Posted on Nov 18, 2019
What does the forum think about the pardons and reinstatement of rank that President Trump issued last week?
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Personally, I think President Trump did the right thing. It frustrates the hell out of me that some pencil pushing bureaucrats tried to ruin these guys lives. While I support the UCMJ, I highly doubt any of the JAG guys or Pentagon Brass that prosecuted these guys ever spent one second in combat. Chief Petty Officer was acquitted and yet they reduced his rank for a photo? LT Lorance ordered his troops to fire on a motorcyclist who refused orders to stop just days after another suicide bomber used a motorcycle and MAJ Golsteyn killed a known bomb-maker! in my opinion, none of these guys did anything wrong. They were sent to win a war, not a game or checkers! Let JAG walk a mile in these guys' shoes and see what they do under the pressures of being shot at, buddies killed, IEDs and Suicide bombers... Chief Gallagher said this morning on the news that he expects his Chain of Command to give him hell when he goes back to his unit. Thats BS. They were given a job and they did it to the best of their ability.
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Discharge
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Responses: 12
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"While I support the UCMJ, I highly doubt any of the JAG guys or Pentagon Brass that prosecuted these guys ever spent one second in combat". This was not something churched up by "Pentagon Brass". These charges were preferred by immediate chain of command at company or Battalion level based on concerns from people on the ground with them.
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I know others will disagree, but I think it sets a bad precedent for any politicians to overrule UCMJ. These service members were convicted by a jury of their own peers. To make it worse, I believe the reason was purely to gain favor with the military community. But, whatever the reason, I think it is always a bad idea. I thought it was a bad idea when President Obama commuted the sentence of Manning because that was overruling the military judge's sentence. I thought it was a bad idea for President Trump to make remarks on the Berghdal case before it began. I think any time any President overrides the UCMJ it automatically creates an appearance of being politically motivated and undermines the military Commanders.
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LTC Jason Mackay
MAJ Byron Oyler - lawyers, particularly prosecutors scuff people up, but all those guys who were with Lorance volunteered to be in the documentary oLeavenworth that is on Stars Network every Sunday. They are all saying what he did was wrong and they were there, on the ground and dealt with their PL being wounded and MEDEVACed. He somehow in three days demonstrated inappropriate and questionable decision making in at short time.
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CPT Lawrence Cable
SFC (Join to see) - I only followed one of these cases, but I'll give an opinion on the Justice System in general, that includes the UCMJ. Prosecutors yield a tremendous amount of power and at this level, literally have the weight of the entire Government behind them. They can and do pressure witnesses with threats of charges on them and it's very hard for an individual to have the resources to fight it. I would use Gen.Flynn as a prime example, and I am curious to see the outcome of his retrial, especially since I think the original one was a railroading. Unfortunately, we only get to see the public side of these trials.
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SGT Damaso V Santana
Alas, SFC, any comments on Obama's release of Taliban Commanders in exchange for a Coward Traitor?
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I personally feel that the President did the right thing. We train our men to be fighters, and to protect their men at the same time. Taking out enemy combatants is our job. Chief Gallagher was found innocent, but because the prosecution lost, they went after him on a ridiculous charge. LT Lorence was being charged for ordering the killing of an incoming potentially dangerous person who refused to stop. MAJ Golsteyn took out a previously identified bomb maker. People who have never seen combat have no idea of the stress these men are under, but like most armchair quarterbacks, make decisions based on their feelings while safe in their offices.
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SPC Todd Fitzgerald
Lorance was charged and convicted with the murder of two local farmers who were not only innocent people but were also standing still at the time of their murders. Please try to get the facts straight.
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