Marine Sergeant Faces Discipline for Facebook Critique of Obama

[Dusty]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...82L1BG20120322

Sergeant Gary Stein, 26, a weather forecaster assigned to Camp Pendleton near San Diego, cast the Marines' reaction to his comments as an infringement on his freedom of speech and defended his right to express personal political opinions when he is off-duty and out of uniform.

"There is not a document in this world that trumps the United States Constitution," the San Diego Union-Tribune quoted him as saying.

But Army veteran Rick Rogers, host of the San Diego military talk radio show "Front & Center," said Stein appeared to be instigating a confrontation with the Marines "to get notoriety." Stein previously ran afoul of the military over comments on his Armed Forces Tea Party page in 2010.

Defense Department rules allow military personnel to express political opinions so long as they are not doing so as representatives of the armed services.

"He had to know there's a good chance the Marine Corps would kick him out," Rogers told Reuters, explaining that associating the name of his Facebook page with the Armed Forces essentially put Stein in the position of speaking publicly while in uniform. "I believe in freedom of speech, but when you join the military, you give up some of your rights," Rogers added. "There's a firewall between the military and civilian politics -- you don't criticize the government while you're in uniform."

Stein told the newspaper the Marines accused him of making statements about the president "that are prejudicial to good order and discipline," in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and were taking steps to discharge him from the corps. Major Michael Armistead, a spokesman for the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot in San Diego, said the corps had begun administrative action against Stein after a preliminary inquiry into allegations that he "posted political statements about the president of the United States on his Facebook web page titled 'Armed Forces Tea Party.'"

[lindy]

Damn it! Gotta delete my account too.

Yes you give up rights, but not sensibility. There are plenty of others critisizinng the Obama regieme. HOO YAH MARINE STEINE!

[Mr Furious]

He is saying he did not violate 1344.10 that was updated shortly after BHO took office: http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/c...df/134410p.pdf

I am not a legal type, so I default to those experts. I would think that social media could be classified as published endorsement and group discussion under 4.1.2.3. & 4.1.2.6. What do you think?

[Spitfire34]

He's definately picked a slippery slope to tread on regardless. I don't like Obama either but nothing about this Sgt's actions are what I would regard as good decision making...you'd think a forecaster would be able to see that storm on the horizon

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Spitfire34

He's definately picked a slippery slope to tread on regardless. I don't like Obama either but nothing about this Sgt's actions are what I would regard as good decision making...you'd think a forecaster would be able to see that storm on the horizon

This guy is obviously a publicity hound. He'll prolly wind up making more money from the nororiety than he would by staying in.

The cold, hard fact will always remain that Obama, however incompetent he's judged to be, still holds the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. You may think the man holding the office is a sack of maggoty dung from a thrice-accursed, syphillitic hyena, but you still gotta take a bullet for the office.

[CSB]

Sergeant Gary Stein, 26, a weather forecaster assigned to Camp Pendleton near San Diego,...

I'm not a weather forecaster, but I would predict a shit storm after any Marine posts a Facebook entry stating he would not obey the orders of the President.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by CSB

I'm not a weather forecaster, but I would predict a shit storm after any Marine posts a Facebook entry stating he would not obey the orders of the President.

[SPEC4]

Originally Posted by Dusty

however incompetent he's judged to be, still holds the office of Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. You may think the man holding the office is a sack of maggoty dung from a thrice-accursed, syphillitic hyena, but you still gotta take a bullet for the office.

That's what we said about Nixon !!!

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by SPEC4

That's what we said about Nixon !!!

Who's "we"? Gotta mouse in your pocket?

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Dusty

Who's "we"?

Well - the SPEC4 and I, for two...among all the others who were serving at that time.

I served during the Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush, and Clinton administrations - didn't agree with a lot of the things they said or did, but they were the CINCs and I had faith in the system; still do.

Stein is rock in Deutsch - how appropriate. His remarks and position make me wonder if he wasn't one of those 'Polish Altimeters'** in a previous life.

Richard

** Olde HALO joke - you tie a 2200' piece of string to a rock and the other end to your wrist, and you throw it out of the aircraft ahead of you when you jump...and when the string goes slack, you 'pull'.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Richard

Well - the SPEC4 and I, for two...among all the others who were serving at that time.

I served during the Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, GHW Bush, and Clinton administrations - didn't agree with a lot of the things they said or did, but they were the CINCs and I had faith in the system; still do.

As do I. Especially in the function where we get to elect a new CINC if the current one sucks.

After reading some of the posts in this thread, I have changed my tune. I think this marine made a grave error, not in his critique of the POTUS, but the manner in which he did so. I am glad there are many others above him giving orders from the top down, so in essence he will not have the chance to defy the CINC. Still, this is one marine who swore to follow orders and defend us, and this now is a problem.

Anyways, thanks for all your posts on this subject and the learning experience for me in this instance.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Sarski

After reading some of the posts in this thread, I have changed my tune. I think this marine made a grave error, not in his critique of the POTUS, but the manner in which he did so. I am glad there are many others above him giving orders from the top down, so in essence he will not have the chance to defy the CINC. Still, this is one marine who swore to follow orders and defend us, and this now is a problem.

Anyways, thanks for all your posts on this subject and the learning experience for me in this instance.

What happened? Michelle call your cell and chew your ass out?

Originally Posted by Dusty

What happened? Michelle call your cell and chew your ass out?

I offered to give her your number. I think you are next.