Two US Officers Accused of Troop Abuse

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE ADDER, Iraq -- Two non-commissioned U.S. Army officers in Iraq were cruel and abusive to their troops, including one who committed suicide, military prosecutors say.

Prosecutors at an Article 32 hearing at Contingency Operating Base Adder in Iraq accuse Staff Sgt. Bob Clements and Sgt. Enoch Chatman of subjecting troops in their unit to grueling exercise and frequent verbal punishment, USA Today reported.

The investigation was triggered after Pvt. Keiffer Wilhelm, 19, of Plymouth, Ohio, killed himself in August after allegedly being hazed and treated roughly by Chatman and Clements, the newspaper said.

Officials say the pair have not been accused of directly causing Wilhelm's death. But prosecutor Capt. Matthew Grady alleges that Chatman and Clements established a pattern of mistreatment of that included the abuse of Wilhelm.

The non-coms' attorneys said they are innocent, claiming the pair are merely tough disciplinarians who expected their soldiers to be their best, USA Today said.