A U.S. Navy SEAL last month pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges for his role in the 2017 strangulation of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa. The case has laid bare challenges among U.S. special forces as the United States increasingly relies on such troops, which make up only 2% of the military yet carry out most of its battles around the globe. The comments below have not been moderated. Conservative media outlets have portrayed Chief Gallagher as a wrongly accused military hero and have given his family and supporters a forum to argue that his accusers are liars and malcontents. Later on the day of the alleged killing, Vriens said he saw photos of the dead militant being viewed by another SEAL on a laptop, who asked Gallagher, "is this the guy? 'This entire case was built on a small group of people that had personal animosity towards Eddie Gallagher,' Parlatore said. Special Operations Chief Craig Miller testified that he saw Chief Gallagher take out a custom-made knife and stab the captive two or three times. STEPHEN 'What sentimental tosh!' A San Diego judge had a defendants 13-year-old daughter handcuffed. A SEAL troop commander testified that the allegations, which he took no action on for months, were suspect because they came about as Gallagher was being considered for a Silver Star and a promotion. Paul Szoldra Another sniper from the platoon testified Thursday that Gallagher talked about stabbing the ISIS fighter some time after it occurred. I hate to be the drama queen. An Iraqi general who handed the wounded prisoner to the SEALs testified that Gallagher did not stab the boy. They were not happy, he said. On Friday Navy SEAL Dalton Tolbert, who served under Gallagher, testified that he did not see the shot in the case of the elderly man but did see blood appear on I saw Eddie Gallagher shoot someone who didnt deserve to die, Tolbert said. But his accusers said it went beyond the theft of sunglasses and snacks. One of the girls was wearing a gray dress, Vriens said. FILE - In this Thursday, May 30, 2019, file photo, Navy Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher leaves a military courtroom on Naval Base San Diego with his wife, Andrea Gallagher, in San Diego. This article by Paul Szoldra and Jared Keller originally appeared at Task & Purpose. A jury of five Marines and two sailors, one a SEAL, will weigh whether Gallagher, on his eighth deployment, went off the rails and fatally stabbed the war prisoner as a kind of trophy kill, or if the boy died from wounds sustained in an airstrike and Gallagher is being falsely accused by junior SEALs trying to permanently oust a platoon chief they hate. Chief Craig Miller, he said, asked him at one point whether he would "cooperate" with others in reporting him. Its a f------ joke., Tolbert said on the stand, I think this is a very fair trial. Where does he work? Parlatore continued. Special Operator Dalton Tolbert, a sniper who was in Chief Gallaghers platoon in 2017 and is now assigned to SEAL Team Six, testified on Friday that he had witnessed Chief Gallagher shoot an old man who, he said, didnt deserve to die.. A number of special forces members are on trial this year. Special Operations Chief Craig Miller, who was also part of The Sewing Circle, testified that he saw Gallagher stab the captive multiple times with a custom-made knife Gallagher would carry in the belt loops of his pants. In the thread, Gallagher was referred to as El Diablo, Spanish for the devil., Not sure how to handle him, Scott texted. Vriens also testified that he did not see the alleged murder of a wounded ISIS fighter but viewed photos of the body afterward. Weeks before the trial, Tolbert, who was accepted to the famed SEAL Team 6 that killed Osama bin Laden, sent a text urging his teammates to speak up no matter what was at stake. And Marine Staff Sgt. Gallagher interrupted the meeting, Tolbert said, and told the group, I thought you guys were cool with it. Among the witnesses to testify Friday was Dalton Tolbert, a member of SEAL Team 7 who served with Gallagher in Mosul in 2017. Who's fucking courtroom is this? He also founded and edits Duffel Blog, an influential satirical newsletter for the military. A SEAL says he thinks he heard Gallagher (pictured) say:'You guys missed him but I got him' after an old man was shot in Iraq. ", Vriens said that Gallagher replied: "Yes, I stabbed him in the side, then grabbed him by the hair and looked him in the eyes and I stabbed him in the neck. Giorgio Kirylo said after the militant died that he moved the body to take a cool guy trophy photo with it and saw no stab wounds on his neck. Vriens also claimed to investigators that Gallagher had been "stalking" him, though Parlatore mentioned that both SEAL teammates lived near each other and would normally pass by each others' homes. Several weeks ago, the judge, Navy Capt. Gallagher, a chief special warfare operator, is charged with killing a wounded ISIS prisoner by stabbing him in the neck while providing medical treatment. Two SEALs testified they saw Gallagher plunge his knife into his neck, including Special Operator Corey Scott, who stunned the court when he said he was the one who ultimately killed the teen by plugging his breathing tube with his thumb as an act of mercy. "I aimed to the side far to the side and fired," Tolbert testified. When Tolbert said in a text message thread that they were planning to go to the SEAL Master Chief about Gallagher, Vriens wrote, "ha. The email says that Special Operator Scott testified directly contrary to previous official statements thus exposing him to prosecution.. It has pitted veterans against each other both inside the courtroom and outside in a fierce debate over brotherhood, morality and loyalty. The Navy has notified Special Operator First Class Corey Scott that it was considering charging him with lying under oath in the trial of Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, which is being held at Naval Base San Diego. Of the zig zag pattern, Tolbert said he had "misspoke" then and explained that his testimony on Friday was truthful because he "had more time to remember" what happened. Gallagher also took photos of himself with the corpse. Regarding the stabbing of the ISIS militant, Tolbert said he arrived after the prisoner had died but he later heardGallagher say something to the effect of: 'I thought you guys were cool with it.'. Special Operator Dalton Tolbert, a sniper who was in Chief Gallaghers platoon in 2017 and is now assigned to SEAL Team Six, testified on Friday that he had Tolbert said he had heard a shot from the tower Gallagher was in and he heard Gallagher say over the radio, You guys missed him but I got him. Aaron Rugh, shuffled members of the jury and Dille out of the courtroom and had a private discussion with Parlatore and the prosecutor. He has pleaded not guilty. The Sewing Circle members tried to distinguish themselves as the True Brotherhood vs. the Real Brotherhood, which supporters of Gallagher have coined for themselves. He has pleaded not guilty. They made up a story and that's why we're here.'. Two SEALs testified they saw Gallagher plunge his knife into his neck, including Special Operator Corey Scott, who stunned the court when he said he was the one who ultimately killed the teen by plugging his breathing tube with his thumb as an act of mercy. Graffam testified that Gallagher was essentially justified in the shooting of a man he is accused of unlawfully targeting, stating that "based off everything I had seen so far in my opinion, they were two sh*theads moving from one side of the road to the other.". 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'Hes got a wife and family,' Scott added on the stand about Gallagher. All the forensics show there was no stabbing., Perhaps he saw a movement that wasnt actually a stabbing, Parlatore added. Vriens testified that he immediately mentioned the incident to his platoon commander, Lt. Jacob Portier, though he did not mention Gallagher. Prayer, revival and Jesus Revolution: Is our rotting culture on the verge of something big? Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. A number of special forces members are on trial this year. Parlatore is pictured June 18, Special Warfare Operator Gallagher was hated for being an 'old school, hard-charging warrior', Parlatore claimed. Weeks before the trial, Tolbert, who was accepted to the famed SEAL Team 6 that killed Osama bin Laden, sent a text urging his teammates to speak up no matter what was at stake. ", Seeking to challenge Vriens' credibility, Parlatore brought up text messages and his previous statements to investigators. A SEAL troop commander told the court that the allegations, which he took no action on for months, were suspect because they came about as Gallagher was being considered for a Silver Star and a promotion. After court Friday, Gallagher, who has not been answering reporters questions, told a nearby attorney I feel fine.. Weeks before the trial, Tolbert, who was accepted to the famed SEAL Team 6 that killed Osama bin Laden, sent a text urging his teammates to speak up no matter Weeks before the trial, Dalton Tolbert, who was accepted into the famed SEAL Team 6 that killed Osama bin Laden, sent a text urging his teammates to speak up A U.S. Navy SEAL last month pleaded guilty to hazing and assault charges for his role in the 2017 strangulation of a U.S. Army Green Beret in Africa. Vriens testified that Gallagher said, I stabbed him in the side, grabbed his hair and looked him in the eyes and I stabbed him in the neck.. 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