Marine top brass has claimed in charges against Lt. Colonel Stuart Scheller that he was trying to 'incite a revolution' by repeatedly criticizing the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal and calling for a change in military leadership, leaked documents have revealed.
The viral Marine posted that 'It’s time for a new generation to assume American power. We are ready, and we reject the current system... Follow me, and we will bring the whole f***ing system down… in a constitutional manner with one loud voice.'
That September 2 post is referred to in a charge sheet that was first obtained by Task and Purpose, a military news site, and made public on Friday.
Scheller will face a court-martial next week on six violations: contempt toward officials, disrespect toward the superior commissioned officers, willfully disobeying superior commissioned officers, dereliction in the performance of duties, failure to obey order or regulation, and conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.
He was released from the brig at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina earlier this week after garnering a landslide of public support.
Scheller first posted a video to Facebook on August 26 criticizing the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal that left 13 American service members dead and countless Afghans stranded in Kabul to face the Taliban.
'I feel like I have a lot to lose... if I post this video, what might happen to me especially if the video picks up traction. But I think what you believe in can only be defined by what you are willing to risk,' he said in the video.
'I want to start with, we'll just use the Marines Corps, in the current fall out of Afghanistan, a lot of Marines were posting on social media...'
'The reason people are so upset is not because of a Marine on the battlefield,' he said. 'People are upset because their senior leaders let them down and none of them are accepting accountability and saying "we messed this up."'
Afterward, Scheller started receiving warnings from his superiors to stop posting on social media about military leadership - but he kept posting.
Scheller's social media posts began on August 26, as the evacuation in Kabul reached a chaotic climax that resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members being killed
The day after posting his video, he was relieved for cause. He continued to criticize the administration
On August 31, he submitted his resignation and said the military had lost the faith of the American people
On September 25, Scheller started referring to a 'revolution' and the need for change
This above is his final post before he was thrown in the brig. He said he would continue to criticize every leader he disagreed with
On September 2, he posted: 'Without accountability, Marines (Americans) cannot heal and the Marine Corps (America) cannot evolve as an organization.'
'I must remain committed to forcing accountability across our senior leaders,' Scheller said. 'I do not trust that reviews done by panels at the political/military level will bring the change we seek. And I do not trust that it will change unless a strong enough force is applied to the system. Major changes are needed. The system needs to be broken and rebuilt. We need fresh blood and perspective across the entire system.'
'It’s time for a new generation to assume American power. We are ready, and we reject the current system... Follow me, and we will bring the whole f***ing system down… in a constitutional manner with one loud voice.'
The September 2 post is referred to in a charge sheet that was first obtained by Task and Purpose, a military news site.
One of Scheller's attorneys, Tim Parlatore - who represented Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher in his military case - told Task and Purpose that it proves the military is trying to go after Scheller for something he did not do, purely as a punishment for speaking out against leadership.
'At no time has Lt. Col. Scheller ever advocated any violent overthrow of the government or any other insurrection,' Parlatore said.
'He does believe that there does need to be a change in the leadership, both the military and the political class, which is what he was referring to in all of these things.'
The charge sheet claims he wrote: 'I reject your system. I plan to change the system' and, 'every generation needs a revolution. It is time for change.'
According to Marine bosses, that amounts to 'prohibited dissident and protest activities, to include advocating for “revolution,” calling for the use of violence in ensuring accountability of senior government leaders and to affect political change, and for advocating for the dismantling of the current political and military system, all in contravention of the laws of the United States.'
Scheller's court-martial is scheduled for October 14.
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