[RedRover]

What I think will happen here is that Mattis will make sure to acquit these marines. But needed/wanted to get Murtha off the hook.

The only flaw is that Gen Mattis will soon be out of the picture. With his fourth star, he is flying the Pendleton coop and turning it all over to LtGen-nominee Samuel Helland (who, like Mattis, is also subject to political confirmation).

[RedRover]

Now that we're moving into a new phase, I'm thinking we could focus the defense fund drum-beating on the Marines still facing charges (I had hoped previously that we'd have a clean slate of "cleared").

What do you think? I did a new graphic...

If you like this idea, I think you could save this graphic as the old one and it would magically take its place on earlier posts.

[Inverse]

Hmm I did not realize him getting the 4th star would mean he handed over his roll as the convening authority.

I had assumed that was a duty given to an individual (take the IO as an example) and not a to a position.

Hmm need to rethink this then.