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Posted on 04/06/2012 9:26:41 AM PDT by Mozilla
A US Marine faces possible dismissal after posting critical remarks on Facebook about US President Barack Obama, with a review board recommending a less than honorable discharge.
Sergeant Gary Stein (26) a nine-year veteran, posted comments on Facebook and other websites calling Obama a coward and "the economic and religious enemy," a Marine Corps board was told during an all-day hearing on Thursday.
Stein had urged Obama's defeat in the November election, writing "screw Obama" in one posting, and had founded a website called Armed Forces Tea Party, apparently in support of the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement.
On one site he sold bumper stickers reading "NOBAMA 2012."
The three-member board meeting at Camp Pendleton, a military base in southern California, announced its decision on Thursday. The final decision will be made by a commanding general.
Stein had no comment after the decision, but Mark Brewer, one of his civilian lawyers, said: "We're disappointed but we're going to keep fighting for this Marine."
During the hearing, Marine lawyers argued that Stein be booted over the remarks about Obama, who is the commander and chief of US armed forces.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.iafrica.com ...
That’s right. This comes down to professionalism and discretion in my book. I mean, do u think the guys standing at “Marine One” like the guy? Odds are that they loath him...but they are professionals.
Where is the excerpt, Gunny?
Shot!
(on the way)
If Commander is smart he will let him stay until July. ACLU is waiting in the wings to attack. They will parse the definition of when a Marine is considered on duty. USMC says your a Marine 24/7. There is a risk a court may not agree. Bust him, restrict him, let him go quietly and let the ACLU twist in the wind.
Got it. Thanks.
I thought that homosexuality is now permissible in the Marines.
Why would he get kicked out of the Marines if he wanted to screw the CIC?
Are we back to "don't ask, don't tell"?
LOL!
Now that’s funny!
Semper Fi.
Back in the day, one of my primary duties was to recommend action to the CG in cases of administrative discharge. Usually it was pretty well cut and dried, but this one is new ground.
This is one I could go either way on. Depending on his totality of service, I may recommend to the CG that he be allowed to stay until his EAS in July, but reassign his butt to MWR handing out basketballs or something. I would also make it clear to the young man that one more peep out of him would earn him legal hold for court martial.
The CG’s decision will depend greatly on what the officers who own this guy have to say, how much pressure he is getting from on high, and how feisty the CG is. I’ve worked for a couple that seemed to relish going against the grain, and others who folded like dominoes in a high wind.
(Disclaimer... I don’t have the record book in front of me, and I don’t know what kind of record he had before he lost his mind.)
Any commissioned officer ....
Since when did a Sergeant become a Commissioned Officer?
I don’t think it came down to ranting on his own Facebook page.
I’m pretty sure it was the “Armed Forces Tea Party” page that crossed the line.
When I was serving under Clinton, I had a mild “anti-Clinton” bumper sticker on my car. I expected to be told to scrape it, but nobody said a word. Had they, I would have removed it and that would have been the end. Had I doubled down and added another sticker on my car, then I would have had a problem.
I believe the military is discharging him rather than face the sticky situation that may show 0bama is not qualified for the office he usurps, and therefore has been issuing unlawful orders. In other words, the rear echelon is doing what they always do - taking the easy way out.
That would be a good argument in favor of booting him now... to serve as a warning to others.
I think that’s what this is going to come down to.
Damn I should have been fired 100 times over especially during Carter and Clinton admin. :>)
I hear ya. I served under Carter, Reagan, Bush 41, and Clinton. Many times I had to bite my tongue.
First of all, everyone mouths off about their superiors in the service. They just do it behind their backs.
Secondly, if you are publicly mouthing off about the president in his role as the Commander in Chief, then that should not be allowed, but if you are criticizing his domestic policies and other policies not related to the military then the military should not have any jurisdiction to squelch your free speech rights as long as you are not appearing to represent the military and your opinions are personal.
If this guy was using military equipment for his rants, then he should be punished in the same manner for which any soldier would be punished for using military equipment for personal use. If he was doing this at home on his off time and did not publicly criticize the CIC for his military decisions, then I do not believe the Military should have the authority to punish him.
Just because you are a Marine, it does not mean that you have ceased to be an American Citizen.
“ultra-conservative Tea Party movement” Really? ULTRA Conservative? That describes none of the Tea Parties we know, and we know a lot.
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