A blast on Thursday at the Kabul airport, which is thronged by crowds of desperate Afghans seeking to flee the country after the Taliban takeover, followed by one at a nearby hotel, have killed over 60 people including 12 US military personnel and left nearly 150 wounded. US Central Command commander Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr has confirmed that 12 American service members have been killed and 15 injured in two suicide bombings. The tragic attack, work of Islamic State, has sent shockwaves across the world, invoking strong reactions.
Amidst all this, one video of a US Marine officer and battalion commander went viral for calling out the senior military and civilian leaders over the way they handled the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller strongly criticised the upper ranks for the lack of accountability demonstrated in the aftermath of Taliban takeover. Coming down heavily on the commandant of the Marine Corps, the secretary of defense, and other top-ranking officers while in uniform, Scheller, a veteran of 17 years in service, said he was willing to throw it all away to say to my senior leaders 'I demand accountability.'"
The original video posted by Scheller on Thursday evening was watched over a million times on social media platforms Facebook and LinkedIn. The next day, Scheller announced on his Facebook post that he had been relieved of command.
"My chain of command is doing exactly what I would do... if I were in their shoes," he wrote. "I appreciate the opportunities AITB command provided. To all the news agencies asking for interviews... I will not be making any statements other than what's on my social platforms until I exit the Marine Corps."
In a statement about the decision, the Marine Corps confirmed that Scheller was relieved "due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command," Maj. Jim Stenger, a spokesman for Headquarters Marine Corps said.
US Marine resigns in protest
Taking to YouTube, Scheller posted another video on Sunday announcing his resignation as he vowed to bring down the whole system. In the video, he revealed that he is not under investigation and said that he would have been allowed to serve three years till his retirement if he chose to stay silent.
"I don't think that's the path I'm on," he says in the video titled "Your Move." "I'm resigning my commission as a United States Marine, effective now ... [and] I am forfeiting my retirement, all entitlements. I don't want a single dollar."
In the video, he thanked everyone for their wishes and donations, and requested them to be directed to the families of the soldiers who've died in the service instead. But he also responded to a remark made by retired Marine Col. Thomas K. Hobbs, who he said he knew personally and loved like a father.
"If Scheller was truly honorable, he would have resigned his commission in protest after stating what he did," Hobbs wrote in a comment on one of Scheller's LinkedIn posts. Scheller protested and announced his resignation as a response.
He concluded the video by asking "blue collar" workers to follow him and "we will bring the whole [expletive] system down. We're just getting started."
