Marines discharge sergeant for Facebook posts

[uscitizen]

The Associated Press: Marines discharge sergeant for Facebook posts

Marines discharge sergeant for Facebook posts
By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press – 10 minutes ago
SAN DIEGO (AP) — A sergeant will be discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook in a case that called into question the Pentagon's policies about social media and its limits on the speech of active duty military personnel, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
Sgt. Gary Stein will get an other-than-honorable discharge and lose most of his benefits for violating the policies, the Corps said.
The San Diego-area Marine who has served nine years in the Corps said he was disappointed by the decision. He argued that he was exercising his constitutional rights to free speech.
"I love the Marine Corps, I love my job. I wish it wouldn't have gone this way. I'm having a hard time seeing how 15 words on Facebook could have ruined my nine-year career," he told The Associated Press.
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I do not disagree with him about Obama. But no one can go around bashing the boss and expect to stay in good standing. Public sector or private sector. If you are going to have a career anywhere you have to be prudent in your use of words about your employer.

Bingo!

Works the same way in the private sector. No freedom of speech when it comes to ciritcizing the boss.
Unless maybe you have a union contract?

Bwahaha..

I love the irony dripping from this thread about freedom of speech.

 

[SFC Ollie]

While the young Sergeants statement did cross the line, I am of the belief that the punishment is much more than it needed to be. I have to wonder if the Corps is making an example out of this man who served faithfully in a combat zone.

What punishment do you think would have been appropriate?

Maybe a company grade article 15. 1/3 pay for 2 months, Possible reduction of one pay grade at the very most. Chances are he would end up still not retiring but an other than honorable discharge is way over the line...... This is something that stays with you for your entire life.

 

[uscitizen]

While the young Sergeants statement did cross the line, I am of the belief that the punishment is much more than it needed to be. I have to wonder if the Corps is making an example out of this man who served faithfully in a combat zone.

What punishment do you think would have been appropriate?

Maybe a company grade article 15. 1/3 pay for 2 months, Possible reduction of one pay grade at the very most. Chances are he would end up still not retiring but an other than honorable discharge is way over the line...... This is something that stays with you for your entire life.

yes one mistake can haunt a person for the rest of their life. That is life.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

While the young Sergeants statement did cross the line, I am of the belief that the punishment is much more than it needed to be. I have to wonder if the Corps is making an example out of this man who served faithfully in a combat zone.

What punishment do you think would have been appropriate?

Maybe a company grade article 15. 1/3 pay for 2 months, Possible reduction of one pay grade at the very most. Chances are he would end up still not retiring but an other than honorable discharge is way over the line...... This is something that stays with you for your entire life.

Who is that in your avatar?

If its you, then you know better.

You KNOW you don't get to make up new rules as you go along. You know the rules and you know that you don't get some kind of do-over.

AND, if that really is you, then you also know this was enacted during the Civil War and has nothing at all to do with whoever sits in the Oval Office.

 

[del]

he was warned at least once.

actions have consequences.

tough shit

 

[Luddly Neddite]

While the young Sergeants statement did cross the line, I am of the belief that the punishment is much more than it needed to be. I have to wonder if the Corps is making an example out of this man who served faithfully in a combat zone.

the article says they are making an example of him,, "sending a loud clear message."

Have you ever had a job?

If you have, then you had certain rules that were part of that job and you KNEW that if you disobeyed those rules, you could be fired.

Are you saying that if you had been a good employee right up until you violated that rule that you KNEW about, then you should not have to pay the price for violating the rule?

What do you think your boss (in this case, the Marine Corp!) would say about that?

 

[SFC Ollie]

What punishment do you think would have been appropriate?

Maybe a company grade article 15. 1/3 pay for 2 months, Possible reduction of one pay grade at the very most. Chances are he would end up still not retiring but an other than honorable discharge is way over the line...... This is something that stays with you for your entire life.

Who is that in your avatar?

If its you, then you know better.

You KNOW you don't get to make up new rules as you go along. You know the rules and you know that you don't get some kind of do-over.

AND, if that really is you, then you also know this was enacted during the Civil War and has nothing at all to do with whoever sits in the Oval Office.

Yes that's me, who else? And I served 22 years on active duty. And I still say that an other than honorable in this case is overkill. I'd even be willing to bet he gets it changed to an honorable within a year. I doubt he will ever be able to re-enlist but his career goals were over anyway.....

 

[paulitician]

Poor guy signs up to fight and possibly die to preserve Citizens' Freedom & Liberty, and this is how he's treated. WTG Obama. I hope the Country discharges you this November.

 

[paulitician]

well the statement was "obama has nothing to do with this" so if he's not in the chain of command the marine did nothing wrong. way to go democrats, way to go, take away all his hard earned benefits for having an opinion. he fights for our rights to have freedom of speech only the rights he fights for don't apply to him.. that really really sucks.

What do Democrats OR Repblicans have to do with this?

Are you being willfully obtuse and stupid or do you really not understand that this is an internal matter?

Suck or not, he knew what he was doing when he did it just like you know when you say something THIS stupid, its on the internet to stay.

Remember when the Rolling Stone article hit, the high up officer who spoke out against policy? Same thing. And it goes back to the CIVIL WAR.

LEARN WHAT YOU ARE YAMMERING ABOUT SO YOU DON'T MAKE SUCH A COMPLETE ASS OF YOURSELF.

I won't blame anyone for not signing up to defend freedom of speech. Ever.

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

 

[WillowTree]

Well we won't have to worry any more about his voluntary defense of our freedoms

 

[theDoctorisIn]

What do Democrats OR Repblicans have to do with this?

Are you being willfully obtuse and stupid or do you really not understand that this is an internal matter?

Suck or not, he knew what he was doing when he did it just like you know when you say something THIS stupid, its on the internet to stay.

Remember when the Rolling Stone article hit, the high up officer who spoke out against policy? Same thing. And it goes back to the CIVIL WAR.

LEARN WHAT YOU ARE YAMMERING ABOUT SO YOU DON'T MAKE SUCH A COMPLETE ASS OF YOURSELF.

I won't blame anyone for not signing up to defend freedom of speech. Ever.

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

 

[del]

I won't blame anyone for not signing up to defend freedom of speech. Ever.

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

thinking is not one of his activities

 

[Luddly Neddite]

Poor guy signs up to fight and possibly die to preserve Citizens' Freedom & Liberty, and this is how he's treated. WTG Obama. I hope the Country discharges you this November.

You idiot. Are you now going to say that Obama was alive during the Civil War when this rule was enacted? You really think this was Obama's doing? Jeeezus - get a friggin clue.

Ollie

Yes that's me, who else? And I served 22 years on active duty. And I still say that an other than honorable in this case is overkill. I'd even be willing to bet he gets it changed to an honorable within a year. I doubt he will ever be able to re-enlist but his career goals were over anyway.....

You think this rule should be changed for this one soldier? A rule that has stood since the Civil War???

 

[Salt Jones]

Maybe a company grade article 15. 1/3 pay for 2 months, Possible reduction of one pay grade at the very most. Chances are he would end up still not retiring but an other than honorable discharge is way over the line...... This is something that stays with you for your entire life.

Who is that in your avatar?

If its you, then you know better.

You KNOW you don't get to make up new rules as you go along. You know the rules and you know that you don't get some kind of do-over.

AND, if that really is you, then you also know this was enacted during the Civil War and has nothing at all to do with whoever sits in the Oval Office.

Yes that's me, who else? And I served 22 years on active duty. And I still say that an other than honorable in this case is overkill. I'd even be willing to bet he gets it changed to an honorable within a year. I doubt he will ever be able to re-enlist but his career goals were over anyway.....

He was told by his command to remove the posts, he said he stopped while he reviewed them. He determined that he did nothing wrong and started posting the comments again. That's why he got the OTH discharge, for being a hardheaded know-it-all and disobeying a direct order.

 

[paulitician]

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

thinking is not one of his activities

He put his life on the line to defend your freedom of speech, dummy. He deserved better than this. So be a smug little pissant if you want. But you should at least thank him for defending your right to be a smug little pissant. He deserves that much.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

I won't blame anyone for not signing up to defend freedom of speech. Ever.

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

Two faced rw's ... I can just imagine if the president were to step into a military decision if it was something that fux/beck/lushbo told them not to agree with.

They'd be yowling and screeching about how Obama should let the military deal with their own. BUT, they never pass up a chance to LIE about President Obama.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Yeah, it's very sad. Surely there were other ways of dealing with this. A Discharge is an extreme over-reaction. Shame on the Commander in Chief.

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

thinking is not one of his activities

Yeah, I've noticed that.

 

[Salt Jones]

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

thinking is not one of his activities

He put his life on the line to defend your freedom of speech, dummy. He deserved better than this. So be a smug little pissant if you want. But you should at least thank him for defending your right to be a smug little pissant. He deserves that much.

Were you ever in the military?

 

[SFC Ollie]

Poor guy signs up to fight and possibly die to preserve Citizens' Freedom & Liberty, and this is how he's treated. WTG Obama. I hope the Country discharges you this November.

You idiot. Are you now going to say that Obama was alive during the Civil War when this rule was enacted? You really think this was Obama's doing? Jeeezus - get a friggin clue.

Ollie

Yes that's me, who else? And I served 22 years on active duty. And I still say that an other than honorable in this case is overkill. I'd even be willing to bet he gets it changed to an honorable within a year. I doubt he will ever be able to re-enlist but his career goals were over anyway.....

You think this rule should be changed for this one soldier? A rule that has stood since the Civil War???

I'm sorry, but maybe you do not understand that the General who made this decision could have given a lesser penalty. He did not have to give an other than Honorable discharge to a guy for one statement. The man's career was over as son as the investigation started, they did not have to take all his benefits. Now had it been an actual crime with an actual victim, then that would have been a whole different story. Had he stated that the Corps felt the same way, that would have been different. But this is one guy letting off steam and made one statement that crossed the line. A man who for over nine years had no disciplinary actions in his record. I could even accept a Discharge under honorable conditions. But this just threw the mans life away for nothing.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Do you think that the discharge order came from the CiC?

thinking is not one of his activities

He put his life on the line to defend your freedom of speech, dummy. He deserved better than this. So be a smug little pissant if you want. But you should at least thank him for defending your right to be a smug little pissant. He deserves that much.

He "deserves" to be able to violate the UCMJ because he's in the military?