Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel Stuart P. Scheller - Former AITB Commander - Terry Lakin II

[Luke]

Marine Corps Times has a recap:

Marine relieved for viral video now says he’s resigning his commission
By James Webb and Andrea Scott Aug 30, 07:39 PM

A Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who was relieved of command Friday due to a now-viral social media video demanding “accountability” from senior leadership released a new video Sunday, in which he appears to resign his commission as a Marine Corps officer. Lt. Col. Stuart P. Scheller Jr.’s first video, released Thursday, sparked controversy and support on its way to accumulating more than 800,000 views on Facebook as of Monday morning. The infantry Marine and battalion commander of the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion at School of Infantry–East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, said he made the video for his “growing discontent and contempt” of “ineptitude at the foreign policy level.” The video was released the night that 13 service members, including 11 Marines, were killed in an attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan.
***
Scheller’s first video came with an influx of support. “I would follow this man through the gates of hell with an MRE spoon,” a Marine veteran who served under Scheller in 2017 wrote Marine Corps Times in a message. At the time Scheller was a major and company commander at The Basic School 26-week course at Quantico, Virginia. On Facebook, one commenter wrote, “Absolutely honored and proud of you for saying what needed to be said. The cost of incompetence is permanent for those young men.” The post garnered 2,400 likes as of Monday. On Friday, in a public Facebook post, Scheller wrote that he had “been relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence as of 14:30.” Marine Corps Times reached out to Scheller for comment and did not receive a response. “My chain of command is doing exactly what I would do… if I were in their shoes,” Scheller wrote Friday. “I appreciate the opportunities AITB command provided. To all the news agencies asking for interviews… I will not be making any statements other than what’s on my social platforms until I exit the Marine Corps.”

Friday evening Maj. Jim Stenger confirmed that Scheller was relieved of command by Col. David Emmel, commanding officer of the School of Infantry–East, “due to loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command.” Although Scheller initially stated that he would not be making any further statements on social media, he released a second video over the weekend in which he said he was resigning his commission from the Marine Corps. “I could stay in the Marine Corps for another three years, but I don’t think that’s the path I’m on,” Scheller said in his Sunday video, reportedly taken from an abandoned school bus in North Carolina. “I’m resigning my commission as a United States Marine effective now. I’m sure there’s some more admin or knows what to do that, and I’ll work through that.” Scheller went on to say that he has no interest in retirement or VA benefits he would qualify for. Instead, he still seeks accountability from senior leadership. “I think [senior leaders], accepting accountability would do more for service members and PTSD and struggling with purpose than any other transparent piece of paper or message,” Scheller said.

While Scheller’s first video was well-received by those who spoke to Marine Corps Times, his second video raised concern surrounding Scheller’s well-being. A Marine who served with Scheller, but wished to remain anonymous due to the videos’ attention, said that the recent deaths of 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman and a soldier in Kabul, Afghanistan, could be taking a toll. “He’s always been an infantry officer, meaning there’s a 100 percent guarantee that he has seen Marines get blown to pieces for absolutely no reason while the top brass advanced their careers with impunity despite their many failures,” said the Marine, who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.
***
Scheller’s awards and decorations, according to Stephenson, include the National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (three times), Army Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal with combat “V,” Iraq Campaign Medal, Navy Unit Commendation (three times), Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (two times), Humanitarian Service Medal (two times), Joint Meritorious Unit Award, NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (five times), Bronze Star Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three times), Korean Defense Service Medal, Marine Corps Combat Instructor Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Marine Corps Times reporter Philip Athey contributed to this report.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/y ... ommission/

[MN-Skeptic]

I didn't pay any attention to Scheller's original statements, my reaction here is based on his recent Facebook posting.

I'm not impressed.

First of all, Scheller appears to pooh, pooh PTSD, appears to feel that soldiers should just buck up and get over it. ["But never excuse a service member's actions with a wave of the hand to PTSD. You are crippling them by failing to hold them accountable."] I once worked with a woman whose husband was a Vietnam vet with PTSD. What she described was scary. I know that PTSD is real and is extremely difficult for many veterans. It's funny how Scheller states that suicides by veterans is a bigger threat than Covid, without making the connection that a number of those suicides are a result of living with PTSD.

Secondly, Scheller quotes the Secretary of Defense as saying "the most immediate threat [to the DoD] is COVID." Scheller argues that veteran suicides are a more pressing issue. I may misunderstand the governmental divisions, but a quick look at Wikipedia confirms that the Department of Defense is all about active military personnel. It's the completely separate Department of Veteran Affairs which deals with the veterans. And, from a readiness standpoint, Covid certainly is an immediate threat. Suicides of veterans has nothing to do with the Department of Defense.

But Scheller is also wrong to state that suicides of veterans is more of an issue that Covid. Covid is killing more veterans than suicides are. A July 30 article at AARP said that more than 12,700 veterans living in VA care homes and health centers have died from Covid. How many veterans outside of the VA health system have also died?

Anyway, I'm just annoyed by Scheller. He may have some legitimate complaints - like I said, I didn't pay attention to his initial rant - but he gets no points for his comments on PTSD and he obviously underestimates the seriousness of the Covid pandemic.

[northland10]

Can I ask upon what evidence we are assuming this is a mental health thing, rather than an extremist beliefs thing?

Nidal Hassan was not mentally ill, he was an Islamic extremist. Without any evidence to the contrary, I'm thinking the same thing about this guy. And, frankly, I'm really tired of veterans of a certain skin color voicing extreme views or behaving inappropriately (the recent veteran attacking airport personnel comes to mind) and immediately being excused because of mental illness or PTSD.

I don’t necessarily think it *is* a mental health thing. But this kind of behavior is *exceptionally unusual* for a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines. It may well be that they guy is just an asshole who wants to throw his career away. But I can pretty much guarantee that the Marine Corps is going to find out one way or the other whether he’s just a dick or whether there’s something else going on before they put him out.

Nidal Hassan was a major (O-4), one grade below this guy. Hell, Michael Flynn had three stars on his shoulders. The tradition of nutty officers goes back even further to guys like Thomas Power (who actually said "If there's two American left and one Russia, we win!" about a potential nuclear exchange) or Curtis LeMay, who routinely thought mass murder was a valid military strategy. Forgive me for saying I'm not super willing to take it on faith that the armed services are always the best judges of character among their officers.

The number of active flag officers (one star or above) authorized by Congress is currently around (taken from Wiki):

In 2018, there were around 147 active duty 3-star flag officers, 43,000 at O-4, and 27,000 at O-5. Given the total amount currently in active duty, some goofballs from time to time are inevitable.

https://download.militaryonesource.mil/ ... report.pdf

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

MN-Skeptic- I thoroughly enjoyed your summary of the Facebook page!

[Maybenaut]

We all come at this from different perspectives, I suppose. That bombing that killed those 13 Marines surely must have had an enormous effect on the Marine Corps. And that is what precipitated this guys rants which, although unwise, I don’t think were criminal.

Nor would I be terribly surprised if the Marine Corps decided not to take his denial of having PTSD as proof that he doesn’t have PTSD. In fact, the Marine Corps is likely to see his statement about suicide as a red flag.

If he felt so strongly about this stuff, nothing was stopping him from submitting a letter of resignation without making all these public comments. The fact that he decided to do this in such a public way was apparently viewed by the Marine Corps as a cry for help, because they sent him for a mental health evaluation. I think that was reasonable.

I have had a lot of clients with PTSD; as a result of the PTSD they did things that got them into trouble. But it didn’t amount to legal insanity so it was just background noise that nobody, including the judge or jury handing down the sentence, or convening authority, really wanted to hear about. Sometimes it was drugs; sometimes it was spousal abuse or child abuse; sometimes it was getting into fights; sometimes it was theft. The point is, not everybody with PTSD reacts to it in the same way. And what this guy is doing seems to fit the pattern: hard worker, stellar reputation, etc., all of the sudden behaving and self-destructive ways. That’s why I said in my first comment on this topic that it makes me really sad. Because it does.

I don’t know this guy. Maybe he’s got PTSD, or maybe he’s just some right wing nut job asshole like Terry Lakin willing to throw his retirement away over some stupid principle that in the end nobody’s really going to care about. But I sincerely hope that the Marine Corps tries to figure that out before they cut him loose.

[Phoenix520]

As mad as he is at Senior Command, he still seems to have respect for some of the men, if not the system. He can’t have risen to command himself if he weren’t in alignment originally.

I wonder which lies, specifically, radicalized this guy?

[Luke]

Way to own the Libs.

Disclose.tv @disclosetv 3h
NEW - U.S. soldier Stuart Scheller, a 17-year Marine, submits resignation letter effective 9/11, cites "lack of trust and confidence" in leadership.

Stuart Scheller
AITB Commander at United States Marine Corps

7h

To The American Leadership,

We the people submit our resignation with a requested date of 11 September 2021.

Reason: Loss of trust and confidence.

We the people seek change. We the people seek leadership. We the people seek accountability. We the people WILL take it.

Every generation needs a revolution.

Very Respectfully,
US

Stu.JPG (96.44 KiB) Viewed 1272 times

[Slim Cognito]

I know nothing about the military but i don't see that attitude going over well.

[Azastan]

Scheller went on to say that he has no interest in retirement or VA benefits he would qualify for

He says that now, but I bet in a few years time he will be taking legal action to claw them back.

[Dave from down under]

Q nut?
Militia nut?
SovCit nut?
all of the above?...
"We the people submit our resignation"

[pipistrelle]

Q nut?
Militia nut?
SovCit nut?
all of the above?...
"We the people submit our resignation"

9/11/2021, the date of the next big insurrection.

[Reality Check]

Good riddance.

[Dave from down under]

Q nut?
Militia nut?
SovCit nut?
all of the above?...
"We the people submit our resignation"

9/11/2021, the date of the next big insurrection.

9/11/2021
9 November 2021...

just as 09:11:21
is 9am 11 minutes 21 seconds..

[raison de arizona]

"Oh, if it isn't the consequences of my own actions."

Edit: It's possible this is fake, I couldn't source it other than to Filipkowski

Edit: Looks like it is real, full post below...

[Maybenaut]

I don’t think he actually said that. It’s not on his Facebook page.

ETA: he did post something earlier today on his Facebook page where he kind of double down.

[raison de arizona]

I don’t think he actually said that. It’s not on his Facebook page.

ETA: he did post something earlier today on his Facebook page where he kind of double down.

Yeah, I'll note that. I looked and didn't find it either, but Filipkowski has been reliable so...

Edit: Found the full post:

► Show Spoiler

Edit: It's not on his FB page, I think he deleted and replaced it. But dunno, grain of salt and all I suppose.

[Maybenaut]

If he did say it, I wonder if he’s actually been charged with anything. I don’t think his statements so far were criminal (those he made before today, that is; I’m getting less certain).

It’s possible that the Marines might try to shoehorn these comments into some existing criminal statute like communicating a threat or contempt toward officials, but that might backfire (those statutes require a great deal of specificity).

The safer course would be to charge him with conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman under Article 133 or conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline under Article 134.

[pipistrelle]

Paywall:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... ary-kabul/

Such views — and Scheller’s decision to express them — are as alarming as they are out of line. But many on the right have sought this week to cast Scheller as a martyr for their latest lost cause. Donald Trump, who as president negotiated the abysmal deal with the Taliban that Biden implemented, shared a Free Beacon story about Scheller’s comments. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.) condoned the insubordination. “This guy is all class,” the ex-Navy SEAL tweeted. The American Conservative called Scheller a “National Hero.”

Scheller’s remarks came in the same week that a group called “Flag Officers 4 America” published an open letter signed by 87 retired generals and admirals that demanded the resignations of Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, himself a retired four-star general. “If they did not do everything within their authority to stop the hasty withdrawal, they should resign,” the letter states. “Conversely, if they did do everything . . . then they should have resigned in protest.”

[RTH10260]

Paywall:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... ary-kabul/

Such views — and Scheller’s decision to express them — are as alarming as they are out of line. But many on the right have sought this week to cast Scheller as a martyr for their latest lost cause. Donald Trump, who as president negotiated the abysmal deal with the Taliban that Biden implemented, shared a Free Beacon story about Scheller’s comments. Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Tex.) condoned the insubordination. “This guy is all class,” the ex-Navy SEAL tweeted. The American Conservative called Scheller a “National Hero.”

Scheller’s remarks came in the same week that a group called “Flag Officers 4 America” published an open letter signed by 87 retired generals and admirals that demanded the resignations of Army Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, himself a retired four-star general. “If they did not do everything within their authority to stop the hasty withdrawal, they should resign,” the letter states. “Conversely, if they did do everything . . . then they should have resigned in protest.”

Did these people forget that the "hasty withdrawl" was set up by their own "hero", the former double impotus?

Apart there was nothing hasty, the retreat was done over like 18 months, closing down all those bases, clearing them out, and handing the empty shells over to the Afghan government and Afghan army. All material was transported back to Bagram airbase near Kabul where the material was sifted and valuable items were airlifted out of the country. The Taliban are now sitting on a sizable scrap yard.

[Maybenaut]

After promising to stay away from facebook for a week but only lasting three days, Lt. Col Scheller is back. He purports to celebrate, but in the same breath stereotypes the American worker (“ hard hat wearing, time card punching, hungover but still gets up and goes to work hero”). It appears his lawyers have explained the Smith Act to him; he’s no longer saying, “follow me.” You can advocate for the violent overthrow of the government all day long, so long as the advocacy doesn’t include a call to action. For what it’s worth, the military has had better success prosecuting Smith Act cases than the civilian sector.

To the people who stand with me,
I have been advised not to make any further statements by all my lawyers, family/friends, and the teams of people trying to push me into different directions following my military career. I also said I would take the week off, and it’s only been three days.

BUT, tomorrow is Labor Day. The day we celebrate the hard hat wearing, time card punching, hungover but still gets up and goes to work hero. And I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to celebrate that hero with some sentiments that I think belong to the entire Labor Force.

The Labor Force has this to say to the American Government… perhaps, we the people are not as divided as you want US to be. We understand that divisions make it easier to control US. We understand that divisions can be exploited.

Fox News and CNN clearly illustrate our point. We have to watch both commentaries to understand how one side is spinning a story towards the other side. What if we just had an organization that reported the facts. We could come up with a name for it… like the news.

We the people are not black/white, straight/gay, Christian/atheist, mask/nomask, police/community, wallstreet/mainstreet… so on and so on. We are Americans. Adjectives are not required.

The Labor Force seeks fundamental change in our Government. We reject your system. If you’re not paying attention, you fucking should be. Refer to the Declaration of Independence as a reminder.

“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness… When a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”

Second, the Labor Force wants to make another statement to the military establishment. Our current National Security Establishment created after World War II does not work. We the people seek fundamental change.

President Eisenhower, a man with more experience/insight than any other American past or present on this matter, clearly anticipated our current problems with this quote, “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."

How many General Officers and high ranking OSD employees get jobs with Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Haliburton, or Northrop Grumman. I dare you to publish that stat. Do you think we’re stupid?

We can’t ALL be wrong.

They only have the power because we allow it.

Every generation needs a revolution.

e3

[fierceredpanda]

This case is going to turn into the next Eddie Gallagher. You can already see the political Right lining up behind Scheller, explicitly endorsing his insubordination. I don't know how military justice is supposed to function in a world where half of the political leaders in the country think all members of the armed forces are above the law (at least, when they act in a way that political party approves).

[Maybenaut]

This case is going to turn into the next Eddie Gallagher. You can already see the political Right lining up behind Scheller, explicitly endorsing his insubordination. I don't know how military justice is supposed to function in a world where half of the political leaders in the country think all members of the armed forces are above the law (at least, when they act in a way that political party approves).

ETA: He attempts to frame his arguments as neutral, but it’s clear he’s arguing from the right.

Howard Levy he ain’t.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court-m ... oward_Levy

[filly]

Sounds to me like this guy is attempting to incite a mutiny/sedition. I thought there was a law against that.

[Resume18]

We can’t ALL be wrong.

Yes, yes you can.

[Maybenaut]

Sounds to me like this guy is attempting to incite a mutiny/sedition. I thought there was a law against that.

There is. He’s not there yet. Under Article 94 of the UCMJ, mutiny requires more than words, and sedition requires at least two people.