{"id":62026,"date":"2021-10-14T19:16:27","date_gmt":"2021-10-14T19:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/10\/14\/marine-who-took-to-social-media-to-demand-accountability-pleads-guilty-to-all-charges\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T11:38:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T11:38:40","slug":"marine-who-took-to-social-media-to-demand-accountability-pleads-guilty-to-all-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/flashpoints\/2021\/10\/14\/marine-who-took-to-social-media-to-demand-accountability-pleads-guilty-to-all-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"Marine who demanded \u2018accountability\u2019 via social media pleads guilty to all charges"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

CAMP LEJEUNE, North Carolina \u2015 Despite his defense counsel denouncing the charges as a \u201claundry list of grievances\u201d meant to appease general officers, a Marine colonel who had taken to social media to demand accountability from senior leaders about failures in Afghanistan pleaded guilty to all charges<\/a> against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller will resign his commission, per a plea agreement confirmed at a special court-martial trial held Thursday morning at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the trial\u2019s sentencing phase, which started Thursday afternoon, he faces a maximum punishment of forfeiting two thirds pay for twelve months. He also will receive a punitive letter of reprimand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheller, who appeared to be mostly relaxed on Thursday, seemed to understand his fate, saying, \u201cEither people love me or hate me,\u201d acknowledging that his continued service in the Marine Corps would be a \u201cdistraction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions by the judge, Col. Glen Hines, focused not so much on Scheller\u2019s motivations, but rather the impact that his comments had on good order and discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scheller\u2019s first viral video showed him speaking in uniform and was posted to Facebook and LinkedIn on Aug. 26 after 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman and one soldier were killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul. <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That first video, which as of Thursday had nearly 1.5 million views on Facebook and LinkedIn combined, garnered him much support and attention, but after that, \u201cthe system had turned its back against me,\u201d Scheller said Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the video he asked if the secretary of defense or chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which includes the Marine Corps commandant, had thrown their rank on the table and said, \u201cHey, it\u2019s a bad idea to evacuate Bagram Airfield, a strategic air base, before we evacuate everyone? Did anyone do that? And when you didn\u2019t think to do that, did anyone raise their hand and say, \u2018We completely messed this up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n