quote:

Originally posted by MikeinNC:
I imagine the prosecutor played the other team members against Senior Chief Gallagher to get them to testify. Seems like a dirty prosecutor and dirty tricks to rail road someone.....if I was that guy, I wouldn’t sleep well knowing I tried to fuck over a tier one asset. Knowing I might wake up with my throat cut in my sleep.

and that might be the solution

don't get mad, get even

Great news indeed, only problem is that his career is probably over. Thank you Senior Chief for your service to our great nation.

With my level of following, the prosecution case seemed to really fall apart. Glad it came back not guilty.

Good news. A couple of points:

1) The Navy's prosecutor has likely tried his final case, not sure all the inner workings but, this guy and his boss f'd up bad; this would've been a great time to hear JALLEN weigh-in. If anything, this continues to intensify the spot-light shining on Navy JAG Corps and the military's legal system as being overly ambitious in their zeal and willing to over-prosecute cases.

2) SEALs have problems. I've heard too many stories from other SOF members who've done joint missions and there's a common and disturbing theme when it comes to working with NSW. Not saying Chief Gallagher is guilty or, a principle example, not at all. Unfortunately after 18-years of war, the frayed ends are showing.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
2) SEALs have problems. I've heard too many stories from other SOF members who've done joint missions and there's a common and disturbing theme when it comes to working with NSW. Not saying Chief Gallagher is guilty or, a principle example, not at all. Unfortunately after 18-years of war, the frayed ends are showing.

Anyone who knows SOF knows the SEALS have issues.

I've never seen nuthing but heard a lot of 'Wut?' stories; maybe the other units do wacky shit too, but they never talk about it or have other units talking about them.

quote:

Originally posted by RHINOWSO:
[T]hey never talk about it or have other units talking about them.

The science fiction editor Joseph Campbell offered a profound (and little-recognized) truth when he pointed out that it’s not power that corrupts, but rather immunity. We have seen stark examples of that in the operations of the FBI in recent times, and I personally observed it long ago in my involvement with the secret military organizations of the day. Even though, as I like to put it, the Navy SEALs are one of the most well-known covert organizations ever, its members are still offered a high degree of immunity because of its accomplishments and resulting reputation. With immunity comes the perception that one can get away with anything, including in a very recent case, being able to assault associates at will, sometimes resulting in their deaths.

JALLEN used the expression “Pimping the trident” to refer to individual SEALs who used the reputation of their organization for their own personal commercial gain. Members of other military special operations organizations do that as well, but not nearly to the same obvious degree. I have, for example, never heard of a Delta operator’s hawking gun oil that’s supposedly superior to other products because of the background of who’s selling it.

We must remember, though, to not judge all members of a group by the actions of a small minority, whether that group shares racial characteristics, or is a profession like lawyers, or is a high level military organization.

Word is in regarding the punishment for the photo with the dead combatant

Reduction in rank x1
Half months pay x2
Four months confinement (time served)

This case was RIFE with prosecutorial misconduct. Unfortunately I do not believe that those that tried to tilt the scales will face any punishment.

But I am glad that Chief will be able to drop papers.

We train these guys to do the country's dirty work and then we punish them for doing it. As far as I am concerned he did his job. Kill the enemy. That was his job and he did it. And by all accounts he did it well.

It reminds me of a quote from First Blood (edits mine):

Trautman:
"You don't seem to want to accept the fact you're dealing with an expert in guerrilla warfare, with a man who's the best, with guns, with knives, with his bare hands. A man who's been trained to ignore pain, ignore weather, to live off the land, to eat things that would make a billy goat puke. In Vietnam Afghanistan his job was to dispose of enemy personnel. To kill! Period! Win by attrition. Well Rambo Chief was the best."

Enjoy retirement Chief. And write a book. I'll buy it.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
Word is in regarding the punishment for the photo with the dead combatant

Reduction in rank x1
Half months pay x2
Four months confinement (time served)

All Pardonable, let’s see after the election.

That reduction in rank is going to hurt his pension. What a crock.

this is bullshit. heads should have rolled, not gotten medals.



Their case collapsed in court but 4 Navy prosecutors still netted NAMs

On July 2 — more than nine months after he was charged with murder and a string of other war crimes allegedly committed in Iraq in 2017 — Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward “Eddie” Gallagher strolled out of a Naval Base San Diego courtroom a free man, guilty only of appearing in an inappropriate photograph.

Despite the collapse of their case against him, four military attorneys netted Navy Achievement Medals eight days later for their roles in his prosecution, according to records released to Navy Times following a Freedom of Information Act request.

Presented at the Navy Region Southwest Legal Service Office in San Diego on July 10 by Capt. Gary E. Sharp — the chief of staff of Naval Legal Services Command in Washington — the decorations included NAMs for three lieutenants, George O. Hageman, Brian P. John and Scott I. McDonald, plus a female officer whose name and rank were redacted by the Navy.

Signed by Capt. Meg Larrea, the commanding officer for RLSO Southwest, McDonald’s NAM citation praised him for his “superior performance” after reviewing a (redacted) number of hours of video and reading a (redacted) number of pages of discovery to prep for a trial where he “brilliantly cross-examined defense witnesses” and “expertly delivered the government’s case in rebuttal.”

John’s NAM lauded him for his “superior performance" and “brilliant legal acumen” despite an “unforeseen personnel change” that forced him to fleet up to become a top prosecutor.

Those pair of awards raised eyebrows because although those Navy attorneys weren’t found culpable of wrongdoing, the prosecution team was sanctioned by Navy judge Capt. Aaron Rugh for violating the constitutional rights of Gallagher.

Part of the punishment included booting Cmdr. Christopher Czaplak, the lead prosecutor, for a warrantless surveillance program cooked up with Naval Criminal Investigative Service agents to track emails sent by defense attorneys and Navy Times.

Czaplak appears to have been the “unforeseen personnel change" and it remains unclear if the Navy will present him with an award.

The spying wasn’t the only accusation of prosecutorial and police misconduct dogging the case. They were accused of manipulating witness statements to NCIS agents; using immunity grants and a bogus “target letter” in a crude attempt to keep pro-Gallagher witnesses from testifying; illegally leaking documents to the media to taint the military jury pool; and then trying to cover it all up when they got caught.

And although John was praised in his NAM for preparing the government’s “most challenging witnesses,” he was the prosecutor questioning Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Corey Scott on June 24, when the SEAL dropped a bombshell John didn’t know was coming: Scott killed the prisoner of war in Iraq, not Gallagher.

Gallagher’s civilian defense attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told Navy Times he was concerned that Big Navy was handing out NAMs to the prosecution before the convening authority had even ruled on his client’s sentence. He called on the Pentagon to investigate Larrea’s decision.

“How does Capt. Larrea still have a job?" he asked. “Why hasn’t she been fired? They’re giving out awards to the members of a prosecution team that was sanctioned for unlawful actions and substandard conduct.”

Parlatore pointed out that Gallagher was found guilty of only one charge — posing with a dead detainee’s body — but he offered to plead guilty to that crime before the trial kicked off.

“They’re awards praising an outcome we offered before the trial,” Parlatore said. “I don’t understand it.”

Navy spokesman Cmdr. Jereal Dorsey confirmed "that an awards ceremony occurred where letters of commendation and Navy achievement medals were presented to individuals on the prosecution team who were deemed, by their immediate superiors, to have performed above their normal duties.”

He pointed to the three NAMs awarded during the same ceremony for legalman petty officers, plus letters of commendations for a gunner’s mate third class, legalman second class and ships serviceman seaman.

Critics told Navy Times that they weren’t objecting to any awards for enlisted sailors, who they agreed toiled for long hours on the case.

Instead, they’ve homed in on the NAMs for the two officers who became legal architects of a failed investigation already tainted by allegations of professional misconduct and words Capt. Sharp uttered at the ceremony.

On July 19, the defense team for Lt. Jacob X. “Jake” Portier, the officer in charge of Gallagher in Alpha Platoon, SEAL Team 7, filed a pair of motions seeking to dismiss the case against him.

He’s accused of failing to report war crimes that Gallagher’s military panel said never occurred — part of a cover up by Gallagher they believe he never attempted.

Lt. McDonald is one of Portier’s prosecutors. Despite the setbacks in the Gallagher case, and and the rest of the team have pushed on with Portier’s trial, which is slated to begin on Sept. 3.

“This gives a new meaning to ‘Everyone gets a trophy,’” said Jeremiah J. Sullivan III, Portier’s lead civilian defense attorney. “But I’m not surprised.”

Navy spokesman Dorsey said that the service won’t “comment on matters currently in litigation, to include motions,” but those in the Portier case take a whack at both the awards and Capt. Sharp’s role in presenting them.

Drafted by Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Stewart L. Sibert and Air Force Lt. Col. Nicholas W. McCue, the filing alleges that during the ceremony Sharp announced “no matter the result, we were right to prosecute” Gallagher and that “justice was done.”

To them, Sharp insinuated that Gallagher had “committed more serious misconduct than he was found guilty of."

And they say that’s a problem because the judge who heard the Gallagher case and continues to preside over Portier’s, Capt. Rugh, was in the room when Sharp said it.

At the end of the ceremony, he was even invited to shake the hands of those bestowed with awards “and congratulate them on their achievements," according to the motion.

The defense team’s filing doesn’t call on Rugh to step down before Portier’s trial, but it suggests they must question him under oath to make sure he can remain an impartial judge during the upcoming trial.

That dramatic hearing is expected to play out in a Naval Station San Diego courtroom on Friday.

Parlatore praises Rugh, but he questions why the prosecution is persisting in the Portier case.

“It’s shocking that after the embarrassment of the Navy during Eddie’s trial, the Navy intends to go forward with their false claims against Lt. Portier," said Parlatore.

“I predict Mr. Jay Sullivan is going to win an acquittal — if the case isn’t dismissed before trial.”

https://www.navytimes.com/news...s-still-netted-nams/

President Trump says not so fast...

"Trump directs Navy to rescind medals for Eddie Gallagher's prosecutors"

https://www.foxnews.com/politi...llaghers-prosecutors

^^^^ I love our President. God Bless Donald Trump!

In addition to rescinding those NAMs, the four striper who awarded them needs to be bitch slapped big time.

Another awesome move by President Trump!

quote:

Presented at the Navy Region Southwest Legal Service Office in San Diego on July 10 by Capt. Gary E. Sharp — the chief of staff of Naval Legal Services Command in Washington — the decorations included NAMs for three lieutenants, George O. Hageman, Brian P. John and Scott I. McDonald, plus a female officer whose name and rank were redacted by the Navy.

Signed by Capt. Meg Larrea, the commanding officer for RLSO Southwest, McDonald’s NAM citation praised him for his “superior performance” after reviewing a (redacted) number of hours of video and reading a (redacted) number of pages of discovery to prep for a trial where he “brilliantly cross-examined defense witnesses” and “expertly delivered the government’s case in rebuttal.”

John’s NAM lauded him for his “superior performance" and “brilliant legal acumen” despite an “unforeseen personnel change” that forced him to fleet up to become a top prosecutor.

da fuq?
Those senior officers need to be brought before the board, answer for prosecution over-reach, then submit their separation of service paperwork. THEY, were the ones pulling the strings and instructing their attorney's to jam-up Gallagher.

Let’s hope that VADM Hannink, head of the JAG Corp; will get together with the new CNO Mike Gilday, and these two USNA 85’ classmates will unfuck this goatrope.

If not, I promise to deliver harsh words and generally dis them at our next reunion.

So what makes the “female officer” so special that her name/rank gets redacted???

Me thinks that the stench of corruption extends above the Prosecution Team to the Ranks above if they are giving out medals. I mean most supervisors would chew your ass, write you up for what this Prosecution Team. Illegal, improper acts, and then the absolute worst thing.....they got caught doing it. Who the hell do they think they are??? The Justice Department??? (just an explanation, see the Justice Department along with many progressive Soros sponsored state prosecutors do the exact same tactics).

This latest news will result in bullet statements for the JAG officers:

"Fearlessly faced POTUS and had NAM rescinded by Orange Mussolini. Promote now."

"True leadership! Used illegal methods to prosecute crimes against America's premiere fighting force."

"If you give him a penny for his thoughts, you'd get change."

"If you stand close enough to him, you can hear the ocean. Command material."

"Some drink from the fountain of knowledge; he only gargled."

"Takes him an hour and a half to watch 60 minutes."