Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller announced Friday that he had been “relieved for cause” after he posted a video demanding accountability on Afghanistan.
Scheller shared a Facebook post saying that, as of 14:30 on Friday, he had been relieved of duty — and he noted that he would have taken the same action if he were in the position of his superior officers. (RELATED: ‘I Am Willing To Throw It All Away To … Demand Accountability’: 17-Year Marine Veteran Risks Career In Viral Video)
“To all my friends across the social networks. I have been relieved for cause based on a lack of trust and confidence as of 14:30 today,” Scheller began.
“My chain of command is doing exactly what I would do… if I were in their shoes. I appreciate the opportunities AITB command provided,” Scheller continued, saying that he would not be offering any other statements or interviews until he had officially left the Marine Corps.
“America has many issues… but it’s my home… it’s where my three sons will become men. America is still the light shining in a fog of chaos,” Scheller went on to say that he saw a bright future ahead for himself even if it no longer included the Corps.
“I look forward to a new beginning. My life’s purpose is to make America the most lethal and effective foreign diplomacy instrument. While my days of hand to hand violence may be ending…I see a new light on the horizon,” he concluded.
“Semper.”
Scheller’s video calling for accountability went viral as he said, “People are upset because their senior leaders let them down and none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying ‘we messed this up.'”
“I’m not saying we’ve got to be in Afghanistan forever, but I am saying: Did any of you throw your rank on the table and say ‘hey, it’s a bad idea to evacuate Bagram Airfield, a strategic airbase, before we evacuate everyone,” he said, throwing his own rank on the table — proverbially speaking — when he added, “I think what you believe in, can only be defined by what you’re willing to risk. So if I’m willing to risk my current battalion commander seat, my retirement, my family’s stability to say some of the things I want to say. I think it gives me some moral high ground to demand the same honesty, integrity, accountability from my senior leaders.”
WATCH: