A Navy SEAL platoon based in San Diego was ordered home early from a deployment in Iraq over disciplinary issues, according to officials.
U.S. Special Operations Command issued a statement Wednesday on Twitter that the platoon was being sent back to San Diego by the commander of the task force due to a “perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods” during its deployment.
The commander of the Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (in Iraq) ordered the early redeployment of a SEAL Team platoon to San Diego due to a perceived deterioration of good order and discipline within the team during non-operational periods.
— USSOCOM (@USSOCOM) July 24, 2019
The SEALs are members of SEAL Team 7, which is based at Naval Base Coronado, Lt. Philipp Chitty, U.S. Special Operations Command spokesman said. The team was in Iraq to advise and provide assistance to the Iraqi military, Chitty said.
The platoon was removed for drinking alcohol while on duty in violation of General Order No. 1, according to the Washington Post, who first broke the story. Chitty told KPBS “there were allegations of wrongdoing,” and an investigation was ongoing.
“After the investigation began, the commander lost confidence in the platoon's ability to accomplish the mission and ordered the platoon's redeployment,” he said in an email.
This is the latest in a series of scandals that has plagued the elite force. On Tuesday, an internal report exposed cocaine abuse and a lack of proper testing within SEAL Team 10, the Navy Times reported.
Earlier this month, a jury found Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher not guilty of murdering a wounded Islamic State captive in 2017. Gallagher was also acquitted of shooting at two civilians and other charges but was convicted of posing for photos with the captive’s body.
Gallagher was sentenced to time served as well as a reduction in rank.
In May, a Navy SEAL pleaded guilty in the hazing death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar in Mali in 2017 during a U.S. military deployment in Africa.
