A 17-year Marine was just relieved of duty after posting a short video on Facebook criticizing military leadership over the horrible withdrawal from Afghanistan:
BREITBART – Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller of the United States Marine Corps revealed Friday afternoon that he has been relieved of duty for posting a video criticizing military leaders for failing to take responsibility for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In the video, Scheller, a 17-year Marine Corps officer, said that he knew he was risking his career by speaking out, but that he wanted to explain why so many service members were frustrated, in the wake of the terror attack on U.S. forces in Kabul on Thursday.
“The reason people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down. … People are upset because their senior leaders let them down, and none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying, ‘We messed this up.’ If an O-5 battalion commander has the simplest live-fire EO complaint — boom, fired.”
He called out Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen., Mark Milley, and others.
Those statements cost him his career.
Below is the video:
I honestly didn’t feel that Scheller was over-the-top or unreasonable in the least. He simply wanted to echo what his fellow Marines were saying and demanded accountability from top military leadership.
For this they relieved him, but he doesn’t hold it against them. In fact he said he’d do the same if he were in their shoes:
To all my friends across the social networks. I have been relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence as of 14:30 today.
My chain of command is doing exactly what I would do… if I were in their shoes. I appreciate the opportunities AITB command provided. To all the news agencies asking for interviews… I will not be making any statements other than what’s on my social platforms until I exit the Marine Corps.
America has many issues… but it’s my home… it’s where my three sons will become men. America is still the light shining in a fog of chaos. When my Marine Corps career comes to an end, I look forward to a new beginning. My life’s purpose is to make America the most lethal and effective foreign diplomacy instrument. While my days of hand to hand violence may be ending…I see a new light on the horizon.
Semper
I like the fact that he’s not running to the media while still a Marine. He’s clearly not in this to make a name for himself or sling mud at military commanders. No, Scheller seems like the real deal and I hope he lands on his feet after this.