Chief Gallagher's Case Causes Tension Between Navy and White House
People serving in the U.S. Navy line up in front of a ship. (Navy Live)
The case of Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher’s alleged war crimes committed during his 2017 deployment to Iraq has become a contentious situation between President Trump and top Navy administrators. Following the decision to revoke Gallagher’s status as a SEAL, Trump intervened and created an ambiguous situation for the Navy Administration.
The case centers around Gallagher as he was brought before a court-martial for charges brought against him surrounding the death of a teenage ISIS soldier, a prisoner of war. In July, Gallagher was found not guilty of almost all crimes, except for posing with the corpse for a “trophy photo.” He was demoted one rank to Petty Officer First Class as punishment.
However, Trump disagreed with this decision. In early November, he reversed the decision and restored Gallagher’s rank and pay.
The most recent controversy surrounds Gallagher’s status as a Navy SEAL and the prestigious Trident pin that is awarded for service in the selective group. Rear Admiral Collin Green, the commander of Naval Special Warfare, began the official process of revoking Gallagher’s pin, which would officially expel Gallagher from the SEALs. Trump tweeted in response.
In response to Trump’s tweet, the Navy Administration released a statement saying,
“The Navy follows the lawful orders of the President. We will do so in case of an order to stop the administrative review of SOC Gallagher's professional qualification. We are aware of the President's tweet and we are awaiting further guidance."
The Trump tweet came only one hour following the appearance of one of Gallagher’s lawyers, Timothy Parlatore, on the television program Fox and Friends. Parlatore argued that the Navy’s decision was an act of defiance in response to the President’s decision to restore Gallagher’s rank. During the interview, Parlatore said, “What he’s [Admiral Green] doing here is really just an effort to publicly humiliate Chief Gallagher and stick it right in the president’s eye.”
Despite the confusion and unorthodox orders, Trump’s tweet has been successful. According to an official, all review boards have been paused and are awaiting further orders from the White House.
Gallagher’s case is not as unique as the Navy has faced a lot of controversy surrounding wartime practices. However, the administration is attempting to make strides. Admiral Green has ordered the review of three other SEAL officers’ Trident status. “Our Force has drifted from our Navy core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment,” Green said in a memo to all major commanders. “This drift ends now.”