This archive report was first published on 27 December 2019.
Published on December 27, 2019, a group of Navy SEALs who reported Chief Edward Gallagher's alleged misconduct faced intense scrutiny and backlash.
Special Operator Vriens, one of the SEALs, revealed in an interview that he had initially wanted to confront Chief Gallagher in Iraq but was concerned about being cut from missions and losing his ability to protect fellow SEALs.
'I can speak up, stand my ground,' he said. 'He's just going to do this to a new guy who he can manipulate. So I was like, I'm going to be his right-hand man, so — so no one else got hurt.'
Despite his efforts to remain composed, Vriens broke down in tears, highlighting the emotional toll of speaking out against a senior officer.
The SEALs who reported Chief Gallagher's alleged misconduct faced a chain of command that was allegedly friendly towards him, leading to a lack of action being taken.
It wasn't until April 2018 that the SEALs went outside the Navy to report their concerns to the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, leading to Chief Gallagher's eventual arrest.
As the case against Chief Gallagher progressed, the SEALs who reported him faced setbacks, including accusations of prosecutorial misconduct and the removal of the lead prosecutor.
Special Operator First Class Dylan Dille expressed his frustration with the developments, writing, 'This stuff is frustrating to read and makes it seem like Eddie will possibly get away with murder (literally).'
