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CPO Gallagher
nunn
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 36,017 ******
The job of our military is NOT to be concerned about whether anyone will be offended by the job they do. Their job is to kill the enemy and break his stuff.
Posing for a photograph with the severed head of an enemy combatant does not bother me in the least. If our war fighters even want to use the empty skulls of our enemies to drink a pint of ale, more power to them!
Bravo, Chief Petty Officer Gallagher!
Posing for a photograph with the severed head of an enemy combatant does not bother me in the least. If our war fighters even want to use the empty skulls of our enemies to drink a pint of ale, more power to them!
Bravo, Chief Petty Officer Gallagher!
Comments
If you are going to go to "War," then take the MF'n gloves off, and go to War.
If not, then don't bother.
Trumps has pretty much said that................good for him too
"Never do wrong to make a friend----or to keep one".....Robert E. Lee
While I confess I never went through BUD/S, I find it hard to believe they train people to stab prisoners when that prisoner is being treated for injuries, no loner poses a threat, and is under our complete control.
I firmly believe we need to fully engage the enemy on the field. The killing needs to stop when they are captured.
This iswas POS was injured and captured by Iraqis and brought to Seal Team Medics. Gallagher stabbed him while he was being treated. This is not in dispute.
These types of actions, while we may be able to sympathize with a person's mindset immediately following action, cannot be excused or exonerated.
In my opinion, of course. If you agree that stabbing a defenseless and injured prisoner is part of what our military should be doing, please feel free to disagree.
Brad Steele
I would imagine if he had, he would have been up for Murder, not merely "posing with a Corpse." That was new information to me Sir. I have not read that, anywhere thus far.
Link?
Under Barry's orders if I am correct, you can't engage unless the enemy has fired at the soldiers or somebody friendly? He would have been a hoot during WW2!!
Ken here is what he was charged with. Looking at the charges and reading what all happened it looks to me like there was a lack of discipline in his unit.
C&P
UCMJ Article Charge/Specification
Article 80 Attempted Murder
Article 118 Premeditated Murder
Article 128 Aggravated Assault with a Dangerous Weapon x2 on non-combatants
Article 134 Firearm, discharging-willfully, under such circumstances as to endanger human life at non-combatants
Article 134 Obstructing Justice (three counts)
Article 134 Wrongfully pose for an unofficial picture with a human casualty
Article 134 Wrongfully complete reenlistment ceremony next to a human casualty
Article 134 Wrongfully Operate a drone over a human casualty
Article 112a Wrongful Use of a Controlled Substance ? Tramadol Hydrochloride
Article 112a Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance ? Sustanon-250
Chief Gallagher was accused of multiple offenses during his final deployment to Iraq and during the Battle for Mosul. The most prominent accusation and the best-attested to was the murder of a prisoner of war, a war crime.[6] A captured young fighter of the Islamic State (also known as ISIL, ISIS, and Daesh) was being treated by a medic. According to two SEAL witnesses, Gallagher said over the radio "he's mine" and walked up to the medic and prisoner, and without saying a word killed the prisoner by stabbing him repeatedly with his hunting knife. Gallagher and his commanding officer, Lieutenant Jake Portier, then posed for photographs of them standing over the body with some other nearby SEALs. Gallagher then text messaged a fellow SEAL a picture of the dead captive with the explanation "Good story behind this, got him with my hunting knife.?[6]
Another accusation was that Gallagher's sniper work during his 2017 deployment became indiscriminate, reckless, and bloodthirsty. He allegedly fired his rifle far more frequently than other snipers;[2] according to testimony, the other snipers in the platoon did not consider him a good sniper, and he took "random shots" into buildings.[1] Other snipers said they witnessed Gallagher taking at least two militarily pointless shots, shooting and killing an unarmed old man in a white robe as well as a young girl walking with other girls. Gallagher allegedly boasted about the large number of people he had killed, claiming he averaged three kills a day over 80 days, including four women.[1] Gallagher also was reportedly known for indiscriminately spraying neighborhoods with rockets and machine gun fire with no known enemy force in the region.[6]
A charge of obstruction of justice was brought against Gallagher for alleged witness intimidation. According to the claim, Gallagher allegedly threatened to kill fellow SEALs if they reported his actions.[2] The Navy cited his text messages as attempting to undermine the investigation, with messages sent to "pass the word on those traitors", meaning cooperating witnesses, and to get them blacklisted within the special warfare community.[6][1] This resulted in him being confined in the brig for a time with heavy restrictions on his ability to communicate, although this confinement was later lessened.[2]
Gallagher was also charged with "nearly a dozen" lesser offenses.[2]
According to the original Navy prosecutor Chris Czaplak, "Chief Gallagher decided to act like the monster the terrorists accuse us of being. He handed ISIS propaganda manna from heaven. His actions are everything ISIS says we are."[3][2]
Unfortunate to say the least.
Wonder why he was not brought up on Murder charges?
He was brought up on murder charges.
A little research into the case exposes a lot.
The below is copied from another thread:
Couple of things, Mike.
1. He was not tried in a civilian court. He went through a court martial, and was found not guilty of the murder of the captive after one of his shipmates testified that it was not Gallagher's slitting the guys throat, rather that he killed the captive by blocking his airway.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-nav ... -prisoner/
From the link:
SAN DIEGO ? A pathologist testified Monday at a Navy SEAL?s murder trial that a wounded Islamic State militant in Iraq could have died from a stabbing described by other witnesses.
Dr. Frank Sheridan said he couldn?t determine a cause of death because there was no body and a lack of other evidence.
The testimony at the trial of Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward ?Eddie? Gallagher, though, countered a statement offered last week by another SEAL who stunned the court when he confessed to the killing.
Corey Scott testified Thursday that he killed the victim by plugging his breathing tube after Gallagher unexpectedly stabbed the fighter while treating him for injuries suffered in an air strike outside Mosul in 2017.
Scott testified that the militant, described as an adolescent boy, would have survived the stabbing.
But Scott said he decided to asphyxiate him because he assumed he would later be tortured and killed by Iraqi forces who captured him and brought him to the Navy medics for treatment.
https://taskandpurpose.com/seal-chief-g ... -execution
From this link:
For example, prosecutors introduced text messages from Gallagher to Chief Warrant Officer 2 B.G., in which he said, "I got him with my hunting knife" with the photo of him with the dead ISIS fighter. B.G. replied, "be careful with pictures." And another text message from Gallagher to another active-duty SEAL, according to Warpinski, referenced "getting his knife skills on."
People can believe what they wish to believe. I am sensitive about what people in my Navy do, are accused of doing, and when they are unjustly treated.
In this case, there are some things that most folks agree are factual.
1. An iswas piece of human garbage was injured in an air strike, captured, and turned over to a Seal Team medics for treatment.
2. During this treatment, Gallagher stabbed the captive an undisclosed number of times.
3. The captive died, and Gallagher posed with the corpse. (Some say he posed with the head, but this seems to be in dispute, so I do not consider this to be factual information.)
4. Gallagher went through Court Martial proceedings, and was acquitted of the murder because of Scott's testimony (Please note that Scott had received full immunity prior to testifying), but convicted of posing with the body.
IMO, Secretary Spencer approached this correctly at first, when he said he would resign if Gallagher was fully exonerated by President Trump. His oath includes 'according to regulations and the UCMJ', and it is 100% logical that and honorable man would walk from his job if he felt he was given orders that would compromise this clause.
It then appears that Spencer tried to have his cake and eat it too by backdooring SECDEF and trying to cut a deal with POTUS in order to remain SECNAV. If this it true, he has lost any claim to honor.
All members of the US Armed forces should be held to a professional standard of conduct. Transgressions can be forgiven when in contact with an active enemy. Transgressions against a captive over whom we have complete control cannot be forgiven.
I cannot speak to whether this one incident should define his entire career. He should, however, be forced to face the consequences of his actions, and (again, in my opinion) Trump stepped into this with a political motivation and has not considered the long term ramifications of the precedent that is being sent with this exoneration.
Brad Steele
I do not support such behavior if that's what in fact happened.
However...
If he was acquitted of all charges I don't see how he can be punished...
Separate him from the service - put a career killing letter in his jacket - etc...
How did JAG fail to convict him of all 42 charges and lesser offenses during the trial???
I mean I know a jury acquitted OJ Simpson but this seems odd.
Mike
Mike
Neighbor?
Do a little research into his trial.
As stated previously, I do not know if we should let this one incident define his career, but it cannot be ignored as Trump seems to want it to be.
Brad Steele
Most disheartening to learn. Obviously that puts a whole new light on his "Service."
Just Damn.......................................................................I obviously, had not looked in to this deeply enough.
I will look into it but won't waste my time for the best holiday. IF he was acquitted then it's a mute point.
I had an old WW-2 vet gun dealer who saw a lot of action in WW-2 and God rest his soul, stated to me that the atrocities during WW-2 was off the scale, mostly on Japan but with Germany AND the USA. He witnessed shooting of prisoners during the rush to Germany and executions of Germans wearing USA uniforms on the spot. Does it all make it right? No, but imo it doesn't make it wrong, depending on situations. HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING TO ALL ON HERE! God bless the USA.
Thank you, Mr. President for having the nerve to do the right thing!!!