Guarding Suspected Pirates New For Marines

[livvy]

MARINE CORPS
Sixteen pirates captured in the Gulf of Aden are being held aboard the Military Sealift Command supply ship Lewis and Clark.



Guarding Suspected Pirates New For Marines

Captives on best behavior — at least for now
By Philip Ewing - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Feb 28, 2009 9:23:45 EST

For the handful of Marines manning the military’s new — and only — pirate brig, the atypical job has fallen into a routine since the capture of 16 suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden in early February.

That’s probably because when the suspected pirates arrive at the makeshift jail aboard the Military Sealift Command supply ship Lewis and Clark, all they want to do is sleep. And when they’re awake, they mind their manners — at least, they have so far.

“Their behavior has been very good,” said the Marine officer in charge of the ship’s 20-guard detachment from the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

“We provide them food; showers; good hygiene; we give them a climate-controlled environment; a very spacious area to live in — they’re probably living better here than they were on their ships.”

The commander, who asked that his name not be published because of concerns about retribution from pirates, said during a telephone interview from the ship that many of the pirate suspects understand basic instructions from their guards. A translator is available for more detailed instructions and a corpsman is always watching over the prisoners.

more...

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2009/02/marine_piratebrig_022809w/

[Crowman1979]

1. New? Has the reporter even read about the USMC in the 1800's?

Capturing pirates use to be the routine operation for the early part Marine Corps history, especially against the Barbary Pirates.