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Navy May Strip Officer Convicted of Posing With ISIS Corpse but Backed by Trump of SEAL Status

Conflict arises between Navy and White House over Trident pin removal for Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher.

A Navy SEAL who was penalized with a drop in rank after being convicted of posing with the corpse of an ISIS captive, before Donald Trump intervened and reversed the demotion, may be expelled from the elite force. A military jury acquitted Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher of murder and war-crimes charges in July, but convicted him of having posed with a teenage ISIS fighter’s corpse. A demotion to petty officer first class was handed down, but Trump reversed the order to restore his rank and pay grade. However, membership of the Navy’s elite Special Warfare Navy Sea, Air and Land units, better known as SEALs, is entirely in the determination of the service. A Defense Department official speaking anonymously told NBC News the service may seek to strip Gallagher of the gold eagle Trident emblem. Removal of the Trident denotes that a sailor is no longer a SEAL, but isn’t a demotion. Since 2011, 154 sailors have been expelled from the SEALs. The move could set up a fresh conflict between the Navy’s administration and the White House.