Navy SEAL trial exposes divide in normally secretive force

It was called the "The Sewing Circle," an unlikely name for a secret subsect of Navy SEALs. Its purpose was even more improbable: A chat forum to discuss alleged war crimes they said their chief, a decorated sniper and medic, committed on a recent tour of duty in Iraq.

The WhatsApp group would eventually lead to formal allegations that Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher fatally stabbed a wounded Islamic State captive in his care and shot civilians in Iraq in 2017.

Gallagher, 40, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

A jury of mostly combat Marines will ultimately decide the fate of the 19-year-veteran and Bronze Star recipient charged with murder, attempted murder and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline for posing with the corpse for photographs.

No matter the outcome, the court-martial at Naval Base San Diego has provided a rare view into the insular Navy SEAL community and likely will have a long-term impact on one of the military's most secretive and revered forces. It has pitted veterans against each other both inside the courtroom and out in a fierce debate over brotherhood, morality and loyalty.

"SEALs, it seems to me, have been seeing themselves as God-like on the battlefield, and there is a real danger in taking that view of one's unit or one's self," said Gary Solis, a former military judge and Marine Corps prosecutor who teaches law at Georgetown University. "I think this will alert the SEAL community that the rules apply to them."