EL PASO, Texas -- The Department of Defense said four Fort Bliss soldiers are charged with cruelty and maltreatment of subordinates.

The soldiers accused are Staff Sgt. Bob Clements of Eastland, Texas; Sgt Enoch Chatman of West Covina, Calif.; Sgt Jarrett Taylor of Edmond, Okla.; and Spc. Daniel Weber of Frankenmuth, Mich.

"I'm not shocked at all. It’s been going on like this before I was in service," said Army veteran Curtis Butler III.

The military said the soldiers engaged in verbal abuse, physical punishment and ridicule of soldiers who ranked beneath them. All the accused soldiers come from Troop B, 2nd Squadron, 13th Calvary Regiment out of Fort Bliss and they served with the Multi-National Division South in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Kevin Olson, a military spokesman, told MSNBC that the soldiers are also accused of hazing Pvt. Keiffer P. Wilhelm of Ohio. Wilhelm killed himself after being in Iraq for only 10 days. He was 19 years old.

“You see a lot of maltreatment in the military,” said Butler. “From your first sergeant, to your captains, your chain of command. Some of them, they'll try to brush it underneath the rug."

After doing some investigating, KFOX14 reporter Miri Marshall found out that Spc. Daniel Weber re-enlisted in the Army in June of 2007, only hours after being involved in an improvised explosive device attack in Mosul, Iraq, according to an article written by a soldier on Operation Iraqi Freedom Official Web site of Multi-National Force Iraq. KFOX also found out that he also has two brothers who are in the military, Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Weber and Navy CB E4 Thomas Weber.

The military said the misconduct came to light during the suicide investigation of Wilhelm.

The soldiers have been removed from their unit.

Chatman faces six charges including four charges of cruelty and maltreatment, one charge of making false official statements, and one charge of reckless endangerment. The maximum penalty is a dishonorable discharge, 10 years confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and reduction in rank to E-1.

Clements faces a total of nine charges, including four charges of cruelty and maltreatment, three charges of making false statements, one charge of reckless endangerment, and one charge of impeding an investigation. He faces dishonorable discharge, 25 years confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and reduction in rank to E-1.

Taylor faces four charges, including two charges of cruelty and maltreatment, one of making a false statement, and one of reckless endangerment. He faces dishonorable discharge, eight years confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and reduction in rank to E-1.

Weber faces six charges, including three charges of cruelty and maltreatment, one charge for making a false statement, and one charge of reckless endangerment. He faces dishonorable discharge, nine years confinement, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and reduction in rank to E-1.