A Marine sergeant who created the Facebook page "Armed Forces Tea Party" is facing possible dismissal from the U.S. Marine Corps after posting comments saying he will not follow the unlawful orders of the commander in chief, as reported by The Associated Press.
Sgt. Gary Stein, a nine-year member of the Corps, was told Wednesday that he violated Pentagon policy barring troops from political activities.
Stein started the Armed Forces Tea Party page "to allow active, inactive, or retired members of the United States Armed Forces to stand with the Tea Party movement."
The USMC has said that Stein is allowed to express his personal opinions as long as they do not give the impression he is speaking in his official capacity as a Marine.
In a statement posted this morning, Stein wrote:
I have never spoken on behalf of the Marine Corps or in uniform. I have stayed within guidelines DOD Directive 1344.10 and made sure to. If I am guilty of anything it would be that I am American, a freedom loving Conservative, hell bent on defending the constitution and preserving Americas greatness.
Stein said the allegedly offending statement came during an online debate about NATO allowing U.S. troops to be tried for the Quran burnings in Afghanistan, in which he said that he would not follow orders from the president if those orders included detaining U.S. citizens, disarming them or doing anything else that he believes would violate their constitutional rights.
Stein will not be immediately discharged and will have a hearing in which the USMC will have to prove that he did something wrong, according to the page.
Take a look at some of the photos from the page and decide for yourself if he ever crossed the line between free speech and political endorsement in an official capacity.
The USMC told them "that it was ok to use [Armed Forces in the name] so long as we had a disclaimer on the page... which we do," according to the page.
Source: Facebook/Armed Forces Tea Party
"We do not represent, and are in no way affiliated with the military, or United States Armed Forces."
Source: Facebook/Armed Forces Tea Party
"Our Armed Forces place their life on the line for political agendas every day, is it common sense to think that they should have no opinion about what they are potentially sacrificing their lives for? We say no! Let them be heard."
Source: Facebook/Armed Forces Tea Party
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