GOV/MIL Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the Marine Who Was Imprisoned for Speaking Against Afghanistan Incompetence Receives Surprise Sentence

thompson

Certa Bonum Certamen

Marine Who Was Imprisoned for Speaking Against Afghanistan Incompetence Receives Surprise Sentence

By Bonchie | Oct 15, 2021 5:00 PM ET

Some weeks ago, RedState reported on Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller’s imprisonment. After violating a gag order to speak against the rank incompetence that led to Joe Biden’s deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, Scheller was thrown into the brig pending a hearing. Later, he was hit with multiple charges stemming from his conduct.

Now, the court-martial is over, and the results are somewhat surprising. Most thought the judge, Col. Glen Hines, would throw the book at him, as covering for the failures of military leadership has become a common occurrence. Yet, Scheller was given a fairly light sentence, which included a letter of reprimand and a forfeiture of $5,000 pay over the course of a single month. Further, the judge blasted command for the pre-trial detention and for leaking records to try to make the defendant look bad.

This, via the Marine Corps Times.
But the Corps’ proposed punishment for Scheller’s transgressions, for which everyone in the courtroom agreed he should be held accountable, paled in comparison to the mitigating factors, Hines explained.
In a trial where post-sentencing time in the brig was not even an option, the command’s decision to lock Scheller up while awaiting trial was “a very rare thing,” Hines said.
He also revealed that the Marine signed his plea agreement while in the brig.
Hines blasted apparent leaks of documents that included Scheller’s medical records, as attorney Parlatore claimed at trial, as “very disturbing,” “unfair” and “illegal.”
The ultimate punishment was far below what prosecutors had sought, which was forfeiture of $5,000 pay a month for six months. Scheller will now be honorably discharged and enter into civilian life, which was apparently his goal anyway, given his disgust with command.

Still, the prosecution acting on behalf of the Marine Corps stepped out of line here. There was no justification to lock Scheller up pre-trial. He was not a flight risk, and there was no reason to believe him to be dangerous, though the prosecution tried to paint him as such in their charging documents. This was an attempted rail-roading that was headed off by a clear-minded judge who saw what was happening. That speaks to a deep rot still existent within the military.

In the end, Scheller paid the price that should have been paid, in my view. He knew when he put those videos out that there would be consequences for breaking the UCMJ, and at no point did he try to run from those consequences. But there was no reason to try to destroy his life and present him as a dangerous, deluded man — simply because he had the courage to speak against leadership that had failed him, the military, and the country.
 

Matt

Veteran Member
People of honor and conviction are being given every incentive to get out of the military.... i would go so far as to say they are being called away. The wokeness, the moral depravity and cowardice at all levels, the vaxx mandates....

Those on the fence about these issues and what to do.... I believe that God is giving you an opportunity to walk away like Lot before judgement falls.
 

Dobbin

Faithful Steed
All told "This is walking away clean."

BUT - only the malfeasance of his superiors and their unwillingness to have THEIR leadership examined allowed this.

Discussion on Bannon War Room indicated the decision COULD have been a full Courts Martial BUT THAT WOULD HAVE OPENED THE GATE TO A FULL EXAMINATION OF UPPER BRASS COMMAND - and they couldn't allow that.

So they took a lesser course and will let the Marine go free. One imagines he will sign a "non-disclosure" form on his departure "in the interest of National Security." Which may have some teeth attached to his posterior - but this is far preferable to 10 years in the brig for the crime of telling the truth.

As the presiding judge said in the Courts Martial - "I've never seen a command officer with as clean a record or as likely to be believed and why should his telling the truth be a reason to get in the way of that for Command?"

It's obvious Command didn't want to hear it or be examined in their decision making.

Dobbin
 

Hfcomms

EN66iq
Kudo's for the O-6 who himself is going to get some heat from his Commanding General about his decision I'm sure. I really thought they were going to throw the book at him, memory hole him and that would be the last we would hear about him. That sentence is light and I wonder if the O-6 had a lot of the same thoughts that the O-5 did?
 

223shootersc

Veteran Member
Thanks for the report.... Good things still happen to those who do GOOD! At least there was common sense applied by the judge,thisman for doing th right thing could have recieved a much harsher punishment with the whole demoncrap party and their followers behind such actions.
 

robolast

Senior Member

Marine Who Was Imprisoned for Speaking Against Afghanistan Incompetence Receives Surprise Sentence

By Bonchie | Oct 15, 2021 5:00 PM ET

Some weeks ago, RedState reported on Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller’s imprisonment. After violating a gag order to speak against the rank incompetence that led to Joe Biden’s deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, Scheller was thrown into the brig pending a hearing. Later, he was hit with multiple charges stemming from his conduct.

Now, the court-martial is over, and the results are somewhat surprising. Most thought the judge, Col. Glen Hines, would throw the book at him, as covering for the failures of military leadership has become a common occurrence. Yet, Scheller was given a fairly light sentence, which included a letter of reprimand and a forfeiture of $5,000 pay over the course of a single month. Further, the judge blasted command for the pre-trial detention and for leaking records to try to make the defendant look bad.

This, via the Marine Corps Times.




The ultimate punishment was far below what prosecutors had sought, which was forfeiture of $5,000 pay a month for six months. Scheller will now be honorably discharged and enter into civilian life, which was apparently his goal anyway, given his disgust with command.

Still, the prosecution acting on behalf of the Marine Corps stepped out of line here. There was no justification to lock Scheller up pre-trial. He was not a flight risk, and there was no reason to believe him to be dangerous, though the prosecution tried to paint him as such in their charging documents. This was an attempted rail-roading that was headed off by a clear-minded judge who saw what was happening. That speaks to a deep rot still existent within the military.

In the end, Scheller paid the price that should have been paid, in my view. He knew when he put those videos out that there would be consequences for breaking the UCMJ, and at no point did he try to run from those consequences. But there was no reason to try to destroy his life and present him as a dangerous, deluded man — simply because he had the courage to speak against leadership that had failed him, the military, and the country.
I agree with this post but he doesn't seem like a completely honorable man by bringing Trump into the picture
 

Doc1

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I would imagine that now, with a "clean" record he could join a Marine reserve unit and finish out his retirement. Also, I think he'll have no problem finding civilian employment in any firm looking for an honest and trustworthy executive.

Best
Doc
 

Squib

Veteran Member
I would imagine that now, with a "clean" record he could join a Marine reserve unit and finish out his retirement. Also, I think he'll have no problem finding civilian employment in any firm looking for an honest and trustworthy executive.

Best
Doc

IIRC he and his family have a growing business that he was planning on working after his discharge.

Not certain, but during a court martial, defendant doesn’t pay any legal fees…so, that lost $5000 pay will be more than made up for by his go fund me account!

edited to add - I just checked a NY Times article from a couple of weeks ago…people have raised over $2,000,000 for Scheller As of the writing of that article.
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
All told "This is walking away clean."

BUT - only the malfeasance of his superiors and their unwillingness to have THEIR leadership examined allowed this.

Discussion on Bannon War Room indicated the decision COULD have been a full Courts Martial BUT THAT WOULD HAVE OPENED THE GATE TO A FULL EXAMINATION OF UPPER BRASS COMMAND - and they couldn't allow that.

So they took a lesser course and will let the Marine go free. One imagines he will sign a "non-disclosure" form on his departure "in the interest of National Security." Which may have some teeth attached to his posterior - but this is far preferable to 10 years in the brig for the crime of telling the truth.

As the presiding judge said in the Courts Martial - "I've never seen a command officer with as clean a record or as likely to be believed and why should his telling the truth be a reason to get in the way of that for Command?"

It's obvious Command didn't want to hear it or be examined in their decision making.

Dobbin

I hope he kicks that ant hill over, too. Command needs to have the microscope applied. Now. Hopefully, that can happen without consequences to this Marine.

I am very happy with his sentance. A free man can do much. An honorable free man can change the world.
 

Seeker22

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I would imagine that now, with a "clean" record he could join a Marine reserve unit and finish out his retirement. Also, I think he'll have no problem finding civilian employment in any firm looking for an honest and trustworthy executive.

Best
Doc

Don't Reserve also have to take the jab?
 

Sherrynboo

Veteran Member
He did bash Trump in an earlier article. IIrc, he didn't like one of Trump's sons saying something on his behalf? Can't recall the whole thing but it pissed me off as well. Ok I found it :

Jailed marine Stuart Scheller has demanded the Trumps stop helping in his case, saying he would “rather sit in jail” than receive help from the former president.
Lt Col Scheller was thrown in a military prison without charge after defying orders to stop posting on social media, instead continuing to openly criticise the Biden administration’s chaotic withdrawal of US troops, citizens and allies from Afghanistan, which left 13 Americans dead.

But while Lt Col Scheller does not want any association with the Trump family, supporters of Donald Trump have helped raise more than $1.82m for Mr Scheller, who sought to distance himself from the support of Mr Trump and his family over the weekend.

“President Trump. I was told by everyone to kiss the ring because of your following and power. I refuse. While I respect your foreign policy positions, I hate how you divided the country. I don’t need or want your help,” Mr Scheller wrote on Facebook on the weekend.
Mr Scheller was taken into custody on Monday and remains in “pretrial confinement” at Camp Lejeune NC until at least next week as the Marine Corps considers charges for violating a “gag order”.
Mr Scheller rose to national prominence after publicly criticising the Afghanistan withdrawal, and calling on his supporters to follow him to “bring the whole f*cking system down”.

He was fired on 27 August but continued to call for accountability from the US military’s leadership, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, and announced his intentions to charge the head of US Central Command, General Kenneth McKenzie Jr, with “dereliction of duty”.
Mr Scheller’s support since going public in August has only increased since he was fired in August and taken into custody on 27 September.
More than two dozen Congressmembers formally wrote to the US Marine Corps Commander, General Berger, to release Mr Scheller from custody. It was signed by Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, Madison Cawthorn, and Thomas Massie, among others.
 
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