I served three years as a warden of a Navy brig. I was a good warden. I was fair and I ran a tight ship.

In this line of work it is imperative that everyone -- the turnkey, the guards and the prisoners -- understand that the warden is in charge. The warden sets the tone of everyone's actions.

If the warden is arrogant, it will flow on down the command.

In the Iraq prison scandal, the arrogance starts at the top. When the president was a member of the National Guard, he failed to report as required. Years later, he invaded Iraq under false pretenses. Then he landed on an aircraft carrier off San Diego and spoke under a sign that said "Mission Accomplished," though the war was not over.

All three of these events were driven by arrogance. Our Marines and soldiers in Iraq are now paying the price.

The Iraq prisoner abuse stems from the arrogance that flowed downhill from the president and the secretary of defense. The guards went too far and overstepped the bounds of decency and they should be punished. However, the punishment should flow up. The secretary of defense should resign, and the president should spend more time running the country and the two wars he started, and less time raising money for political purposes.

Handling prisoners can be a rewarding job, or it can be hell. In treating prisoners, the line between what's right and what's wrong can be very fine. Not all the relations between guards and prisoners can be marked off by regulations. Regulations are only a guide.

Guards must be trained. Discipline is a must, whether it be in combat or in a prison. Prisoners who break the rules must be punished. However, the prisoner must understand why he is being punished, and he must be told in his language.

I was a technical sergeant. A lieutenant colonel was the brig commander. My first stop was in front of his desk. His talk was brief but he meant every word of it.

He said, "I want you to remember one thing above all else: I am responsible for everything you do or try to do in that brig. As President Harry Truman said, 'The buck stops here.' If I fail, it goes to the commandant and then to the president. The good and the bad flow up and downhill, and you will find the bad moves the fastest."

His words are true today in Iraq.

When I joined the Marine Corps, our very life was controlled by a piece of paper about 24 inches by 30 inches that was on every barracks wall. It was called "Navy Regulations." The Army had one called the "Articles of War." Then a bunch of lawyers got together and came up with the "Uniform Code of Military Justice." It was supposed to be more fair and just than our regs.

However, I have found through the years that the main intent of the code was, "Give em' a fair trial and then hang 'em."

This is what the low-ranking enlisted men and women face in this abuse scandal.

John F. Farritor of Oceanside retired from the U.S. Marine Corps as a first sergeant.