Marine Lt. Col. Who Got Fired From Position For Criticizing Command Resigns, Promises To 'Bring The Whole F*cking System Down'

Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller on Sunday announced in a video that he was resigning his commission as a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps, following being fired as a battalion commander for asking for accountability from his senior leadership on the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.

From the video:

I want to make the announcement today. After 17 years, I currently not pending legal action and I can stay in the Marine Corps for another three years, but I don’t think that’s the path I’m on. I’m resigning my commission as a United States Marine effective now. I’m sure there’s some [Marine Administrative Message] on how I’m supposed to do that and I’ll work through that. But I have forfeiting my retirement all entitlements. I don’t want a single dollar. I don’t want any money from the VA.

I don’t want any VA benefits. I’m sure I’m entitled to a hundred percent. I, you know, breathe on the smell and smoke of burning shit for years. I don’t want any of it. All I asked for was accountability of my senior leaders. When there are clear, obvious mistakes that were made, I’m not saying we can take back what has been done. All I asked for was accountability for people to comment on what I said and to say, ‘Yes, some mistakes were made and had they done that. I wouldn’t have gone back into rank and file, submitted and accomplished what I wanted the morning after I posted my video and I came into work, my boss came in and he asked me, ‘What were you trying to accomplish?’

And that was a very tough question for me. And my response was I want senior leaders to accept accountability. I think them accepting accountability would do more for service members and PTSD and struggling with purpose than any other transparent piece of paper or message. And I haven’t received that. For the over $2 million that I would potentially receive in retirement for the rest of my life, for the however much extra the disability would be, I think that money should go back to all the senior general officers, because I think they need it more than I do because when I am done with what I’m about to do, you all are going to need the jobs and the security.