Must be 21+. Gallagher was hugging his wife. [19] The president's move also favored several other military members accused of misconduct: in addition to Gallagher, Lieutenant Clint Lorance was ordered freed; and the prosecution of Matthew Golsteyn was ended. [16] The defense argued that Gallagher's text messages merely reflected dark comedy in a stressful situation, and that his more outrageous boasts, such as killing twenty people a day, were clearly impossible. Subscribe to Here's the Deal, our politics newsletter. SEALs Divided: Documentary Hunts for the Green Berets. Sometimes Lt. Portier would make excuses for Gallagher, and sometimes he assured us that he had taken action against him. These werent SEAL tactics. Eddie outing these people and the units they are in might be unprecedented in the SEAL community. Eddie Gallagher New York Times reporter Dave Philipps joins Deadline White House panel to discuss the Navy SEALs' testimony against Eddie Gallagher. Later, another SO1 who was trained in battlefield medicine told NCIS that he remembered watching the other SEAL corpsman treating the detainee, who appeared to have suffered a leg injury and struggled to breathe, possibly from blast lung, a condition that often affects those who survive explosions. Instead, most only heard about Gallagher committing the same kinds of horrific acts as the people we were sent to fight. According to an April 20, 2018, NCIS interview with Lt. Cmdr. [6] On October 18, Lieutenant Jacob Portier of Gallagher's platoon was also charged with failing to properly notify his superiors within the chain of command, to include the destruction of evidence. So we probably won't see the final outcome for a while. Gallagher repeatedly sent us to positions where SEALs and our Iraqi partner forces were wounded or killed by small arms and rockets. A retired Navy SEALwhose war crimes trial made international news has launched a video attack on former SEAL teammates who accused him of murder, shooting civilians and who testified against him at his San Diego court-martial in June. This story has been updated with the correct name of KPBS Public Media in San Diego. Filling in that gap of time, an SO1 who had been with the detainee later told NCIS that the wounded fighter also received a chest tube. Jason Hull). Eddie Gallagher / AFP PHOTO / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP/Getty Images). [14], According to the original Navy prosecutor Chris Czaplak, "Chief Gallagher decided to act like the monster the terrorists accuse us of being. Concerns about Gallaghers tactical judgment during the 2017 deployment pepper the NCIS files provided to Navy Times. Gallagher Gallagher This would result in an improvement to Gallagher's pension and retirement benefits. Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher celebrates after being acquitted of premeditated murder at Naval Base San Diego, July 2, 2019, in San Diego. But, the good comes with the bad. Support C&L Go Ad-Free Today and blamed his accusers for being the cowards. After the platoon rotated home to Naval Base Coronado on Sept. 1, 2017, Gallagher called a meeting in their high bay to confront his fellow SEALs about any problems they had with him, according to several NCIS reports. [58], In 2021, Gallagher said on the podcast The Line, although he did not stab the ISIS fighter, "[the ISIS fighter] was killed by us, and that nobody at that time, had a problem with it", and the group performed medical procedures on the prisoner which killed him (including inserting an emergency airway into the ISIS fighter's throat, "just for practice"). According to a former Navy prosecutor, the top admiral in the Navy directly handling such a matter is extremely rare, but not unmerited due to the high profile of the case. These werent SEAL tactics. Theres the fog of war, of course, but several statements display fundamental disagreements about what occurred on the battlefield and was rehashed during meetings with each other and their superiors back in California. They mercilessly murdered, raped, and pillaged minority communities throughout the region. Retired SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher sues Navy Not only did they lose the case, they had difficulty with respect to information that may have been obtained from opposing lawyers and for giving immunity in a totally incompetent fashion. Most are very private about where they serve and how they are serving. Later that night, the LPO gathered the platoons enlisted SEALs together and told them that morally they could not let these actions continue, so if Iraqi security forces brought more prisoners to them they should send them away so Gallagher could not injure anyone else, according to the NCIS report. Last summer, Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher was acquitted of shooting civilians and killing a captive ISIS fighter. I hoped the men who were acquitted or pardoned would use their platforms to bring awareness about issues facing veterans and active-duty members. Gallagher had eight overseas deployments, including service in both the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan. They say its obstruction of justice or intimidating witnesses, but its really just telling the truth and telling the truth isnt obstructing justice, he said. He remembered attending Bible study at the home of the chief and his wife, Andrea, who led the class. His actions are everything ISIS says we are. Over the years here and Barstool and my time in the Marine Corps, I got to know several SEALs and other members of "special units." He came to national attention in the United States after he was charged in September 2018 with ten offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. I didn't want to spread the names and wanted to see what they thought before even hitting publish but it's out there. From other NCIS and Iraqi records provided to Navy Times, it can be pinpointed to May 3, 2017 less than a month after Alpha Platoon began their tour and the ICFM were members of the Iraqi Emergency Response Division, the Ministry of the Interiors elite special forces unit. The most prominent accusation and the best-attested to was the murder of a prisoner of war, a war crime. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Spencer responded that terminating this probe could only be done via an official written order from the White House. The plan for the platoon was to have a perimeter around (Gallagher) to prevent this from happening again, he said. In fact, we were expecting Gallagher to come out and talk to us after the sentencing, but, instead, he and his wife got in the car and they drove away. WebEddie Gallagher (Navy SEAL) Edward R. Gallagher (born May 29, 1979) [1] is a retired United States Navy SEAL who was accused of war crimes. They wanted him fired from a schoolhouse billet that taught junior SEALs battlefield operations. Green ordered Gallagher's case to be investigated by the Trident Review Board, in order to determine whether Gallagher should be stripped of his SEAL Trident insignia, the official symbol of certification within the Naval Special Warfare SEAL community. [35] On July 2, 2019, they acquitted him on six of the seven original charges but found him guilty of the seventh charge of "wrongfully posing for an unofficial picture with a human casualty". Gallagher went to trial last summer on charges that he murdered an Islamic State prisoner of war and committed other war crimes in May 2017 outside Mosul, Iraq. Since Gallagher had already served more time during his pre-trial confinement, he was released. It was a surprise, in the sense that, yesterday, when the verdict came out, and he was acquitted six of the seven charges, and all six were the most serious charges, there was a great deal of jubilation. Multiple pieces of GoPro footage are missing and prosecutors say they cant locate them. Recon. From this clip, it doesnt appear that will be the case. We didnt focus on keeping evidence that would hold up in court. They said that he went up in the sniper tower and shot at civilians. Gallagher then text messaged a friend in California a picture of himself holding the dead captive's (ISIS) head by the hair with the explanation "Good story behind this, got him with my hunting knife.[9][13], Prosecutors alleged that Gallagher's sniper work during his 2017 deployment became "reckless" and "bloodthirsty". Directors Doug Shultz and Jeff Zimbalist secured the participation of Gallagher; his wife, Andrea; and the members of SEAL Team 7 who accused Gallagher of war crimes. He added that he was only about a foot away from the prisoner when Gallagher pulled out his knife and stabbed the boy two or three times in the neck. [1] Other snipers said they witnessed Gallagher taking at least two militarily pointless shots, shooting and killing an unarmed elderly man in a white robe as well as a young girl walking with other girls. [7], During his service, he was decorated for valor several times, including two Bronze Stars. He was interviewed in 2020 by former Navy SEAL and current K9 trainer Mike Ritland on YouTube. NCIS reported that a second class petty officer also saw Gallagher stab the prisoner, but later internal messages shared between defense attorneys and Navy officials appear to indicate that he thought the chief sank his knife into the detainees torso and the boy already had died. In this June 23, 2014, file photo, fighters from the Islamic State group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces armored vehicle on the main road in Mosul, Iraq. All right, Steve Walsh of KPBS in San Diego, thank you very much. Iraqi security forces distribute food to refugees from Badush outside of a patrol base near Al Tarab, Iraq during the offensive to liberate West Mosul from ISIS, on March 10, 2017. [6] The defense also called eyewitnesses, with Marine Staff Sgt. SEAL Eddie Gallagher was found not guilty [3] Following Scott's confession, prosecutors canceled other witnesses they had planned to call, fearing their testimony would further undermine their case. The decorated Navy Seal was also accused of being reckless with his sniper rifle, and some of his platoon mates alleged that he shot at unarmed civilians. Our deployment to Mosul in 2017 had the potential to be one of the most kinetic deployments in recent Naval Special Warfare history. At first, they say, the anti-Gallagher campaign by the alleged whistleblowers appeared to succeed. One of the members of Gallaghers unit Alpha Platoon, SEAL Team 7 is expected to testify that Gallagher confessed that he killed four women, according to Naval Criminal Investigative Service files and legal records provided to Navy Times. When I first saw the video that Gallagher put on his Instagram page, I was legit shocked. But Gallaghers repeated actions and comments proved to us that his actions were not accidents. Eddie Gallagher and the changing story The San Diego Times-Union has written about it. But President Donald Trump reinstated his rating late last year. Rangers. Because many of the SEALs who became witnesses against Gallagher are in operational units or expected to return to overseas work, officials asked Navy Times to withhold naming them, at least until theyre called as witnesses in a public trial. All appear on camera. They could have taken my Trident at any time they wanted, now they are trying to take it after the President restored my rank and after we just filed IG exposing all the corruption that has been going on during my case. [8] He received positive evaluations from his superiors within the SEALs, and served as an instructor in the SEALs BUD/S program for recruits. Support C&L Go Ad-Free Today and blamed his accusers for being the cowards. They don't want this sentence of confinement on his record, if they can possibly avoid it. The SEAL compound boasted a main headquarters building that overlooked the low ground below them and peered over an opposite hillside. [45] A week earlier, Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer had sent Trump a note asking him not to intervene again. We act on the information that we have on hand. The LPO got the impression that Gallagher had no intention of avoiding committing the same acts again and told NCIS the chief said, They do a lot worse to us.. [51] Gallagher's case was scheduled for a hearing by the Navy SEAL review board on December 2, 2019. The decorated Navy Seal was also accused of being reckless with his sniper rifle, and some of his platoon mates alleged that he shot at unarmed civilians. Eddie Gallagher When seemingly endless processions of women, children and elderly people were fleeing ISIS, we offered up what little MREs and water we had, and gave medical care when possible. Joseph Warpinski is the lead NCIS special agent assigned to the Gallagher probe. 1996 - 2023 NewsHour Productions LLC. Another sniper who also has indicated he might not testify later told prosecutors that he saw an old man go down, but he didnt see Gallagher shoot him, according to emails to prosecutors provided to Navy Times. No one wins in this story. He insisted they all made the story up because THEY were afraid of It escalates and Warpinski is now on the case.". Nearly 50 minutes into his videotaped interview with NCIS, the SO1 sniper conceded that the SEALs had received intel reports that women were supplying weapons, water and food to Islamic State fighters, but he insisted he saw nothing like that through his scope. Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher celebrates after being acquitted of premeditated murder at Naval Base San Diego, July 2, 2019, in San Diego. The AOIC told Gallagher this sort of training by fire was extremely unnecessary but Gallagher shot back that his junior SEALs were all a bunch of pussies" and needed the experience, the document states, The lieutenant said he became so alarmed by Gallaghers tactical acumen that he began examining the plans for every proposed mission in order to mitigate the risks, and tried to go out on every operation he could to make sure that the lives of his teammates werent being unnecessarily jeopardized.. Glad I could help! "The platoon wasnt doing what SEALs like to do. To Parlatore, the concerns expressed by the AOIC and other SEALs less experienced in combat than Gallagher really boiled down to disputes over how special operators should adapt to the 21st century urban battlefield. He told Warpinski he saw four girls walking along it, toward the river, away from ISIS territory. Corey Scott Now: Where is SEAL Team Medic Today? Not a single one of us could have imagined that we would have to report a friend and mentor for war crimes. Special Operator 1st Class Josh Vriens is a former Navy SEAL sniper who served in Alpha Platoon under Eddie Gallaghers command. To Gallaghers attorney Parlatore, the SO1s interview is the classic example of a witness whos trying to connect dots for investigators by grasping on to events and conversations that likely arent related but end up unfairly portraying the platoon chief as someone hes not. As it was supposedly being handled, we took matters into our own hands to attempt to stop our chief. Two of the other girls ran away and over a berm out of sight. But at the beginning of the probe, two interviews with SEALs still on active duty today seemed to propel the larger NCIS investigation. In fact, I talked to the ZBT group chat before writing this blog. Giorgio Kirylo testifying that he saw Gallagher try to save the prisoner, and observed no stab wounds on the dead man. I just want to make clear that this small group of SEALs that decided to concoct this story in no way, shape or form represent the community that I have, you know, loved and gave my soul to. For us, this was an easy fight to get behind. A lot of remarkable things happened on that deployment. Well, the way it works in military court, this will go to the convening authority for final approval of this sentence. Following his Navy career, Gallagher began commercial ventures including an action figure, Thank you. And then his attorneys seem pretty eager to appeal this decision. Reddit He made the tactical decisions and we carried them out. [33], After the trial, it was considered possible that Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Corey Scott, the SEAL Medic whose surprise testimony dismantled the prosecution's case, would be prosecuted for perjury; however, Chief of Naval Operations John M. Richardson stripped Navy prosecutors of their authority to charge Scott with perjury. Retired SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher sues Navy Small enough to be transported in a backpack, the quiet, hovering UAVs can unleash tiny, but potent, missiles to blow up enemies, miles away from where operators are remotely piloting the drones. As more witnesses began reciting their allegations against the chief, prosecutors contend that Gallagher circulated their identities to others in the SEAL community and encouraged them to disclose the names and blacklist them.. Was always a jerk. After repeatedly changing his story and denying that he killed the teenage prisoner at all, he finally conceded a half-truth on Apple TVs The Line documentary: He admitted to killing the prisoner, just not in the manner that my teammates saw, or in the way that he told me and other SEALs. [54] "The guy is freaking evil," Special Operator First (SO1) Class Craig Miller said. Throughout the trial, Gallagher acted as though it was not he who had been accused of wrongdoing but the investigators, prosecutors and witnesses. All Rights Reserved. And they certainly dont murder unarmed prisoners or terrorize civilian populations. It was the judge advocate generals office at Group 1s California HQ that summoned Warpinskis agency, records reveal. Directors Doug Shultz and Jeff Zimbalist secured the participation of Gallagher; his wife, Andrea; and the members of SEAL Team 7 who accused Gallagher of war crimes. Parlatore said that information in the video about the SEALs was already known. But this isnt going to be like the typical murder case. [44] After Richardson's retirement in August 2019, his replacement Admiral Michael M. Gilday took ownership of the request. Eddie Gallagher The fourth girl, who was wearing a blue dress, helped the girl in the grey dress to her feet and helped get her over the berm.. Eddie Gallagher Eddie Gallagher's shocking claim And others have declined to participate in the ongoing NCIS probe, including a Marine staff sergeant and a pair of Navy explosive ordnance disposal technicians attached to the platoon during the 2017 deployment. [31] Scott called it a "mercy killing" and argued that the victim would have been tortured by Iraqi personnel due to his connection to the Islamic State. New York Times reporter Dave Philipps joins Deadline White House panel to discuss the Navy SEALs' testimony against Eddie Gallagher. Support C&L Go Ad-Free Today and blamed his accusers for being the cowards. SEAL Team 1, SEAL Team 3, SEAL Team 5. Hes since been advanced to chief, the same grade as Gallagher. After watching the mini-series The Line, do you believe Published Jan 25, 2022 9:00 AM EST. It played into their overall narrative that this was a sloppy investigation, they didn't ask the right questions to the right people at the right time. The problem is, once they get what they wanted, the process doesnt stop. clothing line and nutritional supplement endorsements. This account was also contrary to the statements of at least seven other SEALs[33] as well as Scott's previous statements. The SO1 told NCIS that he observed a Humvee full of ICFM soldiers enter the compounds gate. Gallagher's accusers painted him as a bloodthirsty warrior who was out of control in Iraq in 2017. He insisted they all made the story up because THEY were afraid of But justified or not, whats clear to everyone is that they didnt like the mission. The SO1 sniper said that the northern tower was occupied by Gallagher and two second class petty officers from SEAL Team 7. Gallagher was accused of several war crimes by some of his platoon subordinates, including that he shot civilians and stabbed a wounded ISIS fighter in the neck, killing him, while in Iraq in 2017. Eddie was definitely a pirate.. So there was a feeling today that maybe Gallagher would serve no jail time at all, at least wouldn't get a sentence of any jail time. Now, theyre stuck," said Parlatore, who suspects some accusers lied to investigators. The LPO told the agent that an SO1 who remained to assist Gallagher with the medical care was freaking out a little bit over what Eddie just did but there was nothing anyone could do because the subject was dead.. Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. [1] The defense cited two high-ranking Iraqi Army members that the detainee was "barely alive"[1] when he arrived; according to prosecution witnesses, the prisoner's leg injury did not appear serious to the initial medic who treated the prisoner, and that the medic was surprised the detainee was dead when he returned. And when our EOD technician was shot on a rooftop, it was Medic Corey Scott who immediately treated him and formulated a plan to get him off the roof as Lt. Tom MacNeil called in a medical evacuation in defiance of Lt. Jake Portier, our platoon leader, who ordered him not to do so because we were in a restricted area. The guy is freaking evil, Miller told the investigators. Gallagher repeatedly sent us to positions where SEALs and our Iraqi partner forces were wounded or killed by small arms and rockets. Gallagher provides audio commentary over some of the video footage, saying that even though he was acquitted of the charges, there are those to this day who do not accept that fact.. According to Gallagher, Vokey performed no useful services and was bilking him. In a Jan. 11 motion filed by Gallaghers defense team, attorneys indicated that the Marine who has declined to assist NCIS saw the detainee but detected no stabbings around the neck or chest and said the prisoner had stopped breathing before dying. Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher Releases The Names The SO1 told Warpinski that at first, he thought Islamic State fighters were shooting civilians. Special Warfare Operator Chief Edward Eddie Gallagher in Iraq in 2017. He insisted they all made the story up because THEY were afraid of [59][60][61] Gallagher's attorney during the court-martial, Tim Parlatore, said this was not new information as the prisoner was going to die regardless owing to the injuries sustained and said that Gallagher misspoke as none of the procedures shortened the prisoner's life. [59][60][61], Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL (BUD/S), Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, "What motivated fellow SEALs to dime out Eddie Gallagher? He was slated to be awarded a Silver Star during that fateful deployment in Mosul when the [44], The clemency decision ended up moot: in November 2019, President Trump announced that Gallagher's demotion would be reversed. Real brothers dont needlessly put their men at risk. This is from a large project that will surely shock the military world. Truth is our best defense and we think that once everyone hears what really happened, Eddie will be exonerated.. I've certainly never heard of anything like this happening. He referred NCIS to an SO1 who served as a sniper during the deployment. Multiple witnesses are expected to testify that they were far less effective in combat because their focus shifted from fighting ISIS to protecting civilians and they lost faith in Gallagher as a platoon chief because he was firing indiscriminately at civilians," a file states. In a statement Thursday, May 10, 2018, coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon said that U.S.-backed Syrian forces have captured five senior Islamic State group leaders. Barstool Sportsbook has arrived in PA, MI, IL, IN, CO, VA, NJ, TN, AZ, IA, WV, LA, KS, MD, OH, MA. The other SEAL sniper whos now a civilian told investigators that he estimated the girl to be a 12-year-old, according to another document provided to Navy Times. This story is all bad and just when you think it's behind us, there's another headline that brings it all back. [5], The case was considered to be a "difficult"[15] one because the Navy did not begin a formal investigation for nearly a year after the reports were made and by then much of the physical evidence, such as the bodies of those alleged to be killed by Gallagher, were not recoverable. I have directed the Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer & Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson to immediately withdraw and rescind the awards", "Lawyer for Eddie Gallagher Says Acquitted Navy SEAL Owes Him Up to $1 Million", "Navy Reduces Punishment for SEAL in War Crimes Case", "Report: Trump makes SEAL Gallagher a chief again", "Navy secretary strongly considering resigning over Trump's meddling in SEAL case", "Trump ordered Gallagher be allowed to retire as Navy SEAL, defense secretary says", "Esper says Trump ordered him to stop SEAL review board", "Eddie Gallagher controversy: Esper fires Navy secretary, SEAL will keep Trident pin, Pentagon says", "Esper says Trump ordered him to allow Gallagher to keep his Trident pin and remain a SEAL", "Does Trump's Navy SEAL pardon undermine military justice?
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