CENTER FOR ETHICS AND THE RULE OF LAW​

Ian Fishback’s American Nightmare

United States Army Major Ian Fishback, a valued member of the CERL community and decorated soldier who reported systematic detainee abuse in Iraq, died tragically at an adult care facility in Bangor, Michigan after failing to receive adequate treatment from the Veterans Affairs health care system. This New York Times Magazine article, which includes reflections from CERL Executive Board member Brigadier General (Ret.) Stephen N. Xenakis, MD, details the experiences and betrayals that led to the all-too-early passing of the “morally inquisitive and ethically rigorous” Fishback.

According to the article:

“Xenakis, the former Army psychiatrist and general, reviewed more than 400 pages of Fishback’s V.A. medical records and said V.A. care Fishback did receive in 2016 and 2017 was insufficient and incurious. Fishback’s combat history, he said, merited intensive attention, including into whether he suffered from PTSD, toxic exposures or brain damage from concussive blasts — any of which might have influenced his behavior and mental health.”

CERL published a series of blog posts last year paying tribute to the life and legacy of Ian. Read here.

Pictured: Major Ian Fishback at CERL’s Weighing Lives in War conference held in April 2014

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Ian Fishback’s American Nightmare