Guardsmen may be in hot water

The Army is investigating allegations that eight men in a Virginia National Guard company photographed and videotaped up to 21 women in the unit while the women showered at Fort Dix in Burlington County, officials said yesterday.

The images were allegedly taken in the fall when the Manassas-based 266th Military Police Company was undergoing mobilization training at the fort. The 150-member unit was deployed to Iraq in December, said Carolee Nisbet, a spokeswoman at Fort Dix.

"The investigation started while they're still serving in Iraq," she said yesterday. "They're not due to come home until late summer or early fall."

Commanders in Iraq learned of the allegations May 21 and initiated an investigation May 22, officials said. The Army's Criminal Investigation Command began a criminal investigation May 23.

Nisbet said she didn't know how the alleged offense had come to light.

"Military people are people of high integrity, and most of them - the vast majority - live up to the military values," she said. "But like any other community, you always have one or two who don't live up to those values."

No official charges have been leveled against any of the soldiers under investigation, and they are still on duty in northern Basra, where they are coaching, training, and mentoring Iraqi police.