A Marine lieutenant colonel who posted videos criticizing the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior military leaders for their roles in the Afghanistan withdrawal was given a letter of reprimand and ordered to forfeit $5,000 in pay.
Lt. Col. Stu Scheller posted a video on Aug 26 condemning U.S. military leaders for the chaotic removal of troops from Afghanistan and demanded accountability for 13 service members who were killed in a bombing by ISIS or the Islamic State terror group - ISIS.
The lieutenant colonel was accused of failure to obey orders, dereliction of duty, conduct unbecoming an officer and other conduct charges. He pleaded guilty to all charges on Thursday.
His attorney has previously said that Scheller would plead guilty as a sign of accountability and to show the generals how accountable is. Scheller's court-appointed docked pay was less than the six months that Marine Corps trial counsel had been seeking. Scheller, a military judge at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, said he watched a 600-page investigation into Scheller's conduct and reviewed the videos he posted.
The court saw someone in pain, who was confused and frustrated, Marine Corps Judge Col. Glen Hines said, appearing to empathize with the lieutenant colonel.
The judge also reviewed Scheller's military records and found glowing reports of his service, telling the court that Scheller had an outstanding record before this one month course of conduct. Scheller, however, note that Hines is to be held responsible because the court doesn t condone these offenses in this case. Those who deviate must be held accountable, the judge said.
Scheller made the video hours after the attack at Kabul airport at Abbey Gate. He served in Afghanistan and said he knew a person who was killed in the attack.
People are upset because their senior leaders let them down and none of them raise their hands and accept accountability or saying we messed this up, he said in the video.
I have been fighting for 17 years now, Scheller continued. I am willing to throw everything away to say to my senior leaders that I want accountability. The video went viral on social media and Scheller continued to post more, going against orders from higher-ups. The commander of U.S. Central Command told a marine Gen. Frank McKenzie that in one video, he would file accusations against the commander of Marine Corps, saying senior leaders need to be held accountable the same as us. In a Sept. 25 Facebook post, Scheller accused the commanding officer of demoralizing him. He spent more than a week in military prison and following his release, Scheller teamed up with the Pipe Hitter Foundation, a nonprofit organization started by former Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, whom former President Donald Trump pardoned for his role in ISIS prisoner murder. The lieutenant colonel and the foundation raised more than $2 million for him and his family.
In charging sheets, obtained by the military blog Task and Purpose, the Marine Corps alleges that Scheller made statements that seemed to incite protest, such as: Every generation need a revolution. Defense department regulations prevent service members from protesting and advocating for revolution. The charges, however, relate to his videos and his alleged statement about revolution does not appear in the videos.
Parlatore has said that claims his client was inciting a revolution were a complete distraction. Not long after the videos were published, Scheller was relieved of command at the School of Infantry-East Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Maj. Jim Stenger, a Marine Corps spokesperson, said Scheller was relieved of his duties due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command. He later resigned his commission and now it s up to the Secretary of the Navy to decide the manner of his discharge from the Marine Corps. Parlatore previously said he is asking for an honorable discharge.