USN SEAL Eddie Gallagher Not Guilty on 6 of 7 Charges

[tomahawk6]

Rather than let this issue drop Radm Green thought he had an end around the President. Now Trump has blocked this move and Radm Green might find his own future in jeopardy.You just got to know when to foldem Admiral.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Rather than let this issue drop Radm Green thought he had an end around the President. Now Trump has blocked this move and Radm Green might find his own future in jeopardy.You just got to know when to foldem Admiral.

Given this quote from the Navy spokesperson:

... "The Navy follows the lawful orders of the President. We will do so in case of an order to stop the administrative review of SOC Gallagher's professional qualification. We are aware of the President's tweet and we are awaiting further guidance." ...

... is a Tweet (attached) an "order"?  It'll be interesting to see how this unfolds ...

 

[mariomike]

:... is a Tweet (attached) an "order"? 

Maybe if it says, "I hereby order..." ?,
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNTW-hrNTsSiqVQ3SRBlPmtY-62Uiw%3A1574454969827&ei=uUbYXZ6JMpCOsQXCjZagAg&q=%22i+hereby+order%22+trump+conway&oq=%22i+hereby+order%22+trump+conway&gs_l=psy-ab.3...10515.12602..13749...0.0..0.419.1375.0j4j1j0j1......0....1..gws-wiz.yye428vwQMg&ved=0ahUKEwjeycPp1f7lAhUQR6wKHcKGBSQQ4dUDCAo&uact=5#spf=1574454985476

 

[Journeyman]

Posted without additional comment.


John Ismay,
"Edward Gallagher, the SEALs, and Why the Trident Pin Matters.
The Navy SEAL insignia is tough to earn and, except when the White House intervenes, easy to lose."
NY Times

LINK

 

[daftandbarmy]

Rather than let this issue drop Radm Green thought he had an end around the President. Now Trump has blocked this move and Radm Green might find his own future in jeopardy.You just got to know when to foldem Admiral.

Or resign on a point of principle which, as we know, is an infinitesimally small possibility these days....

 

[brihard]

Rather than let this issue drop Radm Green thought he had an end around the President. Now Trump has blocked this move and Radm Green might find his own future in jeopardy.You just got to know when to foldem Admiral.

Integrity isn’t always comfortable and sometimes has consequences. The Navy’s reasons for aiming to strip Gallagher of his trident are professional and disciplinary. He was convicted of an offense that casts his ethics and professionalism under a dark cloud. The navy is right to use its internal mechanisms to review his status as a SEAL.

The president, conversely, has no legitimacy or credibility in intervening in this. A repeat draft dodger has no business saying who is deserving of being recognized as a SEAL, or bearing the honour that that title conveys. His motivations in this are 100% political, and it compromises the military’s ability to maintain order and discipline.

 

[observor 69]

"Navy Is Said to Proceed With Disciplinary Plans Against Edward Gallagher
Top military officials threatened to resign or be fired if their plans to remove Chief Gallagher from the SEALs were halted by President Trump, administration officials said."

The Navy is proceeding with the disciplinary plans against the commando, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who counts Mr. Trump as one of his most vocal supporters. After reversing a demotion in recent days, the president suggested on Thursday that he would intervene again in the case, saying that the sailor should remain in the unit.

The threats by the Navy secretary, Richard V. Spencer, and the commander, Rear Adm. Collin Green, are a rare instance of pushback against Mr. Trump from members of the Defense Department. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, scrambled to come up with a face-saving compromise this past week in the hope that Mr. Trump could be persuaded to change his mind.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/23/us/politics/navy-discipline-edward-gallagher.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

 

[tomahawk6]

The Navy Secretary claims not to have threatened to resign. Trump is Commander in Chief so he sits astride the Defense Department. Now the absurd notion that Trump has no right to intervene because he may have been a draft dodger like Bill Clinton.

The Constitution (Article II, section 2) specifies that “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several states, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”

 

[brihard]

The Navy Secretary claims not to have threatened to resign. Trump is Commander in Chief so he sits astride the Defense Department. Now the absurd notion that Trump has no right to intervene because he may have been a draft dodger like Bill Clinton.

The Constitution (Article II, section 2) specifies that “The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several states, when called into the actual Service of the United States.”

I did not say he has “no right” to intervene. As commander in chief I recognize that the law empowers him in all sorts of ways. What I said is that he has “no legitimacy or credibility”, specifically on the question of who is deserving of the SEAL trident. There are a number of people in the navy who are eminently qualified to make that assessment. He is the polar opposite. It’s something no politician or civilian should meddle in. He is as grossly unqualified to make that call as he is to practice medicine, practice law, teach CQB, or land the space shuttle.

 

[tomahawk6]

The SEC DEf fires Navy Secretary Spencer.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/11/24/pentagon-chief-asks-navy-secretarys-resignation-over-private-proposal-navy-seals-case/

 

[FJAG]

Spencer's resignation letter is here:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/24/politics/read-navy-secretary-richard-spencer-resignation-letter/index.html

Particularly noteworthy is this part:

...
As Secretary of the Navy, one the most important responsibilities I have to our people is to maintain
good order and discipline throughout the ranks. I regard this as deadly serious business. The lives of our
Sailors. Marines and civilian teammates quite literally depend on the professional execution of our many
missions. and they also depend on the ongoing faith and support of the people we serve and the allies we serve
alongside.

The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has
enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again, from Captain Lawrence's famous order "Don't
Give up the Ship", to the discipline and determination that propelled our fag to the highest point on lwo Jima.
The Constitution, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, are the shields that set us apart, and the beacons
that protect us all. Through my Title Ten Authority, I have strived to ensure our proceedings are fair,
transparent and consistent, from the newest recruit to the Flag and General Officer level.

Unfortunately it has become apparent that in this respect, I no longer share the same understanding
with the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline. I
cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my
family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

...

Equally disturbing is that the Secretary of Defence Esper has decided that Gallagher will keep his SEAL status:

Esper decided Gallagher would now keep his status because he "has little confidence that Gallagher would get a fair shake now from the Navy," the official told CNN.

A damning statement to come from the top. Looks like Esper clearly knows whose butt to keep his head up.

Let the spin masters begin their craft.

:stirpot:

 

[brihard]

Spencer's resignation letter is here:

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/24/politics/read-navy-secretary-richard-spencer-resignation-letter/index.html

Particularly noteworthy is this part:

Equally disturbing is that the Secretary of Defence Esper has decided that Gallagher will keep his SEAL status:

A damning statement to come from the top. Looks like Esper clearly knows whose butt to keep his head up.

Let the spin masters begin their craft.

:stirpot:

Spencer has my respect for standing on principle on this one. Now let’s see someone from the army side have the stones to stand up to POTUS over him pardoning one convicted war criminal, and stopping another murder trial from going forward. The military stands to suffer a lot of damage from those decisions on his part.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Spencer has my respect for standing on principle on this one. . . .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_V._Spencer

. . .  Spencer served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976 to 1981 as a Marine Aviator . . .

Once a Marine, always a Marine.  Semper Fi.

 

[Journeyman]

If anyone wants some background reading on the Gallagher issue, there's a relevant thesis from the US Naval Postgraduate School, "SEALs Gone Wild: Publicity, Fame, and the Loss of the Quiet Professional."

It's from 2015, which suggests this isn't a new, unknown crisis.

 

[Blackadder1916]

If anyone wants some background reading on the Gallagher issue, there's a relevant thesis from the US Naval Postgraduate School, "SEALs Gone Wild: Publicity, Fame, and the Loss of the Quiet Professional."

It's from 2015, which suggests this isn't a new, unknown crisis.

I found the last line in the thesis most telling . . . "the quickest way to lose the respect of the American people is to become too enthralled with ourselves" .

 

[The Bread Guy]

In further developments, this from the USN info-machine ...

As Acting Secretary of the Navy, I have directed the Chief of Naval Operations to terminate the Trident Reviews for three Naval Special Warfare officers. Given the unique circumstances of these three remaining cases, I have determined that any failures in conduct, performance, judgment or professionalism exhibited by these officers be addressed through other administrative measures as appropriate, such as letters of instruction or performance observations on their officer fitness reports.

The United States Navy, and the Naval Special Warfare Community specifically, have dangerous and important work to do. In my judgment, neither deserves the continued distraction and negative attention that recent events have evoked. Our special operators are part of a unique fighting force that has been at war for nearly 20 years. We ask them to meet a very high standard of competence in the use of deadly force, matched by an equally high standard for ethical behavior in combat. This expectation is no higher than the standard our special warriors have set for themselves. The SEAL ethos states this standard quite clearly:

“I serve with honor on and off the battlefield. The ability to control my emotions and my actions, regardless of circumstance, sets me apart from other men. Uncompromising integrity is my standard. My character and honor are steadfast. My word is my bond.”

My decision in these three specific cases should not be interpreted in any way as diminishing this ethos or our nation’s expectations that it be fulfilled. Navy uniformed leaders have my full confidence that they will continue to address challenging cultural issues within the Naval Special Warfare community, instill good order and discipline and enforce the very highest professional standards we expect from every member of that community. These are standards that scores of brave Sailors have given their lives to establish and preserve. It is our obligation to honor their sacrifice, and the values of our nation, in everything we do in peace, in crisis, but most especially in war. We can, we must, and we will get this right.

                                                                                      THOMAS B. MODLY

                                                                                      Secretary of the Navy (Acting)

More from Stars & Stripes:

Three Navy SEAL officers will not face a peer-review board, the Navy announced Wednesday, days after Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher had his own review board halted by the defense secretary.

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly directed the Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Michael Gilday, to stop the “Trident reviews,” according to a statement from Modly. The three SEALs were not named in the statement, but Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, Lt. Jacob Portier and Lt. Thomas MacNeil, who had supervised Gallagher during his deployment to Iraq, were informed last week by Rear Adm. Collin Green, the Naval Special Warfare commander, that they would face a review board in early December.

“Given the unique circumstances of these three remaining cases, I have determined that any failures in conduct, performance, judgment, or professionalism exhibited by these officers be addressed through other administrative measures as appropriate, such as letters of instruction or performance observations on their officer fitness reports,” Modly said in the statement ...

 

[FJAG]

That's a well phrased response in light of the ridiculous situation Trump has created for his chain of command.

One can only hope that the military can continue to weather a commander in chief who uses "his warfighters" as a political tool.

The concerns about the President's war crimes interventions come on top of long-simmering frustrations at the Pentagon.

Altogether, the strain on the military is palpable, said Mark Hertling, a former commanding general of the US Army in Europe.
"It may not break, but it sure the hell is being bent by this and increasingly becoming brittle," said Hertling, a CNN military analyst. "Senior leaders ... if they're confused about what the missions are, what the strategy is, they have to put on a poker face. And sometimes the things they're being asked to do are impossible and go against all of their military experience and knowledge."

Pentagon sources describe meetings in which senior officials have struggled with what they described as the President's mercurial moods, lack of focus, impulsive decision-making and resistance to information that doesn't fit his views.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has described Trump's approach by saying that his "experience with the President is that he makes decisions and then absorbs data and facts."

Military officials have tried to navigate Trump's decisions-first, facts-later approach since he took office, but they tell CNN they are more uneasy than ever about his behavior given impeachment inquiry pressures and the looming 2020 campaign.

They express discomfort about Trump's politicization of the military and his attacks on individual servicemembers, such as Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the NSC official who testified before the House impeachment inquiry. After Trump targeted Vindman, the decorated war veteran reached out to the Army about his family's safety.

Trump's attacks led Gen. Joseph Dunford, who was just hours before retiring from his own 40-year career, to take the extraordinary step of opposing the President to defend Vindman, who had served on his staff.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/27/politics/pentagon-concern-trump-decision-making/index.html

:facepalm:

 

[tomahawk6]

If I was running DoD I would be retiring as many generals and Colonels as I could and handing out pink slips to the civilians.

 

[QV]

If I was running DoD I would be retiring as many generals and Colonels as I could and handing out pink slips to the civilians.

Something like Leslie's Transformation Report.   

 

[Cloud Cover]

The orderly US military command structure is the biggest threat to a disruptive Trump after it became clear to him their loyalty is not unquestioning fealty. Undermining good order and discipline weakens common purpose instilled by unified command. This only serves to benefit Trump. Does anyone think he’s bright enough to have figured that out in his own ...

The decision noted above that was made by Acting Secretary Modly somewhat sideswipes Trumps ability to torque the issue, at least temporarily.  Query whether the leadership of the US armed forces themselves are sliding into administrative and potentially political insurgency mode. He’s already interfered with rule of (military) law and perverted the course of justice in other ways. He’s seen full ranking military officers publicly object to his conduct and testify about it. On the other hand, is there some reason to suspect he may have at least tacit or even firm support from a good chunk of the rank and file? He’s drawing strength from somewhere to push these buttons. It’s ugly, scary and sad.