President Trump rebuked Navy leaders for taking steps that could strip a Navy SEAL acquitted of war crimes and three of his superiors of the trident badges that mark them as members of the elite commando force
, referring to the sailor who he restored to the rank of chief petty officer last week despite military misgivings. “This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!”Gallagher in July was cleared of charges that he stabbed a wounded prisoner to death but found guilty of posing with the prisoner's corpse.
Rear Adm. Collin Green, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command, made the decision after consulting with top Navy and special operations leaders. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and the White House were also made aware of Green’s plans, according to a defense official who was not authorized to speak on the record on the matter.
The boards were scheduled to take place next month, and it wasn’t clear what Trump’s tweet meant for Gallagher’s three superiors. The Navy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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