Posted on 11/20/2019 6:12:50 AM PST by Enlightened1
A top Navy SEAL officer is defying President Donald Trump’s defense of Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher by sending his controversial case to a military review board which could result in his ultimate expulsion from the SEALs.
On November 15 Trump reversed the demotion of Gallagher, a Navy SEAL who acquitted of murder this summer, and restored his title of Chief Petty Officer. The president also pardoned two other officers jailed for war crimes as well.
Trump’s grant of executive clemency has been harshly criticized over violations of international humanitarian law.
Despite the Commander in Chief's pardon, Rear Admiral Collin Green, the head of the Navy Special Warfare Command, is taking the matter before a military board.
'This is a review of their suitability to be a SEAL,' an unnamed Navy officer said to CBS News, adding the review has the backing of both the secretary of the Navy and the chief of Naval Operations.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Maybe so, but is it outside his command authority? I think not whether you like it or not. I have seen enough comments by military freepers to know the Military is in deep disarray and in need of some new Field Grade Officers.
Maybe not but they clearly show a disrespect for the Authority of the Commander in Chief.
“Wouldn’t there be a double jeopardy issue with such action?”
No. The individual was charged and court martialed for the act he did. That was not overturned. He is not innocent of the act, just relieved of the punishment of it by a higher authority.
The military justice system is very scripted. Everything is done in order and completed before the next step can be finalized. (Sometimes no matter how long it takes) What they are determining with the MEB is the Chief’s future decision making capacity to stay within the guidelines of the mission needs and as trained and expected to accomplish. Since he was determined guilty of doing the act, it puts in question his capacity to carry out his duties and responsibilities.
If they determine him unfit, they probably will discharge him with a general discharge since he has a record of a forgiven, not made innocent, offence. It will remaion on record.
rwood
Throughout my career in the defense biz I was always amazed at the number of leftist officers that I would meet. Its not that they were a majority. They weren’t, but certainly a surprising large minority (In in terms of numbers not demographically!).
Communism has always had an attraction for the "fairness" crowd. Look at the number of Communists in the Manhattan Project, like Oppenheimer, and the Hollywood Ten, back during WW2.
They have been griping about "The Bosses" since forever, and how the Dictatorship of the Proletariat would benefit Mankind. Funny how when the Russians tried it, and the Cubans, and China, and, and, and...
Next Time, for sure...
I think it makes the same sense as how the Earth is Flat, and the Antarctic Ice Wall keeps the water from draining away. No, really... It's the giant elephants, standing on the back of the turtle that worries me...
My experience was that those on the far left loved Pentagon duty. Decent military officers hated the Pentagon and wanted to get back out where they could do their job. The good ones still have to check that "Pentagon" box, if they want advancement, but they're gone as soon as they can escape.
“The POTUS doesn’t get to decide who gets to be a SEAL...”
Unless he wants to. When Gallagher was a acquitted of the most serious charges, President Trump tweeted out congratulations. (He probably has said complementary things about Gallagher upon other occasions but that is the one I remember.). By doing so, the President is stating his approval of Chief Gallagher, essentially saying that he is a good guy. By the Navy now taking this action, it appears to be disputing the President’s characterization of this serviceman. The issue is not the Navy’s technical authority to do this without violating a direct order. The issue is giving the appearance of defiance of the President. It is unnecessary and if Esper, SECNAV Spencer and CNO Gilday had an ounce of sense between the three of them, they would let Chief Gallagher ride off quietly into retirement instead of prolonging the story by continuing to allow Navy brass to go after him.
Stick around, they are both in for some major actions.....you don't defy the CIF without consequences.....
We have way bigger problems if the CIC has to insert himself at the squadron, group or command levels. He was well within in his rights to pardon the Chief, but telling the SEALs he’s to remain a SEAL is getting way too far down into the weeds. That type of thinking/action would be detrimental.
Who says?
These admirals, generals and most Army, Navy and Air Force heads were promoted and/or put in their current job under Obozzo.
So, your claim to inside knowledge of a particular nature is from an in-law former Marine who was passed over for “ all of that Obama stuff” and now you are qualified to judge the entirety of the officer corps of the armed services? Oh, and you know all about Army folks to too, but they aren’t worth much.
Silly me, and here I thought you had no bona fides.
Have you thought about offering your services to the Trump DOD as an appointee? I am certain there is a need for such wise and experienced non-veterans as yourself. There is a link on Whitehouse.gov where you can present yourself for consideration for appointment and all.
Granted, there have been, always were, problems of such nature in all institutions and certainly there have been novel changes in the last decades or so, but I assure you, as a Veteran who served from Reagan to Obama, enlisted to FG officer, infantry squad to Joint Combatant Command, the US military, with its exceptions, is still the strongest, most ethical organization in the western hemisphere if not the world.
But you would know that isn’t true based on anecdotal information from a singular example of a Marine, and some fruit bat crazy O4 Army type..... Got it.
Could be busted down to enlisted and drummed out.
Rear Admiral Collin Green is about to be re-assigned to Antarctica.
A half century since I humped a Prick-77 as a basis of comparison has not dimmed the memories of both able officers and ticket punchers. I was one of those faceless bodies in the command tent, passing your wisdom down hill on an remoted RT-524. It came as a shock that, even though you could make a mark on a map and get me killed, I was still brighter than you. There were any number of Other Ranks who judged you, and found you wanting.
We kept silent.
Like the retired kick-the-tires-and-light the-fires Jet Jock,that I worked with, who was in charge of an ailing military development project, and his solution was "They'll fix it in the field".
Or the Army development of the Patriot missile battery, that was never run 24/7, and went active in the Gulf, only to find that the system clock would creep, over time, and would send the guidance data for targeting the missiles 40 degrees off. That killed some troopies. Some doggie OFFICER made that decision.
How about the Regimental commander who lost an entire squadron under a German snow storm, overnight, because he ordered a dispersed laager? That one didn't kill anybody. They did find the vehicles in the Spring.
Or the McCain, DDG-56, playing dodge-ems with unqualified, politically correct female OODs? That one only killed 10. Let's not forget the sub driver who tried to "loop" an attack sub, twisting the pressure hull? They had to limit the dive depth to 400 feet, until it could be quietly scrapped.
There is an endless list of officers who think that insignia blesses one with infallibility. I'm just grateful you didn't kill too many with your pronouncements from On High. Or did a fellow Ring Knocker cover for you?
You post has "staff wienie" painted on it, two coats. Despite you inflated idea of your own expertise, you are not a little tin god.
I'll stand by what I've written.
(And do I believe that I could do better than the goat f%ck in DC? I'm sure I could do no worse. It's a low bar.)
This is how you review performance and conduct according to law and regulations. As I said, it may seem like a raw deal, but such reviews are common and this does not on its face identify a renegade admiral.
Thanks for your service.
Staff weenie? No, other than what is the norm between multiple combat commands at company grade, OPs and XO at Bn and Bde, Command of a separate Taskforce (-), stuff like that, final combat trip in uniform was indeed at higher than atmosphere Joint ( CENTCOM) but boots on the ground in IRQ and AFG , not in the TOC.
Suffered as a Pvt , enjoyed a decade in the NCO ranks ( so I felt/feel your pain- that’s why a needed a commission). Lugged a Pig in the jungle, ran a platoon in the sand etc..
Saw “it” from both sides, and it always was easy to fault the next higher echelon, but one could make a difference.
Yeah, too old to command my own Eng Bn per branch ( then why select me early for LTC?), but had the “needed current theater experience” to be sent forward regularly while peers sat on the laurels in HQs. Yeah, I get it.
But, those anecdotes are normal snuffy stuff, not necessarily indicative of the facts.
FYI, I still am involved with the Army in unpaid consulting/mentoring roles, and I interact with company- field grade officer and NCOs on regular basis. I hear some of the things you mention, but the sky isn’t falling. The left wants you to think so though. I do not have antiquidated memories as you allude. You may though, other than the anecdotal comments you hear, but have no filter to balance it off.
Ah the 524, one of my first tasks as newbie in the 3rd ID/2/30 Inf in 83, FRG.
Ringknocker? How many of those do you think have E7 backgrounds and bootstrap college degrees? No, a Mustang, a grad from the Benning school for Boys.
I would just say from a layman’s point of view, that the RADM is saying FU Trump, my board review overrides your silly little Pardon. We will see how it all plays out.
If that was done, there wouldn't be 10% of the field grades and flag officers left. However, that wouldn't be a disaster.
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