GOP lawmakers demand defense secretary intervene in Navys handling of SEAL trainees tragic death
More than 30 GOP members of Congress have called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to intervene and allow a Navy SEAL commander to retire honorably after The Post revealed questionable actions the service took against him following the death of a special operations school trainee.In a Wednesday letter, the 31 lawmakers asked Austin to cancel the Navy’s planned board of inquiry into Capt.Brad Geary, who oversaw the SEAL training course in which Seaman Kyle Mullen, 24, participated just before he died suddenly on Feb.
4, 2022.The Navy uses boards of inquiry to consider a service member’s alleged misconduct or performance, as well as whether they should be forcibly separated.Instead, the lawmakers requested Austin grant Geary a voluntary retirement without reduction in rank or benefits.Among the signatories were five former SEALs – Reps.
Dan Crenshaw and Morgan Luttrell of Texas, Elijah Crane of Arizona, Ryan Zinke of Montana and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin.An initial investigation did not find Geary at fault for Mullen’s death, and he was issued a non-punitive letter of caution (NPLOC) following a disciplinary hearing known as an admiral’s mast.“Brad accepted accountability for his command when he was taken to admiral’s mast the first time,” Geary’s wife Ann told The Post.
“When he presented his evidence, that admiral cancelled mast and issued him a NPLOC.“Case closed, he was held accountable.”However, the Navy later launched another investigation into allegations against the captain before issuing a scathing investigative report that placed the heaviest blame for Mullen’s death on Geary, alleging his staff abused the Special Forces hopefuls while the captain looked the other way.The report also claimed that Geary fostered an environment where seeking medical attention was discouraged, young SEAL trainers grew extreme in their practices and the voices of retired SEALs brought in as advisers were silenced.Geary has repeatedly denied the ...