The Marine Corps said Wednesday it has decided to discharge a sergeant for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook.
The Corps said Sgt. Gary Stein will be given an other-than-honorable discharge for violating Pentagon policy limiting speech of service members.
The San Diego-area Marine has served nearly 10 years in the Marine Corps. He has said he was exercising his free-speech rights.
The discharge will mean he loses all benefits.
A federal judge previously denied a request to block military discharge proceedings against Stein, who called Obama an enemy on Facebook.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Huff ruled then that the military has the right to respond to Stein’s online comments in a case that has called into question the Pentagon’s policies regarding social media and the limits regarding the speech of active duty military personnel.
Attorney J. Mark Brewer told Huff the entire process violates the First Amendment, which federal courts have the right to uphold.
Huff disagreed, calling Stein’s postings “truly troubling.” Service members have had their speech limited since the Civil War, especially if their comments are believed to disrupt good order and discipline.
The judge pointed out Stein’s March 1 comments on a Facebook page used by Marine Corps meteorologists in which the sergeant stated, “Screw Obama and I will not follow all orders from him.”
(Source: Fox News)
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7 Responses
good for him. Another soldier getting fired for doing the right thing
It was a bit more than criticizing. In a military organization, announcing your unwillingness to follow orders is generally considered intolerable. I assume the fact that he merely announced his unwillingness to follow orders, rather than actually disobeying an order, is why he was discharged rather than court martialed and imprisoned.
Akuperma, he said he would not follow illegal orders, and he was quite right to say that. A soldier who obeys an illegal order is a criminal.
A Marine (or Soldier, Airman, Sailor, Coast Guardsman etc) is required to disobey an unlawful order. He swore an oath before G-d to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. Semper Fi Sgt Stein, you’re an Oathkeeper.
It wasn’t the right thing nor was this simply about “illegal orders.”
He publicly stated he would not follow orders from the President and only later stated that he meant illegal orders. He also advocated that other Marines do likewise.
The fact that he disagreed with things like Obamacare is not justification to disobey military orders. Additionally, he posted numerous insults directed at the President.
Within the uniformed services there is a limit on free speech: you can’t insult your superior officers and can’t advocate insubordination, nor are certain forms of political speech and activity allowed.
An army that doesn’t have control over virtually everything a soldier can do, can not succead. That is the reason that the army has a different set of rules then a regular court. Although many would love to see this man applauded and given a medal, an army can’t succead this way and it therefor can’t be tolerated.
#5, it was obvious from the context that he meant illegal orders, and when asked about it he said so explicitly. What more do you expect? It is a soldier’s duty to disobey illegal orders.