After a Marine Lt. Col. who was relieved from his duties following a video he posted of himself ripping on military leaders for a lack of “accountability” over the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, Texas Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw responded.
“This guy is all class,” Crenshaw said. “He knew what the consequences would be. His concerns are not wrong. Many people feeling the same lack of accountability. When the dust settles that accountability must happen.”
This guy is all class. He knew what the consequences would be. His concerns are not wrong. Many people feeling the same lack of accountability. When the dust settles that accountability must happen. https://t.co/bpA79F4Fdi
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) August 28, 2021
Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller posted a four minute and 45-second video on Facebook in which he ripped into military leadership following a deadly explosion at Hamid Karzai International Airport that left 13 U.S. military members dead. He questioned whether top military leadership made the right call in removing troops from Bagram Airbase.
“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,’” Scheller said. “I’m not saying we’ve got to be in Afghanistan forever, but I am saying: Did any of you throw your rank on the table and say, ‘Hey, it’s a bad idea to evacuate Bagram Airfield, a strategic airbase, before we evacuate everyone’? Did anyone do that? And when you didn’t think to do that, did anyone raise their hands and say, ‘We completely messed this up’?”
“Potentially all those people did die in vain if we don’t have senior leaders that own up and raise their hand and say, ‘We did not do this well, in the end,’” Scheller continued. “Without that, we just keep repeating the same mistakes. I have been fighting for 17 years. I am willing to throw it all away to say to my senior leaders: I demand accountability.”
According to Politico’s defense reporter, Scheller was relieved of his duties after the video went viral.
“Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, who posted a viral video demanding accountability from military leaders over Afghanistan, has been relieved of his duties and will leave the Marine Corps, the service confirms,” Politico reported.
Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, who posted a viral video demanding accountability from military leaders over Afghanistan, has been relieved of his duties and will leave the Marine Corps, the service confirms.
— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) August 27, 2021
Scheller confirmed his removal in a Facebook post, claiming he was “relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence as of 14:30 [Friday].”
According to The Daily Wire’s reporting, active duty and retired service members cannot condemn the chaotic — and now deadly — pullout of American troops from Afghanistan. This includes condemning military leadership and even President Biden.
In an email dated August 23, the Office of Naval Intelligence’s (ONI) Chief of Staff told members that per a Uniform Code of Military Justice and Department of Defense Directive clause, they cannot disrespect senior government leadership. This includes the president, vice president, Congress, and the secretary of defense, among others.
The email also states that the policy extends to ONI “civilians.” These members were specifically directed to avoid “being too vocal in criticism of, say, the President.”