Marine Major Joshua Mast caught up in Aghan adoption case allowed to remain Marine

A subject administrative committee of enquiry proceeding overseen by 3 officers from Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC) astatine Camp Lejeune from Oct 2-8 substantiated allegations against a Marine JAG serviceman of "misuse of a authorities computer" and "conduct unbecoming an serviceman and a gentleman." However, the board, which heard affectional and heated grounds including arguments that the Marine lawyer abused his presumption and disregarded orders of his superiors, determined Major Joshua Mast, should stay connected progressive work successful the Marines. He remains attached to MARSOC, an elite Marine portion that falls nether US Special Operations Command. 

Mast and his woman Stephanie person been progressive successful a years-long ineligible conflict aft an Afghan mates brought a suit challenging the legality of their adoption of an Afghan orphan, who the State Department had fixed to the child’s relatives to rise pursuing a US airstrike successful 2019 that killed the child’s parents and near the kid severely injured. The Afghan couple, who raised the kid for 18 months, has argued earlier a Virginia tribunal they were tricked into handing implicit Baby Doe aft Mast helped them travel to the US during the chaotic Afghan withdrawal successful 2021. The State Department has demanded the Virginia tribunal instrumentality the kid to its Afghan relatives present surviving successful the US.

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Marine Maj. Joshua Mast and his wife, Stephanie, walking retired of tribunal  in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

"The substantiated misconduct relating to misuse of a authorities machine did see systems involving classified and unclassified information," according to Major Johnny Henderson, a spokesperson for MARSOC. The committee did not see the legality of the adoption lawsuit, which has present been appealed by the Masts and is presently stalled successful the Virginia Supreme Court. A civilian appeals tribunal successful Virginia earlier this twelvemonth ruled against the Masts, arguing the adoption should person ne'er been granted. The kid remains with the Masts pending appeal.

Mast denied helium disobeyed orders and displayed a poster of the kid smiling astatine their location successful Hampstead, North Carolina alongside a photograph of the kid astatine Bagram Airfield wherever Baby Doe was taken for aesculapian attraction pursuing the US airstrike. He argued helium was successful information upholding the Marine Corps creed, adjacent though past Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a Virginia national justice told them to halt trying to follow the Afghan child.

Some of the proceeding was held successful a closed league distant from reporters due to the fact that Mast claimed immoderate of the accusation was classified. He past chose to marque an unsworn connection down closed doors, which meant helium was not taxable to cross-examination.

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By law, the subject board’s finding that separation was not warranted is binding connected the Marine Corps. The determination indispensable present beryllium reviewed by the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

When asked whether Maj Mast would beryllium capable to proceed practicing instrumentality arsenic a Judge Advocate General (JAG) officer, Maj Henderson responded:

"Maj Mast has not been practicing instrumentality oregon successful a ineligible billet astatine MARSOC since the archetypal study of misconduct nor volition helium beryllium returning to practicing instrumentality astatine MARSOC.  His licence to signifier instrumentality is up to the authorities successful which helium is licensed."

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Marine Maj. Joshua Mast walking with his wife, Stephanie successful Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

On the question of whether Maj Mast volition person his information clearance pulled fixed the findings, MARSOC nationalist affairs responded: "His entree to classified accusation systems has been restricted by MARSOC.  Final information adjudication of his information clearance is simply a abstracted process and volition not beryllium completed until the last study of the committee is submitted done the concatenation of command."

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The Marine Corps is not enactment to oregon progressive with immoderate ongoing civilian litigation. Major Mast’s civilian litigation is being handled by DOJ.