Collateral Damage: Civilian Casualities at Ft. Bragg
acrylic, photocopy, wonderboard and mixed media relief, 2002
21.5 x 28 x 10 cm

[taken from the BBC website, Associate Press Reports and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer]:

Culture of silence
Fort Bragg - America's largest military base - is surrounded by gun shops and strip joints, the trappings of a macho military culture with a heady mix of weapons and women. The details of some of the murders are gruesome. Master Sergeant William Wright is alleged to have strangled his wife, Jennifer, then wrapped her lifeless body in a parachute and buried it in dense woodland nearby. The North Carolina base is the home and training ground of the US Army's Special Forces - the men who perform the Pentagon's dirty work in trouble-spots around the globe. Soldiers here claim to be the bravest and the best - the first into battle, and often the last to leave. You can almost taste the testosterone in the air. Abusive husbands Sergeant First Class Brandon Floyd, a member of Delta Force - the famed D-Boys - is alleged to have shot his wife, Andrea, and then turned the gun on himself. But they point to a larger problem which affects the entire US military - a male-dominated environment where violence against women has been swept under the carpet for decades. They talk of military chiefs reluctant to prosecute cases of domestic abuse because those found guilty lose their right to carry guns - making them useless as soldiers. two to five times that of the civilian population, Then there's Rigoberto Nieves who apparently killed his wife, Theresa, in the bedroom of their family home, shooting her in the head with a 40 caliber pistol and then committing suicide. It will be years be fore the nation sees green - the lowest threat level- because terrorism may be 'a permanent condition' in America, Ridge said.

Washington (AP) - the Army will send a team of medical experts to Fort Bragg, N.C., next week to study a wide range of health-related issues that might explain a series of domestic killings. The Army said in a written statement... focus mainly on the possibility of a... anti-malaria medication. 'Contrary to news reports speculations.... anti-malaria prophylaxis/medication... local medical and unit/installation... (continues with story on World Health Organization investigation) 'The focus is so geared towards keeping the soldier happy and not doing anything to disturb his peace,' she says. U.S. on alert Alert levels

The five levels of terrorism alerts outlined by the Office of Homeland Security, as well as recommended government and private sector responses.
Green: Low risk of terrorist attacks. Refine and exercise planned protective measures. Ensure emergency personnel receive training. Assess facilities for vulnerabilities and take measures to reduce them.
Blue: Guarded condition. General risk of terrorist attack. Check communications with designated emergency response or command locations. Review and update emergency response procedures. Provide the public with necessary information.
Yellow: Elevated condition. Significant risk of terrorist attacks. Increase surveillance of critical locations. Coordinate emergency plans with nearby jurisdictions. Assess further refinement of protective measures within the context of the current threat information. Implement, as appropriate, contingency and emergency response plans.
Orange: High risk of terrorist attacks. Coordinate necessary security efforts with armed forces or law enforcement agencies. Take additional precaution at public events. Prepare to work at an alternative site or with a dispersed work force. Restrict access to essential personnel only.
Red: Severe risk of terrorist attacks. Assign emergency response personnel and preposition specially trained teams. Monitor, redirect or constrain, transpiration systems. Close public and government facilities.