Posted on 03/16/2015 9:04:51 AM PDT by jazusamo
Green Beret saved soldiers under fire
A group of House lawmakers is moving to strip the armed services’ civilian leaders of the power to revoke combat valor awards in response to Army Secretary John McHugh unilaterally canceling the Silver Star, one of the military’s highest honors, for a former Green Beret officer.
Mr. McHugh took the action against Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, who braved repeated enemy fire in Afghanistan, even though he has not been charged with any offenses. The Army now is seeking to release him with a less-than-honorable discharge. The officer plans to fight the move, his attorney says.
The secretary acted after the CIA informed the Army that Maj. Golsteyn, during a polygraph exam for a job application, told of killing a terrorist who was making improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the weapon that has killed more Americans in Afghanistan than any other. The Army also removed Maj. Golsteyn from the elite ranks of the Green Berets.
Rep. Duncan Hunter, the California Republican who is spearheading the restrictive legislation, says he wants to prevent service secretaries from retaliating against personnel by stripping their awards in cases where there is insufficient evidence to charge them for nonjudicial, or court-martial, punishment.
“Secretary McHugh made a political decision,” Mr. Hunter said. “He used his power as a weapon to retaliate against a soldier when the Army was unable to prove an allegation.”
The CIA disclosure prompted the Army to launch a criminal investigation. Agents fanned out to interview his combat cohorts in Marjah, Afghanistan. The report remains confidential, but sources say it could never confirm that Maj. Golsteyn did anything criminally wrong outside of his statements to the CIA.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Ditto exactly.
This is probably the most outrageous stunt this bunch of communist bastards has pulled yet.
A storm is coming.
when did you come to this conclusion? I myself realized it on November 4, 2008 when a majority of those whom voted said, via their votes, that they preferred an American hating muslim to lead them versus an American. This feeling was confirmed on November 6, 2012 when the majority of those whom voted again, with full knowledge of who the son of a bitch was, via their votes, made the declaration. Granted, both Americans were covered with warts from head to toe. But, at least they were Americans which is more than I can say for the bastard that currently is occupying the White House.
I can’t believe these people are running our country....
Why did the Senate confirm this turkey and the feminist AF Secretary? God, please help us!
He’s half US citizen, half world citizen..
With his views and beliefs distorted by his early upbringing and subsequent indoctrination into the cause movement as a yout’.
Actually, I came to the “bizarre world” conclusion in November, 1992, when Bill Clinton was elected.
We had a preview in 1976 with James Earl Carter.
Er, make that “bizarro world.”
When large government entities acquire LARGE legal departments with hundreds of lawyers on staff the “arrogance” and ignorance of their acquired powers float to the top with sometimes lethal results.
The Army is one example. Austin is another. It took me 3 jury trials (criminal) to beat Austin on a dispute over regulations in an ECM manual (environmental control manual) that did not even exist.
3 separate jury trials over 3 years and each time the liberal Austin Citizen Jury Members were even repulsed at their liberal City’s arrogance on trying to force someone to obey rules that did not even exist. So, they (the juries) voted not quilty 3 times. Please note that’s liberal Austin juries voting 3 times for a conservative Austin Developer.
Cost to the City bureaucrats for pursuit of their personal vendetta, NOTHING! Cost to me, HUNDREDS OF WASTED HOURS of my life and $35,000.00 in atty fees.
The Army’s Jag Corp, and all services Jag Corps are dangerous (ROE’s kill our soldiers!) and should be abolished and their work spread out and diffused over all 50 states using sub contracts to local law firms. Most law offices are starving for “paying clients” and good deals could be made for the taxpayers by experienced persons knowledgable about millions of dollars in legal fees (me).
Arrogating this much power to a bunch of young lawyers typically gathered in a few locations around the country needs to end!
Yes! He should be thanked for killing that terrorist? Congress should investigate whoever is trashing this great warrior.
“other deviants”
(-;
Silly me, I thought the military was supposed to kill the enemy. If we are not there to kill them, then why are we there?
ROE? See my tagline.
I found arguing with any JAG an exercise in futility. They always reverted to the “Nothing in these ROE prohibit a Commanding Officer from taking actions necessary in the defense of ...” If you take out a perceived threat and remain unscathed, they’ll argue it wasn’t a valid threat, since you suffered no damage. No-win scenario.
Sounds like Shakespeare’s dictum about what needs to be done first applies in the military too.
You and I are in agreement then. whether that is good or bad, I can’t say.
That was precisely my point.
They wrote the ROE to tie your hands, but had an escape clause for themselves, when it came to the consequences of not acting.
5 seconds before the suicide boat hits you, its a violation of ROE to destroy it. But 5 seconds after it hits you, you are at fault for not engaging what turned out to be a threat (oh, and you are dead).
Which is exactly why, as a Fleet TAO, I never gave a crap about the ‘official ROE’. My personal ROE took precedence - ‘Nobody on my ship will ever die because I did nothing’. I had all the keys, weapons release authority and zero qualms about sitting at the long green table.
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