Posted on 08/01/2019 11:19:00 AM PDT by Baynative
President Trump said Wednesday that he would order the Navy to rescind medals given to military lawyers who prosecuted a former Navy SEAL the president supported during his court martial on murder charges.
“The Prosecutors who lost the case against SEAL Eddie Gallagher (who I released from solitary confinement so he could fight his case properly), were ridiculously given a Navy Achievement Medal,” Trump wrote on Twitter.
“I have directed the Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer & Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson to immediately withdraw and rescind the awards,” Trump continued.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
He should not have done this publicly but privately. As a veteran myself enlisted and officer ranks are there to do a job. If he wanted this done call the CO of the lawyers. Completely uncalled for to attempt humiliation for enlisted people.
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Complete nonsense. Nothing but more Swamp BS, wanting nothing to be done in the sunshine so the American people can SEE and HEAR what’s going on in the shadows. Those lawyers should be disbarred and held up to public ridicule.
Yes I know. Officers also serve and wear the uniform and should not be publicly ridiculed.
“I love my President!’
Me, too!
Yes I know. Officers also serve and wear the uniform and should not be publicly ridiculed.
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BULLS*IT!
Complete nonsense? Really? What crime did they commit? Those that voluntarily serve SHOULD NOT have what they were ordered to do (in this case prosecute) ridiculed in the public. That’s what is BS. Sorry but I’m not a clapping seal or cheer leader that jumps up and down when a tweet is directed by a boss to those that serve that have not been accused of committing crimes. It’s classless. Call out Congress critters fine with me but not those currently serving
No amount of cursing or stomping your feet change the fact I posted.
You do realize these were officers that were awarded the NAM, no?? They were JAG officers. A medal of this nature is not a valor medal... it is totally within the right of the commander in chief to right the ship when he sees his command being eroded. These lawyers were too used to leadership under the previous commander in chief who awarded our enemies higher status than our brave men and women who fight for our country. What the President did is send a message to the entire military. These officers were awarded the medals by someone in their command who was trying to give the finger to the commander in chief.
Officers or not if they have committed a crime then end their contracts immediately then publicly excoriate but not while they still serve.
I’m not sure why a military lawyer would ever get a metal for lawyering.
It’s not like they took enemy fire while prosecuting.
Maybe if they caused serious legal butthurt to the enemy.
The Navy hierarchy, prosecuting with numerous illegal tactics, decorating each other, congratulating each other, placing a good man in solitary, and making defiant statements that they were right to prosecute him DESPITE an aquitel etc...
Only the actual war fighter suffered.
Screw the very idea that any human being should be spared consequences, or afforded special consideration based on the job they hold, the clothes they wear, or the amount of money they hold.
Full stop.
But they didn’t do their job. They hid exculpatory evidence, they put him in confinement and wouldn’t let him prepare for trial, the treated him as guilty instead of honoring the American legal system of innocent until proven guilty. They listen in on his calls and meeting with his lawyers. Now which of those things are you defending?
I hope that rescinded medals become the least of their worries.
And likewise for all the chain of command who approved them.
” Those that voluntarily serve SHOULD NOT have what they were ordered to do (in this case prosecute) ridiculed in the public.”
Didn’t hold water at Nuremberg, doesn’t hold water now.
The bottom line is that the JAG officers committed misconduct in their attempts to railroad the Navy SEAL.
If they had built their case ethically, they would have their medals.
Their desire to win the case at any cost is what cost them their medals.
A NAM is nothing special; truly. If the President is unsatisfied with officers he can at ANY moment end an officer’s contract with absolutely no reason whatsoever. I’ll never be for publicly humiliating any military member unless they have been convicted of a crime. If he wishes to right the ship he can make phone calls to each General in command of their respective branches to voice what he expects and issue orders. You don’t air laundry publicly on approval/disapproval concerning specific officers called to do a duty. You change behavior by speaking to those in command.
I felt the same way when the cooks on my boat got NAMs for baking a cake for an admiral. I don't know if they put crack in it or something, but to me seemed to diminish the value of a medal if you are awarded one for doing your job.
I never got a NAM, but on a previous boat, they gave me a letter of commendation from a flag officer for doing my job. I suppose I was doing it exceptionally well. Like some medals, it was worth points towards advancement. So that is probably a better award for a (routine) job well done than a medal.
None of them are worth defending HOWEVER if true there are steps and procedures to deal with these matters up to and including indictments. If they did what you are stating they did then have them punished under the laws that govern their misconduct (UCMJ) and because they are officers immediately order them to resign their commissions (as is within the president’s power) THEN publicly excoriate then if you wish if what they did was found to be criminal.
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