The Marine who had spoken out in August against the Biden administration’s top military leaders over unconditional Afghanistan withdrawal was jailed. The Marine Corps also cited the Marine Corps for violating a gag with a post on social media over the weekend.
“It is with a heavy heart that we, his parents, are informing you that our son, Lt. Col Stuart Scheller, has been incarcerated by the USMC this morning, Sept. 27, 2021,” his family wrote in a statement. “He was issued a gag order which he broke this weekend by posting on social media.”
The Marines confirmed that Scheller had been held without trial.
“Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller Jr. is currently in pre-trial confinement in the Regional Brig for Marine Corps Installations East aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune pending an Article 32 preliminary hearing,” Capt. Sam Stephenson, Training and Education Command spokesman, told Task & Purpose in a statement.
“The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined. Lt. Col. Scheller will be afforded all due process,” the statement continued.
According to Scheller’s family, his Aug. 26 Facebook post in which he called on senior military leaders to be held accountable for their part in the “messed up” withdrawal saw his resignation being rejected by the Marines.
“Recently, Stu asked to resign; The USMC told us, his parents, that our son serves at the pleasure of the president,” the family’s statement continued. “They have not accepted his resignation.
“All our son did was ask the questions that everyone was asking themselves, but too scared to speak out loud. He doesn’t deserve this treatment.”
His father, Stu Scheller Sr., told Task & Purpose his son faces a hearing Thursday for his violating a gag order.
“Like us, he is a proud American that has honorably served his nation for 17 years and was simply asking the system that he dedicated his life to, the military, to also support him,” the family’s statement added.
“His command seems to be concerned but does not appear to have the tools to support him at this time. Incarceration appears to be their only solution. The lack of accountability for the botched Afghanistan withdrawal has caused many issues and stressors for thousands of our service members who have asked, ‘was it all worth it?’
“In thirty days, our son Lt. Col Stuart Scheller went from being an exemplary Marine, handpicked by the [Corps] and placed in a highly prestigious position as the commander of the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, to a Marine that is being incarcerated for demanding accountability and integrity from military leadership.”
Although Scheller has been praised and ridiculed for his bold departure from command, he knowingly “risked his retirement, his medical insurance, and the stability his family by speaking up,” his family acknowledged. Other social media posts raised concerns about his health.
One was an Aug. 29 YouTube video in which he said, “Follow us and we will bring down the whole f***ing systems.”
According to Task & Purpose the weekend post which violated the gag orders was one that discussed the gag order openly and defied it.
To address those who support President Joe Biden and have suggested that he is engaging in political attacks on him, Scheller posted Sunday on Facebook a scathing critique of former President Donald Trump.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and Central Command Command Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie will testify in public hearings on Tuesday in Congress and Wednesday in the House .
