Demanding Accountability: When Doing Right Goes Wrong.
The date August 26, 2021 isn't likely to ring any bells in most heads. In fact, up until last year, August 26th was known to me as mom's birthday. However, anyone who was watching the news that month was likely to have heard about the "Kabul Airlift", a mass evacuation of Aghan refugees and the withdraw of the US and NATO forces in Afghanistan after 20 long years of sustained combat. August 26th stands out because it was the day that a suicide bomber detonated a suicide vest outside of Abbey Gate at Kabul Airport. This attack killed 13 US service members, along with upwards of 150 locals (firm numbers were never provided.)
The podcast I chose to write about for this discussion is one that I have followed for years. It is hosted by a former US Navy Seal and discusses topics ranging from leadership to history, and anything you can imagine in between. While I could write about the podcast as a whole, a recent episode holds a lot of value when discussing communication. The specific episode stuck out to me because it discusses the actions and ramifications of Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller speaking out on social media about his superiors and the lack of accountability for the failures that led to the deaths of those 13 service members. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, it is a perfect example of how social media can be used to broadly disseminate a message. It also serves to illustrate that social media posts can have a damaging effect in real life.
In his series of videos (Jocko 2022), Scheller demands accountability among top defense leaders for the actions that took place on that day. He presents arguments that assert that accountability in these circumstances is the only way to ensure truth, transparency and the maintaining of our core values of honor, courage and commitment. In this sense, Stuart Scheller is providing a "proposition of value," which is defined as a statement of what we should embrace as important to our culture (Green, 2017). He explains that our culture in the Marine Corps is to hold each and every person accountable for their decisions but expresses that he does not feel it is happening at the highest levels.
This was a unique case because it was one of the first "mega-cases" where the offense being committed was made public for all to see because Scheller's videos went viral overnight. These videos were in direct violation of the standards set in place by the US Marine Corps in 2017. As outlined in the below "ALMAR" message (Its short for "All Marines")
Due to a huge online scandal involving a group on Facebook called "Marines United", the Marine Corps developed an intense policy regarding how Marines can engage in online communication and maintain a professional standing. Scheller's actions, regardless of motivations, were not in keeping with those standards. His demand for accountability ultimately landed with him being held accountable for his violations of the policy. Over the years, the Marine Corps has published Social Media Handbooks to help guide young Marines into using social media responsibly. (See below)
2021USMCSocialMediaHanbook.pdf (marines.mil)
The podcast is a lengthy one and it tells Scheller's story in great depth. He was a senior ranking officer when he finally made these videos. He was on a path that would have likely led to him being selected to become a General later in his career. In order to share his thoughts and values on social media, he gave it all up. In the end, he was court martialed and thrown in the brig for a period of time. he was discharged and was stripped of his benefits. His passion for the subject remains but he paid some serious dues for wanting to maintain his stance and presence on social media. I don't expect that many will listen to the full podcast but I believe it proves to be a great case study on the Marine Corps and accountability for social media conduct.
Jocko Podcast: 316 Apple Podcast
Jocko Podcast. (2022, January 14). Jocko Podcast 316: High Stakes Push-Back and Accountability. W/ Stuart Scheller [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbvK3gO3Pgg
Green, J. M. (2017). Communicating online. McGraw Hill Education Create.
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