SEA CHANGE

Navy Drops Review of Edward Gallagher Case and Navy SEAL Will Retire

The canceled review could have led to Gallagher’s expulsion from the elite special operations.

Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher, whose war-crimes case put the Navy on a collision course with President Trump, will retire and a planned review of his status has been canceled, the military branch has announced. The review could have led to Gallagher’s expulsion from the elite special-operations SEAL group, but he will now be allowed to keep his Trident pin. “He will retire from active duty,” Navy Commander Clay Doss said. “We will not provide additional details due to privacy concerns.” Gallagher’s demotion for posing for a photo with a combatant’s corpse was reversed by Trump, and the president issued an order to Defense Secretary Mark Esper that Gallagher be allowed to keep his SEAL status. Gallagher’s case was at the center of Sunday’s firing of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer. “The case of Eddie Gallagher has dragged on for months, and it’s distracting too many. It must end,” Esper said Monday. “Eddie Gallagher will retain his Trident as the commander in chief directed, and will retire at the end of this month.”