Lt. Colonel Stuart Scheller has been charged with six violations and will face a special court martial for publicly criticizing the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal
A Marine officer who publicly criticized the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan will plead guilty to multiple charges filed against him for his comments, his lawyer has said.
Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller Jr took to Facebook in August after 13 service members were killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul airport to demand accountability from those occupying higher roles within the military branch.
Scheller is seen in uniform in the viral video and says: '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.'
He had to spend a week in solitary confinement and will appear in court on Thursday at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
He faces a court-martial 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.
But Tim Parlatore, one of Scheller's attorneys, told The Hill that Scheller has chosen to plead guilty in the case.
'This case began with a call for accountability and Lt. Col. Scheller will demonstrate to senior leadership how to accept accountability for his own actions,' Parlatore said.
Parlatore said that he is working on an agreement to obtain Scheller an honorable discharge or a discharge with honorable conditions.
He added that Scheller should only get a letter of reprimand and no additional punishments after the 'totally excessive and unnecessary' week in prison.
Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller was thrown in brig for breaking gag order after the soldier had panned the US hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan
Some US representatives have said Scheller Jr's imprisonment 'appears to be for messaging, retribution, and convenience.' The brig is pictured
A source close to the case says Scheller stayed in an area of the brig normally for murderers
Scheller was three days from retirement when he was stripped of his post and thrown in the grim confinement quarters to await military trial for contempt.
He has also tried to resign, in a written request, and relinquish his $2million pension, but the military hasn't accepted it.
After he was released on October 5th, Scheller's media team released an update saying: 'An IRO hearing was scheduled to review Lt Col Stuart Scheller's pre-trial detention at 1:30 pm today.
'The Marine Corps refused to provide an open hearing or to record the hearing. Media outlets objected and asked that the hearing be delayed to allow for action in federal court.
'Prior to
