Navy SEAL cleared of murder charge faces review

SAN DIEGO — Navy officials on Wednesday notified a SEAL convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State militant and three of his superior officers during a 2017 deployment to Iraq that all four will face a review to determine if they should remain on the elite force.

Attorneys for Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher said the Navy is trying to remove his Trident pin, designating him as a SEAL, in retaliation for President Donald Trump’s decision last week to restore his rank.

Gallagher was acquitted last summer of a murder charge in the stabbing death of the militant captive, but a military jury convicted him of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017.

His lawyers said Wednesday they have filed an inspector general’s complaint accusing Rear Adm. Collin Green of insubordination for defying Trump’s actions. Green, the Naval Special Warfare commander, made his intentions clear at a staff meeting Monday, defense attorney Timothy Parlatore said.

“What I’m hearing is that the rear admiral said very disparaging comments about the president and stated his disagreement with the president’s actions,” Parlatore said.

Trump on Friday restored Gallagher’s rank to chief after he was demoted following the conviction last summer.

Gallagher was notified Wednesday that he must appear before a Trident Review Board to assess whether his fellow SEALS believe he is suitable to remain in the elite unit, said two U.S. officials familiar with the case but not authorized to speak publicly.

Green also notified three SEAL officers who oversaw Gallagher during the deployment — Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, Lt. Jacob Portier and Lt. Thomas Macneil, according to the officials.