Marine officer arrested and jailed (enlisted, tax, request, commission)
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Milley strikes me as the kind of officer we hated. The kind who felt they could do no wrong and if anything did go wrong it was always someone else’s fault. They also tended to be more focused on moving up to the next rank/position than the job the command they currently had as officers. These tended to be the ones who “brown nose” those above them in the hopes of making network “good ole boy” connections to move up and out. Sadly the officers we did like serving under rarely were moved up in promotions. These were the officers who legitimately tried to do the best job they could and managed those who served under them instead of either barking orders or handing off virtually all responsibilities to the NCO.
None of these UCMJ violations are the civilian equivalent of a felony, none of the allegations were committed in a combat zone, nor do they warrant sending him to pretrial confinement in the brig.
Article 88 by displaying contempt toward officials,
Article 89 by disrespecting superior commissioned officers
Article 90 by willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer
Article 92 by dereliction in the performance of his duties and failure to obey an order or regulation
Article 133 by displaying conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
Lt Colonel Scheller was sent to the brig to silence him and to send a stern message out to anyone else that defies the chain of command or speaks out publicly that they will be dealt with harshly. I served roughly half my career as a Navy Corpsman with Fleet Marine Force ground and air commands. Marine Corps justice is harsh. No other branch of the military eats it’s young like the Marine Corps. That’s one reason their retention sucks and many Marines are getting out and enlisting in other branches. Army Ranger and Special Forces are loving getting former Marines with discipline, leadership acumen and combat experience and skills.
Everyone in the military knows the regulations preclude military personnel from sharing their opinions publicly. Stu Scheller should have refrained from posting videos on social media when warned and the Marine Corps likely should’ve let him resign and go as quietly as possible. Maybe Scheller has a plan to use his trial to publicize failed policies in Afghanistan OR maybe he’s just a good Marine leader that just had enough of seeing patriotic Americans senselessly KIA and wounded during the two decades war in Afghanistan.
A special court martial may impose any punishment except death, dishonorable discharge, dismissal, confinement for more than 1 year, hard labor without confinement for more than 3 months, forfeiture of pay exceeding two-thirds pay per month, or any forfeiture of pay for more than 1 year.
Scheller has retained a team of civilian attorneys well versed in military law. The prosecution will have to demonstrate to a jury of his peers beyond a reasonable doubt that he's guilty as charged. I’m betting Marine Corps is really going to show its a$$ at his SCM. This has the potential to become a legal three ring circus and embarrassment like the general courts martial of Navy SEAL Senior Chief Eddie Gallagher. This could get interesting.
Last edited by irishcopper; 10-07-2021 at 10:54 AM..
Saw that Milley didn’t go to Annapolis. He went to “Princeton”.
Army officers typically go to USMA, not Annapolis, if they go the Academy route.
70-75% of Army officers are ROTC graduates. They conduct military training and meet commissioning requirements on college campuses across America during their civilian degree-yes, including at Princeton. Only 20-25% of commissioned officers are USMA. The rest are OCS.
There's no presumption of superiority based on commissioning source. Once in the force, performance-documented on evaluations-is the main thing that gets you promoted and nominatively assigned.
They are investigating him for potential violation of DoD Directive 1344.10, most likely:
"4.1.2. A member of the Armed Forces on active duty shall not:
4.1.2.1. Participate in partisan political fundraising activities (except as permitted in
subparagraph 4.1.1.7.), rallies, conventions (including making speeches in the course thereof),
management of campaigns, or debates, either on one’s own behalf or on that of another, without
respect to uniform or inference or appearance of official sponsorship, approval, or endorsement.
Participation includes more than mere attendance as a spectator. (See subparagraph 4.1.1.9.)
4.1.2.5. Speak before a partisan political gathering, including any gathering that
promotes a partisan political party, candidate, or cause. "
https://www.foxnews.com/us/outspoken...anistan-jailed
This is the officer who called for accountability of senior Pentagon officers. He made the statements publicly knowing it would be the end of his military career. But is arresting him and locking him up excessive? This seems to be an act of revenge by senior officer instead of acts appropriate for his actions. While it may be, strictly speaking, within military regulations according to the UCMJ it seems to be an excessive display for the action and words he posted.
That reminds me of Colonel Hackworth in the last days of the Vietnam War. He felt the "brass" was using inadequate battle plans in the style of frontal battles common in WW2 and Korea - not particularly useful in fighting guerillas like the Viet Cong. Hackworth's battle plan was unique because it was adapted to aggressive counter-gurilla warfare - the "Tiger Force". He achieved military success, but he knew he somewhat of an outlier in applying such unorthodox tactics. So, he openly criticized the military leadership of the time and predicted that Saigon would fall by 1975. This was around 1971. He was politically castigated by the higher chain-of-command, and he left the service. The famous character of "Colonel Kilgore" in "Apocalypse Now" in the air calvary assault was inspired by Hackworth. Although the film showed the character as invincible, in real-life Hackworth succumbed to exposure to chemical defoliants in Vietnam. He was diagnosed with cancer and ran out of treament options in the USA. Hackworth died in Mexico while undergoing alternative treatments. He had been one of the most heavily decorated soldiers in Vietnam - RIP.
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