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CAPT Kevin B.
73
73
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You can be pro/con on POTUS, SECNAV, the Chief, but it doesn't change the basics. The CnC gave an order. It was followed. Then a backdoor game ensued where SECNAV bypassed his boss. He was fired for it. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks, people are obligated to follow legal orders and stick to the chain of command. Ex SECNAV then martyrs himself on the Constitution. Really? Convening some sort of peer review board when someone is headed out the door? That's just vindictive. To what purpose? To send a message. Choice of person to have this happen to? Stupid as he has the perfect top cover. This mess begged for a quiet Exit Stage Right. Then the egos just couldn't let it go.

I had the Beltway Body Shop transfer in a SM without telling me. Problem was two days later, he decided to put a uniform on and protest at the local Congressman's office. After being prominent on the 6 o'clock news, he was my problem and I was responsible. Being in Command, I get it. The Flags loved my solution though. The Chief is a product of leadership actions and inactions. If he's deemed a "pirate", you better own up to who created it. That's why I was so disappointed with the "We have a problem" spiel. It needed to be "Leadership created a problem."
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AN Richard Russell
AN Richard Russell
4 y
SSgt James Holt - What medical degree do you have? I have already busted a gasket over Bill Clinton, George Bush JR. and his pal Dick Cheney and Barrack Obama. So Trump is no problem. I take my oath to the US Constitution seriously and so should everyone in the military. As Americans have the right to free speech and that means the freedom to voice our opinions, concerns, and factual events of the Commander and Thief.
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PO3 Douglas Lehman
PO3 Douglas Lehman
4 y
AN Richard Russell - “Commander in Thief” check yourself
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Cpl Brett Wagner
Cpl Brett Wagner
4 y
AN Richard Russell - That's fine but you have to know with that "freedom" there is consequences for your actions. You are free to drink poison but the consequence could be death. Another thing is when you enlist or accept a commission in the military you lose many rights or freedoms that civilian Americans have. As an example if a civilian in Colorado Springs, CO walks into a store that sells marijuana buys some and smokes it there is no problem because it is legal for him to do so. But unless the UCMJ has changed I don't think someone from the USAF academy or Fort Carson could do the same. In the Constitution you have a right to privacy but in the military they can come in and search your possessions at anytime without a warrant. Does that violate the 4th Amendment? So feel free to speak freely airman perhaps tell your C.O. you think he/she is a "Horse faced pony soldier" and remind him/her that you have the right to freedom of speech as guaranteed to you by the U.S. Constitution.
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AN Richard Russell
AN Richard Russell
4 y
You have the freedom of speech as long as it is done respectfully! For your information, I have told my co he was an ass on more than one occasion in private and with respect! We have the right to call out our Commander and thief for the incompetent pathological liar that he is!! Thousands dying from Corvid-19 due to his incompetence and blundering Still has of today 4-8-2020 Trump has not done anything for the hospitals, doctors, nurses on the front line of this pandemic!! wants the State governors to kiss his butt before he will do anything for them in this pandemic! But Trump has stock in that Swedish pharmaceutical company that makes that anti-malaria drug he keeps pushing in his Corvid-19 conferences So I do have the right to call a conman like Trump a conman? Yes, Yes I do! Yes being in the military you lose some rights but freedom of speech is not one of them yet!
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Cpl Jeff N.
67
67
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The military court martial system can be very unfair and heavy handed. We saw in this case a number of things that were done that were very questionable and we saw prosecutors relieved over it.
How would any of us react if we were accused and dragged in front of a court martial for something we did not do? The truth may never be fully know except by those that were there, on the ground. Gallagher maintained his innocence on the murder charge and due to a confession by someone else, he was found not guilty (on the most serious charge).

We engage in wars to win. Winning is not always pretty. How many surrendering enemy troops were killed in places like Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, The Battle of the Bulge, Normandy etc. etc. etc. ? How many "war crimes" were committed in those battles? How many cities did we bomb knowing that thousands of civilians would be blown to pieces or incinerated?

Our job is to win small fights, larger battles and ultimately wars. For those of you that want perfect outcomes and nothing perhaps over the line then I think you are being unrealistic. It is a highly dangerous profession being on the tip of the spear deployment after deployment. Unless there is something egregious, I will side with the Gallagher's of the world. He is not, perhaps, perfect but he appears to be pretty effective.

Allow him to retire as the president has said. There is really no other choice. The President has issued the order. SECNAV tried to play in the margins and he was fired (as he should have been). Time to move on.
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AN Richard Russell
AN Richard Russell
>1 y
SPC Patrick Rodriguez - Just like a good Schutzstaffel solider would do!
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SSgt James Holt
SSgt James Holt
4 y
Well stated! I suppose we all have a point of total saturation and I am fairly certain that the point of total saturation is unique for each of us. I am a chemist so please forgive me for my analogy. For those who may not know a point of saturation is the point at which a solution can not absorb one more molecule of whatever is being added to it. IE salt into water. Depending upon other conditions such as temperature and the purity of the water to begin with, there comes a point at which one more molecule of NaCl will over saturate the solution causing the burden of NaCl in solution to precipitate. Humans are in some way very much the same. War is ugly mess violent and at some point or other we are likely to reach a point at which we as individuals have seen too damned much. Some of us can recover with a little help but we are never likely to regain who we were unless somehow or other what we have seen can be completely erased from our memory tapes. Unless one has been there and done that and gotten the teeshirt for it, it's not likely they can fully rationally understand what goes on at the forward edge of the battle area. Yes there are excesses and I suggest there are levels of excesses and we should strive to discourage excesses but what is excessive is sometimes in the eyes of the beholder and based on circumstances that can not be fully appreciated without having been there. Gallagher was no saint but then damned few of us are. Let he who is without excess in one way or another cast the first stone.
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CPT William Jones
CPT William Jones
4 y
AN Richard Russell I find it interesting that this thread was about the commander in chief exercising hit authority to legally grant the Chief a pardon as he is the top boss no one under him has the authority to say he was wrong and maintain their job. The sec nav is subordinate and the boss relieved him as is his perogativre. In the military you question the boss in private not the news papers.
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AN Richard Russell
AN Richard Russell
4 y
SGT Dan Gray - Bring them on. Violation of Article 88 of the UCMJ ? I have the right by the US Constitution and it is over the UCMJ. I have the right to call a con man a con and a crook when he is one! Yes i disrespect a five time draft dodger that mocks our military and the brave women and men who risk their life for a corrupt con man. Where was his patriotism during Vietnam? Oh that's right! Daddy brought his patriotism and a way out of serving his country. I remember how everyone jumped on Bill Clinton about being a draft dodger when he wasn't even called up for the draft. Yet these same people say nothing of Trump! Then Trump to criticize the troops that was wounded in Iraq during the recent missile attack was really something to be respectful over! Trump calling the Generals and Admirals babies and dopes he wouldn't server under! That coward Trump would never put his life on the line for anyone much less his own country.
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I think the Navy handled this case badly and were unethical and unfair at times. Gallagher is no saint but it does appear his command is being vindictive. The military justice system is in need of a few reforms.
CWO3 Retired
CWO3 (Join to see)
>1 y
I agree. From the beginning to the end this issue was unfair and unjust. CPO Gallagher will have to face his peers and subordinates about his actions he took. In my professional opinion our military services leadership is being questioned and also the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. What ever happened to Duty, Honor, Courage, and Loyalty. Our military personnel and it’s senior leadership will be in question if not already. What’s done is done and I hope we all can learn from it.
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SSG Paul Jackson
SSG Paul Jackson
>1 y
Yes Sir, Goat-roping of this magnitude are always a team effort.
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LTC James McElreath
LTC James McElreath
>1 y
The last thing I would like to convey: The military is not set up to be a democracy.! Everyone has a boss and you are required to follow their orders. If you later have a problem ask your questions then.
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