{"id":21958,"date":"2019-11-27T00:45:19","date_gmt":"2019-11-27T00:45:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/27\/frogman-against-frogman-case-against-navy-seal-sparks-debate\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:12:04","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:12:04","slug":"frogman-against-frogman-case-against-navy-seal-sparks-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/news\/your-marine-corps\/2019\/11\/27\/frogman-against-frogman-case-against-navy-seal-sparks-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Frogman against frogman\u2019: Case against Navy SEAL sparks debate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

SAN DIEGO \u2014 The war crimes case against a Navy SEAL not only cost the Navy secretary his job. It dragged an elite military force known for quiet professionalism into a political firestorm and drove a wedge through the special operations community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regardless of their position on the allegations against Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher<\/a>, most SEALs agree that the force has suffered from the attention surrounding the case that led President Trump to restore Gallagher\u2019s rank. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly divisive and polarizing within our own community,\u201d one SEAL said. \u201cIn some ways, it\u2019s pitting frogman against frogman, and it\u2019s really hard to know what to do. We\u2019re not well-equipped to deal with so much public exposure and political interference.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The SEAL, who still serves in the military, spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fear that his comments could harm his career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The case has spurred conversations among the ranks about how to move past the uproar while also addressing the problems that led to it. SEALs still in uniform and those who are retired told The Associated Press that the debate is raging in private online forums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some believe the president should not have used his authority <\/a>as commander in chief to erase the sentence handed down by military jurors who convicted Gallagher of posing with a dead Islamic State captive. Jurors recommended that he be demoted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gallagher was acquitted of murder charges in the fatal stabbing of the captive and attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting at civilians during his deployment to Iraq in 2017. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other SEALs believe Trump had no choice but to intervene because of the Navy\u2019s botched handling of the case, which included the prosecution tracking the emails of Gallagher\u2019s lawyers during the court-martial, which the judge noted violated his due process rights. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They thought Navy commanders went too far by calling a review board last week to determine whether Gallagher should remain a SEAL, just as the Bronze Star recipient was preparing to retire after two decades of service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Eddie
In this July 2, 2019, file photo, Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves a military court on Naval Base San Diego. (Gregory Bull\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bill Brown, an enlisted SEAL who left the service in 2005, reached out Friday to the Navy\u2019s top SEAL, Rear Adm. Collin Green, to let him know many SEALs shared that point of view. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI told him, \u2018With all due respect, admiral, sometimes you\u2019ve got to let a guy ride out into the sunset,\u2019\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown said Trump was looking out for warfighters.<\/a> Many SEALs have not felt that trust with Navy leadership, which has called for a crackdown on everything from uniform standards to grooming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, the Navy has been sending its top warriors on multiple deployments. Gallagher deployed eight times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some fear being judged when they return home, Brown said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re in a combat zone, you don\u2019t think about anything except worrying about your mission,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to make sure our officers have our back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others believe some will now be wary of reporting wrongdoing. <\/p>\n\n\n\t