Fort Drum…deployed to Iraq.
Prosecution: When?
Madaras: Sometime in 2008…in the smoking area.
Prosecution: M.O.S.?
Madaras: 35 Fox Intel Analyst.
Prosecution: Manning?
Madaras: 35 Fox Intel Analyst.
Prosecution: Do you remember what you learned?
Madaras: Learned how to do military symbols…how to present a PowerPoint…how to use multi– [indecipherable] workstation…
Prosecution: What did you learn about the classification system?
Madaras: Its importance…and the different classifications.
Prosecution: What did you learn about classification?
Madaras: Proper clearance and access.
Prosecution: Learn about publishing information on the Internet?
Madaras: Not that I recall.
Prosecution: When did you arrive at 2-10 [2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division] ?
Madaras: [missed answer].
Prosecution: What did you learn…?
Madaras: D6 class…August of 2008.
Prosecution: What other classes…?
Madaras: Some mainly military writing style classes…
Prosecution: What did you learn about the D6…?
Madaras: …like using a map…built stuff onto it to present to audience…?
Prosecution: Anything else…?
Madaras: J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] rotations [either Madaras or Manning wasn’t sure if he was with J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] Afghanistan.]
Prosecution: What did you do?
Madaras: Simulation.
Prosecution: Did you work with Manning [at Fort Drum. They were also on opposite shifts in Iraq.]?
Madaras: He worked day, and I worked night.
Prosecution: Did you deploy with him?
Madaras: …left in 2009. Pfc. Manning showed up a few weeks later.
Prosecution: Where did you work?
Madaras: Brigade S.C.I.F. F.O.B. Hammer.
Prosecution: Where did Manning work?
Madaras: Same.
Prosecution: What was your job?
Madaras: Shia team analyst.
Prosecution: Manning?
Madaras: Same. I worked day, and he worked night. Then we switched.
Prosecution: The two of you shared a work station…?
Madaras: Yes…just times where we shared… [he says there were two computers]…Dell 6300…
Prosecution: And the second?
Madaras: Alienware.
Prosecution: Did you often use the Alienware?
Madaras: Towards the end. Manning, he did. Before that the Dell.
Prosecution: What was the mission of the Brigade?
Madaras: Support.. [indecipherable].
Prosecution: What did you do…?
Madaras: Read reports, link together to get… [indecipherable]
Prosecution: Did you share products with Manning?
Madaras: Majority of the time, Manning did not complete projects.
Prosecution: What programs did you use?
Madaras: Intelink, Arc map, CIDNE Iraq…
Prosecution: So, you personally used Intelink?
Madaras: Yes, M’am.
Prosecution: On those two computers, ever search for Iceland? [Prosecution goes on with a list…] Retention? Birgitta Jónsdóttir? CENTCOM? Reykjavik? WikiLeaks? Julian Assange?
Prosecution: Ever use Intellipedia?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: What would you search for?
Madaras: Terrorists groups…um like Shia groups.
Prosecution: Ever use Pfc. Manning’s user profile?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Did your computer ever operate out of the ordinary?
Madaras: Yes. I would leave shift the computer would be working fine, come in and it would be crashing a lot. Consistently had problems, would have to get Mr. Allan Lomens Milliman to reimage.
[Defense cross-examines the witness.]
Defense (Coombs): We have spoken before on the telephone. You met Manning first in 2008?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): In the smoking area?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): You could tell he was interested in U.S. politics?
Madaras: He use to talk about his workplace… NVC [?] … politicians would come in…
Defense (Coombs): Both J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] in 2009?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense: Opposite shifts?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Was Pfc. Manning in charge of fixing computers? Knew how to work on computers?
Madaras: I don’t know if he was “in charge” of computers.
Defense (Coombs): You said he always knew how to fix computers? [Missed Madaras answer.]
Defense (Coombs): At training did receive any training on not placing executable files on the desktop?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Worked as an Intel analyst…?
Madaras: Shia group.
Defense (Coombs): In this situation you worked day and Manning work nights?
[I missed two questions.]
Defense (Coombs): You said many times Manning did not complete his work?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): …but you are not sure if he was tasked with other work?
Madaras: Yes. That happened sometimes.
Defense (Coombs): During deployment did you see any outburst from Manning…?
Madaras: Saw…[indecipherable].
Defense (Coombs): Did you see the event where Manning was asked to move a projector?
Madaras: Was getting ready for the shift change. Know… [indecipherable] asked Manning to do it…tried to calm him down…took him outside.
Defense (Coombs): Was he counseled in writing?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Ever removed?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): …one or two occasions…put weapons in rack and then…anyone…is that appropriate conduct for soldiers?
Madaras: No, Sir.
Defense (Coombs): Ever see Manning become non-responsive?
Madaras: … [Master Sergeant] Adkins called his name and he would just stare.
Defense (Coombs): Unit members felt Pfc. Manning would do harm to himself?
Madaras: Um…no.
[Prosecution OBJECTION. Defense explains he wants Madaras to tell the court what he knows.]
Defense (Coombs): Were you afraid that Pfc. Manning would do harm to himself?
Madaras: I did not have that fear. There were some people who were worried.
Defense (Coombs): Did Manning have any friends?
Madaras: …saw him talking to [Specialist David] Sadtler Never saw him talking with others…maybe not directly. We would always see him running at night and say, “What is he doing…?”
[I.O. OBJECTION. Defense OBJECTION to I.O. Cites R.C.M [405(h) or (s) 18. Heated response from Defense.]
Defense (Coombs): The I.O. should not be allowed to ask questions as part of my discovery. My right is separate from what you determine as relevant.
I.O.: I ask that you keep it to what he knows.
Defense (Coombs): Was Manning an outcast?
Madaras: I don’t know if he was picked on…separated himself.
Defense (Coombs): Listen to music on shared drive that was played on the D6?
Madaras: Yes, Sir.
Defense (Coombs): Playing videogames on D6A?
Madaras: Games that were already on the system.
Defense (Coombs): You said your machine was always broken…if you have too much information on the desktop of your D6A machine it might crash, right?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): When someone’s machine was running slow, Manning would try to fix it?
Madaras: Not that I know of.
Defense (Coombs): Did D6A have mIRC chat?
Madaras: He did have it installed.
Defense (Coombs): You thought mIRC was mission critical – running as an executable?
Madaras: If that is what it does, Sir.
Defense (Coombs): You thought it allowed you to do your job?
Madaras: Yes…communicate with other units.
Defense (Coombs): So if someone wanted to add information to a D6 machine how would you go about doing that?
Madaras: I don’t know.
Defense (Coombs): And that is because you don’t know much about computers…
Madaras: Yes, Sir.
[I am not certain if the prosecution re-examined Madaras, I have a note regarding prosecution asking him about the non disclosure agreement soldiers signed. Witness is excused permanently.]
Additional Article 32 Pretrial, 12/18/11 (by an anonymous journalist, ed. by Alexa O’Brien)
See Transcript of US v Pfc. Manning, Article 32 Pretrial Hearing, 12/18/11 (Additional)
NEXT WITNESS SERGEANT CHAD MADARAS via TELEPHONE
Prosecution: How do you know Manning?
Madaras: Fort Drum…deployment to Iraq.
Prosecution: When did you meet?
Madaras: Sometime in Summer or Fall of 2008. Spoke outside barracks.
Prosecution: What’s your M.O.S. [Military Occupational Specialty]?
Madaras: 35 Fox Intel Analyst.
Prosecution: Did you go to AIT [Advanced individual Training]?
[Missed.]
Prosecution: Remember things you learned?
Madaras: How to do map-reading, how to present PowerPoint Presentations, how to use D6 system – multi-function work system.
Prosecution: Learn about classified information?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: What did you learn?
Madaras: Learned how important different levels were.
Prosecution: Where did you learn about accessing classified information?
Madaras: You had to have connectivity to that network and proper clearance to access.
Prosecution: Ever learn about publishing on the Internet?
Madaras: Not that I recall.
Prosecution: When did you arrive at 2-10 [2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division] ?
Madaras: November 2007.
Prosecution: Attended training?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: What?
Madaras: D6 class. August of 2008.
Prosecution: Any other classes?
Madaras: Military writing-style classes that [then Master Sergeant, now after administrative action and demotion for leak Sergeant 1st Class ] Atkins taught us. Classes like that on military writing style.
Prosecution: What did you learn at D6 class?
Madaras: Everything with the system. Using map you could build stuff on to present to audience.
Prosecution: Did Manning attend J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] training?
Madaras: Yes, he was in J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] training for Iraq.
Prosecution: What did you do?
Madaras: They would push down information that we analyzed. Simulated what it would be like in Iraq.
Prosecution: Did you work with Manning at J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center]?
Madaras: He worked day shift, and I worked nights.
Prosecution: Did you deploy with him?
Madaras: Yes. Oct. 2009. Pfc. Manning came in main party a few weeks after I did.
Prosecution: Where did you work?
Madaras: S.C.I.F. squad. Manning too. [Sergeant Madaras and Pfc. Manning were both team analysts. ]
Prosecution: So you worked together? Work same shift?
Madaras: [Manning worked at night, Madaras worked during the day. They were opposite each other, until late in deployment, when they switched, and Manning worked the day, and Madaras at night.]
Prosecution: So you shared a work station?
Madaras: Yes, Ma’am. For majority of deployment, just one.
Prosecution: What was the first computer? Model?
Madaras: Dell [The transcriber wrote “Dell M90 or something,” while I transcribed Dell 3600.]
Prosecution: Second computer?
Madaras: Alienware.
Prosecution: Did you often use the Alienware?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: You used Dell?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: Later…?
Madaras: Manning used Dell more often during beginning of deployment; switched later.
Prosecution: What was your mission?
Madaras: We supported [tWarrant Officer, One (WO1)] Balonek with anything in the target area.
Prosecution: What did you do?
Madaras: Read reports.
Prosecution: Ever share projects with Manning?
[Missed. Affirmative.]
Prosecution: Did Manning do those projects?
Madaras: Majority of the time not completed.
Prosecution: What were common programs that you used?
Madaras: Intellink or Arc Map. CIDNE-Iraq. That’s what I can think of at this time.
Prosecution: You personally used Intelink?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: On work stations you shared?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: On those two computers, ever search for WikiLeaks? Iceland? CENTCOM? SJA [Staff Judge Advocate]?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Julian Assange?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Retention? Birgitta Jonsdottir?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Reykjavik?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Ever use Intellipedia?
Madaras: Yes, on occasion.
Prosecution: What did you search?
Madaras: For groups – to find out if there was more information on that group. E.g., a Shia group.
Prosecution: Ever search for G.T.M.O.?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Ever use State Department system?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Know what WGET is?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Never searched it? Ever use Manning’s user profile? Know his passwords?
Madaras: No.
Prosecution: Computer ever operate out of the ordinary?
[Missed.]
Prosecution: What would happen?
Madaras: Our shifts were 22 hundred [10:00 p.m.] to 10 hundred [10:00 a.m.]. When I would leave it was fine; when I would come it would crash, have problems.
Prosecution: What would you do?
Madaras: Mr. Alan Milliman. I’d have him come and reimage it, do whatever he did.
DEFENSE EXAMINES CHAD MADARAS
Defense (Coombs): We have spoken before on the telephone. You met Manning first in 2008? Smoking area in barracks outside Ft. Hood?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): You remember him being interested in U.S. politics?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): What did he talk about?
Madaras: Places he had met a lot of politicians.
Defense (Coombs): You both went to J.R.T.C. [Joint Readiness Training Center] in 2009? Before deployment? You worked opposite shifts – Manning during day, you at night?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Pfc. Manning was in charge of working on company’s computers?
Madaras: I don’t know.
Defense (Coombs): You told me Manning was the one to fix a computer if it wasn’t working…Dell and Alienware?
Madaras: Correct.
Defense (Coombs): You’re not a comp guy? Only know the OS?
Madaras: Correct.
Defense (Coombs): At D6 computer training, did you receive training on what files to place on your desktop?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): You arrived 15 October? Worked in T-S.C.I.F? As Intel analyst? As part of the Shia Group? Along with Manning? You worked day; Manning worked night?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Night shift supervisor was the N.C.O. [Non-Commissioned Officer]?
Madaras: It was [Missed but Rainy Reitman says it was Sergeant (former Specialist) Daniel Padgett].
Defense (Coombs): So wasn’t the N.C.O.? Night shift was tasked with what daytime shift was supposed to complete?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Sometimes when he did complete tasks, you saw it as great work? But weren’t privy to who might be tasked with giving him assignments?
Madaras: Sometimes I knew.
Defense (Coombs): Did you know he might be having problems?
Madaras: I don’t know.
Defense (Coombs): You saw several events.
Madaras: I saw a couple.
Defense (Coombs): Remember someone asking to move projector screen December 2009 or January 2010?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): What happened?
Madaras: [Master Sergeant, now demoted to Sergeant 1st Class] Adkins wanted something moved. I said I’d do it, said he’d asked Manning to do it. Manning slammed a chair down.
Defense (Coombs): Did [Master Sergeant, now demoted Sergeant 1st Class] Adkins report the incident, remove Manning from his duties, etc?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): You’d see Manning come in at night, pick up items, slam them down?
Madaras: Yes. One or two occasions on which he’d pick things up, slam things down. Enter room, go to work station, go directly to his work station.
Defense (Coombs): Was this acceptable conduct?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Was he removed from duties or reported?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Ever see him become non-responsive?
Madaras: I remember [Warrant Officer, One (WO1) Kyle] Balonek [and Master Sergeant Paul David Adkins (now Sergeant 1st Class due to administrative action). See Rainey Reitman and my transcript above] calling his name, trying to get his attention – he just stared at his screen.
Defense (Coombs): Was he removed from T-S.C.I.F recommended for action?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Was it correct that you believed he might do harm to himself or others?
PROSECUTION OBJECTION
SUSTAINED
Defense (Coombs): Based upon your viewing of Pfc. Manning, did you think he might do harm to himself or others?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Did you hear complaints?
Madaras: There were some people who thought that.
Defense (Coombs): Anyone report to [Master Sergeant, now demoted to Sergeant 1st Class] Adkins?
Madaras: Possible Lieutenant Gaff [sp.] did…don’t know.
Defense (Coombs): Manning have friends?
Madaras: Saw him talk to Specialist David Sadtler.
Defense (Coombs): Never saw him hanging out w/ other soldiers?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): Other soldiers pick on him?
Madaras: No. [Sergeant Madaras says that other soldiers saw him running around at night and joked about that.]
INVESTIGATING OFFICER OBJECTS. DEFENSE SAYS INVESTIGATING OFFICER SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS AS PART OF DEFENSE DISCOVERY.
Defense (Coombs): From your personal knowledge, was Manning an outcast?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Why?
Madaras: He separated himself. He was picked on by others. That was my view.
Defense (Coombs): Ever see soldiers listening to music?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Where was it stored?
Madaras: There was a shared drive passed on to us that contained music on it.
Defense (Coombs): Ever see it on the D6 machines?
Madaras: Yes. You could access music on the network.
Defense (Coombs): Ever see soldiers watching movies, playing games?
Madaras: Yes. Games were already on shared drive. There was a D.V.D. player in there that was hooked up to a machine.
Defense (Coombs): You indicated your D6 machine often had problems operating? One reason it might crash would be that you might have too much on desktop?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): You were allowed to save info on the desktop, but if you put too much on it, it would crash?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): When D6A computer was running slow, Manning would fix it?
Madaras: No.
Defense (Coombs): mIRC chat – was that installed?
Madaras: He installed.
Defense (Coombs): Not a baseline program?
Madaras: Others in unit, probably including yourself, thought mIRC was essential? And you’d pull it off shared drive and run from your comp?
Madaras: If that is what it does, Sir.
[Missed.]
Defense (Coombs): You’d put it on your desktop, run from there?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Manning helped others put mIRC on their desktops?
Madaras: Yes.
Defense (Coombs): Program added only after you got to theater?
Madaras: Believe so.
Defense (Coombs): If someone wanted to add mIRC to their machine, how would they do that?
Madaras: I don’t know, Sir.
Defense (Coombs): That’s because you don’t have very much computer knowledge?
Madaras: Correct.
PROSECUTION EXAMINES CHAD MADARAS
Prosecution: 35 Foxtrot, correct? As is Pfc. Manning?
Madaras: Yes.
Prosecution: Signed non-disclosure agreement? Manning too?
Madaras: Yes.
SERGEANT CHAD MADARAS PERMANENTLY EXCUSED.
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