Shortly after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, a Navy SEAL convoy was filmed driving down a Kentucky highway with a Trump flag flying from the lead vehicle.
The unit got some bad news, and they have now been formally punished by the unit commander.
The video was posted in February, but filmed in late January.
According to a statement issued by Lt. Jacqui Maxwell of the Naval Special Warfare Group 2, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the flags “violated the spirit and intent of applicable DoD regulations concerning the flying of flags and the apparent endorsement of political activities.”
“Administrative measures” were taken against the unit, though details were not provided.
Here is the video of the convoy …
The Courier-Journal reports:
An unspecified number of Navy Special Warfare forces have been punished for flying a Trump flag on a military convoy seen traveling through Louisville last month, igniting fears of an authoritarian state among some motorists.
An inquiry by the unit’s commander found that the service members “violated the spirit and intent of applicable DoD regulations concerning the flying of flags and the apparent endorsement of political activities,” according to a statement issued Tuesday by Lt. Jacqui Maxwell of the Naval Special Warfare Group 2 in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
She said “administrative corrective measures” were taken with each individual based on their respective responsibility. She declined to elaborate on the punishments or how many were punished.
First off, “igniting fears of an authoritarian state” seems like a bit of a stretch, and a whole lot of editorializing. While it’s obvious that a few motorists, including the one filming the video, were upset to see the flag, it’s hard to imagine there was mass panic about an authoritarian state.
Second, the report indicates the punishment is based on military regulations that say personnel should avoid implying Defense Department sponsorship or endorsement of any “political candidate, campaign or cause.”
According to TheBlaze, the video was posted in early February but filmed the previous Sunday, January 29th. That means the Trump flag was being flown not when Trump was a political candidate, but when he was actively serving as President.
As such, this Navy SEAL unit appears to have done nothing wrong other than support their own Commander-in-Chief.
Comment: Should the Navy SEAL unit have been punished for flying the flag of our President? Share your thoughts below.
