Colonel Phil “Hands” Handley United States Air Force (Retired)
He was laid to rest on May 08, 2019–pages are being updated at this time.
The Associated Press | By Susannah George: Congressman Vows to Seek Trump Pardon for Accused Navy SEAL
Hunter, R-Calif., screened combat footage collected from a helmet camera to a group of lawmakers Wednesday, saying the footage exonerates Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher of one of the charges against him.
“I wanted to give them an opportunity firsthand to see there is no case,” Hunter told a small group of reporters after the screening. He said he believes Gallagher is innocent and a war hero and admonished the military justice system, calling it “absolutely broken” and “rigged.”
“I don’t trust the Navy to give him a fair trial, but I think with all of the focus on this case that he stands more of a chance of getting a fair trial now,” Hunter said.
Gallagher is accused of killing a teenage Islamic State fighter under his care and then holding his reenlistment ceremony with the corpse. Navy prosecutors also accuse Gallagher of shooting two civilians in Iraq and opening fire on crowds. Gallagher has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
His lawyers have said he did not murder anyone and that disgruntled SEALs made the accusations because they wanted to get rid of a demanding platoon leader. His trial is set for May 28 at Naval Base San Diego.
The Associated Press | By Ken Miller: Pardoned Ex-Soldier Initially Didn’t Take White House Call
The Fayetteville Observer, N.C. | By Rachael Riley: Special Operations Soldier Receives Second Distinguished Service Cross
By C. Todd Lopez: Commander: Army ‘Got It Right’ With Brigade’s Afghanistan Deployment
Military.com | By Patricia Kime: In First, Pentagon to Release Information on Military Dependent Suicides
A couple of subcommittee members raised the issue of medical marijuana. Rep. Harley Rouda, D-California, asked about research and its potential role as a therapy for veterans; Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Arizona, staunchly opposed its use.
It would not be an option, regardless, for active-duty troops, who are prohibited from taking drugs other than prescribed medications.
A VA official said marijuana and cannabis must be thoroughly researched before they could be recommended for mental health use.
“This is country that thought it could control fentanyl, and we ended up with one of the greatest health crises. This is the country that thought it could control alcohol, and it remains a public health debacle. Cannabis in the 1960s was 2% psychotropic. Cannabis today at 22-23% is not the same. We need the opportunity to do substantial research … before we could recommend anything,” said Dr. Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration.
