President Trump has remained silent this week as the Army launches a review into the case of Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, potentially laying the groundwork for another standoff between the military and the commander in chief.
Army officials said last week that they’ve refused to return Maj. Golsteyn’s Special Forces tab, which signifies membership in the unit. Military leaders reportedly will soon begin a formal review of the case, which could result in a final denial or a reversal of the decision and the return of the Special Forces award.
Maj. Golsteyn, who was scheduled to face trial this year in connection with the 2010 killing of a suspected Taliban bombmaker in Afghanistan, was preemptively pardoned by the president in December.
“Golsteyn has said he later shot the terrorist because he was certain that the terrorist’s bombmaking activities would continue to threaten American troops and their Afghan partners, including Afghan civilians who had helped identify him,” the White House said in a statement announcing the pardon. “After nearly a decade-long inquiry and multiple investigations, a swift resolution to the case of Major Golsteyn is in the interests of justice.”
Also in December, Mr. Trump restored the rank of Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who had been convicted of posing with the corpse of an Islamic State militant in Iraq but acquitted of more serious charges, including murder. But in the weeks afterwards, Navy officials said they would convene a review board to examine whether Mr. Gallagher should be given back his Trident pin, which marks membership in the SEALs.
The president publicly intervened in the case and publicly ordered the Navy to return the pin and cease any further reviews. The ordeal ultimately led to the firing of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and also opened up a public rift between the White House and the Pentagon.
But so far, the president has not followed suit in the Maj. Golsteyn case. While Maj. Golsteyn’s family and supporters say Mr. Trump was clear that the entire case was to be expunged from the record, the Army review could ultimately result in punishment.
The president’s “intent was crystal clear & they waited over a month to announce the decision — hoping @realDonaldTrump is distracted,” Maj. Golsteyn’s wife, Julie, wrote in a Twitter post last week. The Army reportedly made the decision in early December but did not reveal it until last week.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the case.
• Ben Wolfgang can be reached at bwolfgang@washingtontimes.com.
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