Green Beret officer's Silver Star revoked as Army cites investigation

Crusader74 said:
Why would the Major admit he murdered the taliban bomb maker knowing full well he could face criminal charges?
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Because he doesn't believe it was murder. He felt that he made the appropriate decision.

But taking dude off-post to execute/bury him, then coming back so you can burn the body, is a clear cut picture of "I'm trying not to get caught because I know what I did was wrong".
 
Marauder06 said:
I agree that the President does not need to get involved at this time. The officer in question admitted to murder. Twice. That's not how we do things in the military. And, as Commander in Chief, President Trump should not involve himself in the military legal process at this time.

I suppose he could always issue a pardon in this case if he figured there was a serious miscarriage of justice.
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If it's so black and white, I'm curious to know who asked the President to review the case and why.
 
Topkick said:
If it's so black and white, I'm curious to know who asked the President to review the case and why.
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The biggest named person I've seen speak about this is Rep Duncan D. Hunter(R) who, as the Army Times points out, has been championing this case for a while.

Unrelated to this specific story, but you may know his name as the marine vet who was indicted on conspiracy and wire fraud charges a few months back.
 
Crusader74 said:
I don't understand. He has ruined his life
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Has he? He know has something he's probably wanted for a long time: attention. He's writing books, going on news broadcasts... after his plan to join the CIA washed out, this seems to be Plan B. Assuming he dodges jail, this is probably putting him on the path to a political career.

IIRC, he confessed to the crime the first time during a polygraph test he took as part of his application to join the CIA. They turned him in, there was an investigation, he had some admin actions taken against him but no jail time.

Then, during an interview, he admitted it again, possibly because he believed double jeopardy was attached.

At any rate, who can say why anyone does anything? There are several documented cases where people confess to "war crimes" that they never even committed.

As far as why he did the crime itself, it's amazing what people will say or do when they think they're operating in the absence of consequences. There seems to be a lot of that in the SOF community right now.
 
Marauder06 said:
IIRC, he confessed to the crime the first time during a polygraph test he took as part of his application to join the CIA. They turned him in, there was an investigation, he had some admin actions taken against him but no jail time.
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This is "that" guy??? I remember discussing him here. it was like, "yeah, I killed him! I did my job and I'd do it again!"

This was what I remember comparing him to....channeling his inner Col. Jessup.
 
Marauder06 said:
Has he? He know has something he's probably wanted for a long time: attention. He's writing books, going on news broadcasts... after his plan to join the CIA washed out, this seems to be Plan B. Assuming he dodges jail, this is probably putting him on the path to a political career.

IIRC, he confessed to the crime the first time during a polygraph test he took as part of his application to join the CIA. They turned him in, there was an investigation, he had some admin actions taken against him but no jail time.

Then, during an interview, he admitted it again, possibly because he believed double jeopardy was attached.

At any rate, who can say why anyone does anything? There are several documented cases where people confess to "war crimes" that they never even committed.

As far as why he did the crime itself, it's amazing what people will say or do when they think they're operating in the absence of consequences. There seems to be a lot of that in the SOF community right now.
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But like the CIA, I 'd say no one will touch him with a barge pole.
 
Hard to say if the truth will come out in the wash or not and it’s unfortunate that the Major bull horned his actions...especially if they were misconstrued. However I hard agree that the ROE have reached new heights of absurdity.

In 1991 an officer briefed us in country and we received a one-sided card for ROE, end of story.

Recently a soldier in the 3rd Army shared with me his deployment booklet and the ROE was several pages long. I wasn’t surprised, I’d describe the feeling more as being disgusted.

I guess this is an old drum I’m beating...rant over, my .02
 
Topkick said:
Why?
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Due process. How can you review something that hasn't been decided yet?

Marauder06 said:
I agree that the President does not need to get involved at this time. The officer in question admitted to murder. Twice. That's not how we do things in the military. And, as Commander in Chief, President Trump should not involve himself in the military legal process at this time.

I suppose he could always issue a pardon in this case if he figured there was a serious miscarriage of justice.
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Exactly!
IF there is a conviction in this case, then the POTUS/CIC can review the case. Opening his trap now is akin to Obama spouting off about "racist police killings" hours after a legal, but yet un-investigated police shooting took place.
 
pardus said:
Due process. How can you review something that hasn't been decided yet?



Exactly!
IF there is a conviction in this case, then the POTUS/CIC can review the case. Opening his trap now is akin to Obama spouting off about "racist police killings" hours after a legal, but yet un-investigated police shooting took place.
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That's fair. But, I do think it'll be more difficult to impact the case, assuming Trump believes the Major was treated unfairly, after a conviction. Then, as @Marauder06 stated, Trump could issue a pardon.
 
Topkick said:
That's fair. But, I do think it'll be more difficult to impact the case, assuming Trump believes the Major was treated unfairly, after a conviction. Then, as @Marauder06 stated, Trump could issue a pardon.
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It's simple. If Trump interferes now, he is screwing up the legality of the case which is wrong, if he waits until a possible conviction, and pardons, then it's totally legal and appropriate.
 
Army general denies request by officer pardoned by Trump to have his Special Forces tab reinstated

The decoration for retired Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn was denied in December by Lt. Gen. Francis M. Beaudette, the commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command, two defense officials said on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. The Army followed by asking an administrative board that reviews personnel decision to consider several decisions involving Golsteyn, the officials said.
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Just because he was pardoned doesn't mean the action didn't occur. Perhaps the pardon was just, perhaps it was not. Either way it happened and MAJ Golsteyn has to live his life, and the rest of us have to do our jobs.

I never heard his name mentioned at Fort Bragg, and don't even know which BN he served in. I was in 3rd GRP five years, and was there when the charges were first filed, his medals revoked, etc. I understand many support him and many don't. In any case, the CG has made a decision.
 
I'm guessing the "administrative panel" could overturn the CGs decision? And if they don't...well, Trump blocked the move to take Gallagher's Trident pin.
 
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The difference is - his tab and award were revoked a LONG TIME before the POTUS pardoned his criminal behavior.
The 3rd SFG revokes SF Tabs all the time. In 3rd group, tab revokation is like a hobby. There was a time when you couldn't get through an entire deployment without "somebody" getting fired. There were tabs revoked just for fucking up on the ride home !!!
Golsteyn's tab was revoked over 5 years ago - this didnt happen weeks after the pardon as a way to circumvent the pardon from the POTUS.

The attempted narrative that LTG Beaudette has just recently done this as a snub to the POTUS is all hype. When the Navy tried to take away the other guys Trident - it was AFTER the pardon. The "perception" that it was done as the Navy's way of getting some street justice was an easy one to infer based on all of the little snippets being made in the press.

This guys shit was taken away 5 years ago. Getting his shit taken away should have been the end of the discussion - this idiot got off light. Lets pretend for a second that I know NOTHING about the military...
...am I to believe a Captain (at the time) in the US Army Special Forces thinks it is OK to burn a body up?
Seriously - lets just pretend for a moment that I was never a medic and I was never in the 3rd SFG - hell, lets pretend I was never ever in the military so I only know what I read on the interwebz -I don't know 'stuff' so I have to ask people that serve:

- was burning a human body - for ANY reason - in Afghanistan during that time frame 'acceptable"
somebody tell me because I apparently dont know what the standard of practice was at that time. Who knows maybe this is a believable story and his acts are common practice - and an Army Captain is well within his authority to make such choices. Maybe this bad guy really was killed in a violent ambush and then his body was dragged off to be burnt to prevent disease - its probably done all the time...
...isn't it?

Maybe - just maybe - this guy was a shit sack from day one.
Maybe - just maybe - this guy fucked up - tried to cover it up - and got caught.
Maybe - just maybe - he actually got off light and avoided criminal charges under the guide of having his tab pulled - his award revoked - and getting invited to leave if he would just go away quietly and keep his mouth shut. Who knows - anything is possible.

Unfortunately he couldn't keep his mouth shut and he talked about it in public - he talked about during a poly' looking for a job that he shouldn't have had anyway - he talked about it VERY publicly as if he was telling the Army to get fucked.
...THEN when everyone was forced to acknowledge - his shit went to a REAL trial. Instead of getting "SF fired" he got hit with criminal charges - and suddenly he is poor pitiful oppressed little guy - begging for mercy.

Sometimes, the easiest way out of a hole is to stop digging - this guy never learned that shit.
Now he is yapping again trying to generate enough public sympathy to get his tab back when he should just be glad that the POTUS intervened - otherwise this fine example of an honorable American hero might very well have ended up in prison for a long time.


I fully support that the POTUS - for that matter, ANY POTUS - can pardon folks that are guilty of colossal fuck ups. Presidents have been giving pardons to shitsacks for generations. Shitsacks that should have been hung in the town square get pardoned all the time.
That doesn't mean I am not disappointed when these shitsticks get pardoned.
The thing is - I am not all that disappointed in the POTUS (any POTUS) giving a pardon to this turd - or the other turd for that matter...
...I am disappointed that turds like this are smart enough to beat our selection and training processes in the first place.
...I am disappointed in our peer networks that allow these turds to flourish

Just my two cents - I could be wrong
 
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