Jonathan Millantz (left) and then-Lt. Phil Blanchard smile as an Iraqi detainee is forced to hold up a large board. Reveal has blocked the detainee’s eyes in this image to protect his identity. Credit: Courtesy of Jonathan Millantz

In our last episode, we met Jonathan Millantz, a troubled Army medic who served with a tank battalion in Iraq. Millantz treated Iraqi prisoners after brutal interrogations – and he also took part in the abuse.

Millantz shared a photo with writer Joshua E. S. Phillips. The photo shows Millantz and a lieutenant posing with an Iraqi detainee who was forced to hold up a large wooden board. Millantz wrote on the back of the photo that the detainee was “holding that board for 45 minutes,” and he told Phillips that the prisoner’s wrist eventually broke from the strain.

After our broadcast, the U.S. Army launched an investigation into whether war crimes were committed. Al Letson talks with Phillips about these developments.

DIG DEEPER

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Julia B. Chan worked at The Center for Investigative Reporting until June, 2017. Julia B. Chan is a producer and the digital editor for Reveal's national public radio program. She’s the voice of Reveal online and manages the production and curation of digital story assets that are sent to more than 200 stations across the country. Previously, Chan helped The Center for Investigative Reporting launch YouTube’s first investigative news channel, The I Files, and led engagement strategies – online and off – for multimedia projects. She oversaw communications, worked to better connect CIR’s work with a bigger audience and developed creative content and collaborations to garner conversation and impact.

Before joining CIR, Chan worked as a Web editor and reporter at the San Francisco Examiner. She managed the newspaper’s digital strategy and orchestrated its first foray into social media and online engagement. A rare San Francisco native, she studied broadcasting at San Francisco State University, focusing on audio production and recording. Chan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.