Over $2 Million Raised for Jailed Marine Who Blasted Afghanistan Exit

Stuart Scheller
Facebook/Stuart Scheller
Amy Furr

American citizens are showing massive support for the Marine who spoke out about the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, the Western Journal reported Sunday.

As of early Sunday, over $2 million had been donated or pledged to assist Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the fundraising page said.

“The amount already exceeds the original goal of $2 million to help Scheller with the costs of his upcoming legal battle as well as supporting his family in the event the military punishes Scheller by stripping away the 17-year veteran’s benefits,” the Journal article stated.

Scheller was relieved of his duties after publicly criticizing the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and is now being held in military prison, his father said Monday.

He gained wide public notice in August when he posted a video blasting the retreat that left the country to fall into the hands of Taliban terrorists.

“He further demanded public accountability from his senior leadership on the botched withdrawal process,” Breitbart News reported:

After several of his videos on the matter went viral, his superiors banned him from posting on social media. Scheller acknowledged the enormous outpouring of support and debate stirred by his video work, adding he was resigning his commission as an officer in the Marine Corps — short of the 20 years needed to be eligible for lifelong retirement and medical benefits.

His letter of resignation went in on August 31 – the final day of U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. He later announced he was ordered to undergo a mental health screening.

The Pipe Hitter Foundation’s fundraising page said the organization was “incredibly proud to assist Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller, a Marine who had the courage to demand accountability from his leadership in the wake of a disastrous exit from Afghanistan that lead to the death of 13 of his fellow service members.”

The page continued:

LtCol Scheller is an infantry officer with an exemplary career of five deployments and multiple senior awards including a Bronze Star, Army Commendation with “V” for Valor, 3 Meritorious Service Medals, 3 Navy Commendations. With 17 years in the Corps, Stu was just a few years away from retirement with a pension and benefits awaiting him, but none of that mattered more than doing what is right – demanding accountability.

“Stu is exactly the type of Marine we need at this moment in time – to push back against the national security structure that has a long-demonstrated track record of inefficiencies, corruption, and failure,” the page read.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the House and Senate called on the Marine Corps to release Scheller.

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