Colleagues here at Redstate have previously detailed the travesty of the politically-correct legacy of the “Obama Navy” in court-martialing Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator (SOCS) Eddie Gallagher for the “war crime” of posing in a photograph with a dead terrorist. Streiff’s article here provides some important background, as he notes that President Trump had to intervene to stop the Navy’s craven attempt to further persecute Chief Gallagher after the President had granted him clemency.
Mike Ford subsequently commented here about the NY Times’s breathless story about how Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday supposedly threatened resignation over President Trump’s intervention in the Navy’s attempt to take away Chief Gallagher’s SEAL trident.
Ford later posted here that that story was debunked by Secretary Spencer’s own denials.
Let’s cut to the heart of the matter: RADM Collin Green, Commander Naval Special Warfare Command, is insubordinate and needs to be court-martialed for his insolence and defiance of the President. Green is almost certainly a protégé of that other insubordinate SEAL admiral, Admiral Willam McRaven (Ret’d), who has made a number of anti-Trump public statements for which he needs to be held accountable under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, as detailed in one of my past articles here.
And I am not the only one who thinks that both McRaven and Green need to be held to account for their insubordination, especially Green’s as relates to the Gallagher case. Let’s explore his case in more detail. CAPT Joe John, Chairman of the Combat Veterans for Congress Political Action Committee, has given me permission to convey email exchanges with several people in which more details about the Gallagher case – and Gallagher himself – are elucidated. It should be noted that, in addition to his regular editorials disseminated via email, CAPT John has been interviewed on over 180 national radio talk shows throughout the nation over the past decade.
First of all, there is ENORMOUS support for SOC Gallagher among the retired SEAL community. Here is an email from LCDR Ed Hiner, USN, SEAL (Ret’d) to CAPT John that reflects that support. LCDR Hiner is the best-selling author of “First Fast Fearless: How to Lead Like a Navy SEAL.”
From: Ed Hiner
To: Joseph R. John
Subject: Navy SEAL needs help
Sir,
I would like for you to distribute the below comments and ideas for people to consider, but if you wish to discuss it first let me know. I’ll keep it short.
Innocent until proven guilty is at the foundation of our justice system. The Judge Kavanaugh hearings are fresh in our minds in which half the population were willing to jump to conclusions and label the judge as a sexual predator, because one woman made an accusation. A man that has excelled at every level for his entire life was dragged through the mud by people that forgot that we are all innocent until proven guilty.
Not long before the elections I remember an email that this organization sent out urging us to support Rep Duncan Hunter. Rep Hunter has been accused of some very serious crimes, crimes of fraud that break the trust that we have in our elected leaders and tear at the very fabric of our country. But I agreed with the email, Rep Hunter is innocent until the courts prove he is not; there is no other way if we want the system to work.
Chief Eddie Gallagher is Innocent until the court proves otherwise. We know for a fact that he is a highly decorated combat veteran with two Bronze Stars with V, and one Navy and Marine Corp Achievement medal with a V. We know that Eddie was SEAL Sailor of the year in 2017 which was the same year that he is being accused of war crimes. He has done 8 combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. On September 11th of this year Eddie was staying in a medical treatment facility at Camp Pendleton when NCIS arrested him; yes, he was arrested on Patriot’s Say. While he was incarcerated a dozen or so NCIS people assaulted his home and dragged his two children, ages 17 and 9 I believe, in the streets in their underwear. NCIS knew that he was in custody yet they still raided his home with rifles knowing that he was not there.
His family has made it clear to everyone that Eddie has had very limited access to his lawyers and has not had time to prepare his defense. We know that the accusations made against him came from SEALs in his platoon while operating in Mosul last year. The fighting there was barbaric and the likes of it hasn’t been seen since the medieval times. ISIS fighters are feral human beings and do not respect human life, which is one of the fundamental differences that we have with them on a human level. With that being said, I’m sure we all agree that we must conduct ourselves with honor, and live by an ethos on the battlefield. We don’t do this for our enemies, we do it for ourselves and the pride in this nation standing on the high moral ground.
Eddie has not had a voice YET. To my understanding his family will be speaking out this week and the coming weeks. His brother informed me that Eddie had reprimanded several SEALs in his Mosul platoon for not having the stomach to fight the barbaric enemy. He informed me that the same people making these accusations were the same people that he publicly called out. It is my understanding that he sent them out of the fight for a week or maybe even two so they get their stomach back. For a SEAL to be called a coward or inferred to be a coward, is worse than death, and the Shame of it would be devastating.
But none of the details have come out in court, where it actually matters. My friends and peers are now Major Commanders and Major Command Master Chiefs, some of my subordinates are Commanding Officers and Command Master Chiefs. I don’t personally know Eddie and I purposefully didn’t contact any of my friends to try and get their take on this issue, because what happens in court is all that matters; plus, they don’t need retired SEALs meddling in their business. But I do have a hard time believing that the leadership of SEAL Team 7 got it wrong and made Eddie the SEAL of the year that year if these accusations are true. He absolutely deserves our support and the best defense he can get. He and others have done a lot for this nation and have seen more sustained combat than any other generation by far.
I’ll leave you with this. It’s what Eddie’s brother said the Prosecutor closed with. He looked at Eddie and then told the judge that Eddie is the reason ISIS is killing people. Can you imagine during WW2 if a Prosecutor would have told a judge that Hitler was exterminating Jews because of an American soldier? He probably would have lost his job on the spot and [been] dragged in the streets.
I hope we can all support a Hero so that he gets a fair chance at defending his life and his honor.
….
V/R Ed Hiner retired SEAL LCDR
Did you catch that SOCS Gallagher was the “SEAL of the Year” in SEAL Team 7 in the year in which the accusations against him were made? Of course, the legacy media – or Navy Times, for that matter! – never convey anything positive about Gallagher because it doesn’t fit their narrative. Here is CAPT John’s email response to LCDR Hiner:
From: “Joseph R. John”
To: “‘Lcdr Ed Hiner, USN (Ret) (SEAL)'”
Ed,
Every individual in the Republic deserves the presumption of innocence, until proven guilty. This E-mail concerns Chief Edward Gallagher, USN (SEAL), who has 19 years of Honorable service, and he also deserves the presumption of innocence in his case. Chief Gallagher is a highly decorated combat veteran, who has completed 8 combat deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and has been awarded two Bronze Star Medals (both with Combat “V”), a Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal (with Combat “V”), and other medals for his combat service. In 2017, he was nominated as SEAL Sailor of the Year, by the officers in command of SEAL Team SEVEN, who were deployed with Chief Gallagher in Afghanistan (when the subject events occurred). Chief Gallagher was ultimately selected 2017 SEAL Sailor of the Year; in the same year he is being accused of specific crimes.
I did not agree with the tone, editorial comments, nor trust the liberal media’s manner of reporting on Chief Gallagher’s charges. After careful evaluations of all the charges against Chief Gallagher. I do not believe he stabbed a wounded captive; nor that he intentionally injured non-combatants (that is a Rules Of Engagement question), and because SEAL Officers were deployed with Chief Gallagher, and had been observing the Chief’s prescription drug use, I do not believe he used drugs while he was deployed.
Several SEALs, who were deployed with Chief Gallagher, and had been sent out of the fight in Mosul, Iraq by the Chief, because they were not performing adequately in extremely heavy and brutal combat. They are the same SEALs who brought charges against the Chief. Another issue that should be considered is that possibly SEAL Team SEVEN was operating under the old Rules Of Engagement (ROE), which consistently and unreasonably put combat personnel in “Harm’s Way” over an 8 year period Violation of those ROE by combat personnel, to protect themselves, also put those combat personnel in the cross hairs, for possible prosecution. Those old ROE have since been changed by SECDEF Mattis, because they endangered the safety of engaged combat personnel.
Because Chief Gallagher had very limited access to his attorneys and did not had adequate time to prepare for his defense in the Article 32 Hearing, I have taken an interest in his case. I am therefore transmitting your listed points [in your previous email] in defense of Chief Gallagher to our supporters, and trust some of the recipients will support and possibly donate to Chief Gallagher’s defense fund. Chief Gallagher deserves the right to a robust defense to protect his life, his family, and his years of combat service in the defense of the Republic. The type of heavy combat, that Chief Gallagher has been involved in, is not the type of military service most Veterans have ever been involved in.
It appears that Chief Gallagher’s family, in his absence, was improperly treated by the NCIS Agents that assaulted his residence; the actions of those NCIS Agents should be investigated for the manner in which they treated innocent dependents (children 17 and 9 were dragged into the street in their underwear). Thank you for bringing the below listed issues to our attention, and your concern for a fellow combat veteran and fellow Navy SEAL. We hope this E-mail will get wide distribution by the recipients, and will assists Chief Gallagher in his right to a robust defense. With kindest personal regards, and best wishes, I remain:
Respectfully,
Joe
Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62
Capt USNR(Ret)/Former FBI
Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC
Here is some insight into the back-briefing of the President about this travesty that has been taking place behind the scenes. This is an email response of CAPT John to MG Paul Vallely, USA, Ret’d (USMA Class of ’61), who established the Stand Up for American Foundation and is a regular contributor to Fox News:
From: “Joseph R. John” <[email protected]>
To: “MG Paul Vallely”
Thank you General Vallely—can you please ensure my E-mail about the insubordination of Special Warfare Group ONE Commander, RADM Green gets to The President; I just sent a transmission directly to The White House,
Green is another one of Obama’s “Politically Correct” Flag Officers in open opposition to The President like McRaven, and should be relieved of command, for his outward display of disdain and insubordination toward the Commander-in-Chief.
It seems that Green is taking his lead from McRaven, and is openly opposing the Commander-in-Chief for every SEAL in the US Navy to see. That cannot be allowed to stand, he and any O-6s who continue to attack SOCS Gallagher who was found “not guilty” of the murder charges in his Courts Martial. Green, by continuing the relentless attacks on SOCS Gallagher continue to terrorize his family, Green must be forced to apologize to the President and should be forced to retire. Insubordination toward the Commander-in-Chief must not be allowed to stand, General MacArthur was not allowed to be insubordinate.
If Green’s actions are allowed to stand with no response by The President, the Office of the President will lose respect and effective control of the US Armed Forces——-by his “in your face” insubordination, Green is demonstrating that he is part of the deep state!
Respectfully,
Joe
Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62
Capt USN(Ret)/Former FBI
Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC
Note CAPT John’s linkage of Green’s behavior to McRaven; it is NOT a coincidence that both are Navy SEALs. They have both been insubordinate. Period. Here is CAPT John’s subsequent email update to LCDR Hiner:
From: “Joseph R. John”
To: “‘Lcdr Ed Hiner, USN (Ret) (SEAL)'”
Subject: Presidential Support for Navy SEAL
Ed,
You will recall, in our below listed E-mail of November 24, 2018, that our working with you to seek justice for SOC Eddie Gallagher, USN (SEAL) began. We subsequently referred Lt Col Addicott USA (Ret) (JAG) Esq who offered to participate in SOC Gallagher’s defense pro bono. We also encouraged our supporters to donate to SOC Gallagher’s legal defense fund Web site or to his Post Office Box 89, Mason, Ohio 45040 (the donations were steady and increased over time) Our transmission to President Donald J. Trump at The White House on November 25, 2018, requested that his staff monitor Chief Gallagher JAG case, since the way he, his wife, and his children were abused was disgraceful and unacceptable. We were criticized by a number of JAG Officers for doing so, but we believe our alert, and the appeal by many others had the desired affect we had sought, with the president’s below listed actions several days ago.
This week, President Trump did so much more than we expected, by allowing SOC Gallagher’s previous promotion to SOCS to take effect, by authorizing issuance of the award of another Bronze Star Medal (with Combat “V”) for Chief Gallagher’s last combat tour, and by having the US Navy offer Chief Gallagher an instructor’s billet We suspect that Chief Gallagher, will instead, opt for retirement because of the lingering hostility by some Senior officers in his command. Please pass on to SOCS Gallagher our congratulations and continued strong support for he and his family. His wife and children had been put through improper and unacceptable harassment, and his defense counsel had been spied upon by the Navy JAG Officer leading the prosecution; someone should tell him military personnel are innocent until proven guilty!
Since September 2016, we had also been working with Cong Garret Graves (R-LA-6) seeking a pardon for 1st Lt Clint Lorance, USA. We had been communicating with 1st Lt Lorance while he was incarcerated at Leavenworth, and had also contacted President Trump at The White House seeking a pardon, because of the dangerous Rules Of Engagement (ROE) imposed upon 1st Lt Lorance while he was in combat. Seven years ago, 1st Lt Lorance was found guilty of second-degree murder and had been sentenced to 20 years in prison, as a result of trying to protect his men while operating under very dangerous ROE imposed on the US Armed Forces by the Obama administration. Those dangerous ROE handcuffed military personnel, and were responsible for increased combat casualties for 8 years. They were rejected, and were returned to their original format by Secretary of Defense Mattis We were therefore gratified when 1st Lt Clint Lorance was finally given a presidential pardon.
We would like to recognize SOCS Ed Gallagher for his impressive and selfless combat record by listing him on the Endorsee of PAC page of our Web site, among other heroic military and intelligence personnel (MOH Recipients, Vietnam POWS, an Extortion 17 SEAL, CIA Officers, Flag & General Officers, Distinguished US Naval Academy graduates, West Point graduates, Air Force Academy Graduates, endorsed Combat Veterans For Congress, the first Navy SEAL Admiral, 3 Navy SEALs who were elected to Congress, 25 Navy SEALs–including yourself, Iwo Jima Combat Veterans, WWII Combat Veterans, Korean Combat Veterans, etc.)
We only require an E-mail from SOCS Gallagher informing us that he approves of our listing him with many other Combat Veterans and Navy SEALs on the Endorsee of PAC page of our Web site. We will continue to support SOCS Gallagher in any way in the future, if he has a need for our support.
Respectfully,
Joe
Joseph R. John, USNA ‘62
Capt USN(Ret)/Former FBI
Chairman, Combat Veterans For Congress PAC
2307 Fenton Parkway, Suite 107-184
San Diego, CA 92108
https://www.CombatVeteransForCongress.org
https://www.facebook.com/combatveteransforcongress?ref=hl
Gotta love our President for not only granting Gallagher clemency but also reinstating his promotion to senior chief (E-8)! And he’s given a few shots across the bow of the Navy chain of command in publicly stating that SOCS Gallagher’s SEAL trident will not be stripped. This kind of leadership in the Oval Office, as well as the support he gives every day to those fighting America’s wars in difficult circumstances, was sadly lacking during the Obama years.
By the way, those who caterwaul about President Trump supposedly “politicizing” the Navy have got it exactly backwards; Obama is the culprit, as he and his hand-picked Secretary of the Navy and a number of promoted flag officers were directly responsible for implementing horrible combat Rules of Engagement and personnel policies that destroyed Navy readiness and morale.
And President Trump has been turning all of that around while being undermined along the way by retired Obama admirals and now RADM Green. POTUS’s actions are a great shot in the arm for military morale!
The end.
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