The clear message, one of the seven told investigators, was “Stop talking about it.”The platoon members eventually forced the referral of their concerns to authorities outside the SEALs, and Chief Gallagher now faces a court-martial, with his trial set to begin May 28. According to the investigation report, the troop commander, Lt. Cmdr. Robert Breisch, said in the meeting that while the SEALs were free to report the killings, the Navy might not look kindly on rank-and-file team members making allegations against a chief. [For more stories about the changing nature of warfare, sign up for the weekly At War newsletter.] Navy SEALs are regarded as the most elite commando force in the American military.

Source: New York Times April 23, 2019 16:11 UTC