Former Tea Party Marine Suing Marine Corps

Former Marine sergeant Gary Stein has argued that the Marine Corps violated his freedom of speech. He was discharged from the Marine Corps for statements he made on Facebook.

Former Marine sergeant Gary Stein—who was booted from the Marine Corps this month for anti-Obama statements—plans to sue the Marine Corps, he told supporters on Facebook. A board handed Stein an “other-than-honorable” discharge last month for saying he would not follow orders issued by the president. He later clarified his remarks by saying he would not follow any "illegal" orders. Attorneys argued during a separation hearing that he was protected under the First Amendment when he made his comments. Patch will update the story as it develops.   Got something to say about this story? Tell us in the comments. Subscribe to the Fort Stewart Patch newsletter and get news, Patch deals and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your inbox. …

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Gay Marriage Proposal at Camp Pendleton a Likely First for DoD

A Navy Veteran proposed to his Marine partner this week at Camp Pendleton, CA.

Navy veteran Cory Huston proposed to Marine Avarice Guerrero at Camp Pendleton, CA, this week, which appears to be the first time a same-sex proposal has occured on a military installation since last year's Don't Ask, Don't Tell ban, according to San Diego LGBT Weekly. Editor's Note: The Weekly's story link seems to not be working at the moment. I suspect they're getting a lot of traffic.   Got something to say about this story? Tell us in the comments! Subscribe to the Fort Stewart Patch newsletter and get news, Patch deals and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your inbox. Follow Fort Stewart Patch on Twitter and Facebook. Add your photos to Pics & Clips.

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Tea Party Marine Kicked out of Marine Corps

Sgt. Gary Stein was in trouble for his anti-Obama remarks, but his release date is postponed due to a throat condition.

A Camp Pendleton Marine who landed in hot water when he made critical remarks about President Obama on Facebook will be involuntarily discharged, officials said Wednesday. He remains in the Marine Corps as he deals with a recently diagnosed medical condition.  Marine Sgt. Gary Stein got an “other-than-honorable” discharge for saying he would not follow orders issued by the president. He later clarified his remarks by saying he would not follow any "illegal" orders. Attorneys argued during a separation hearing that he was protected under the First Amendment when he made his comments. The incident caused officials to begin revising the Pentagon's policy on military member's behavior on social media. RELATED: Tea Party Marine Vows to Sue …

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Patch Poll

Should Members of Military Be Free to Publicly Rap Civilian Leaders?

"Tea Party Marine" case is throwing a spotlight on different rules for service members.

The U.S. military has limited the free speech of troops since the Civil War, including not being allowed to criticize civilian leaders like the president.  So it's no wonder that Marine Sgt. Gary Stein is facing an other-than-honorable discharge for bashing Barack Obama on his Tea Party Facebook page. Should these First Amendment restrictions apply in this era of social media?

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Wounded Warrior Softball Team Thumps D.C. Celebs

Injured service members shellack celebrity team 17-4

By J.D. Leipold Army News Service WASHINGTON, April 4, 2012 – The loss of an arm or a leg didn't seem to have an effect on the play of soldiers and Marines who make up the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team yesterday as they soundly thumped a Washington-area celebrity team made up of sports legends, broadcasters and even the D.C. mayor. In the second annual battle between the teams, hosted by the Washington Nationals at their ballpark, the softball classic started with the able-bodied celebrities taking an early 2-0 lead. But the celebrities could muster only two more runs in five innings of play as the wounded warriors -- playing with leg or arm prosthetics or no prosthetic at all -- couldn't be stopped defensively or offensively. They…

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Tea Party Marine Suing Commanders

Marine Sgt. Gary Stein says his chain of command violated his freedom of speech and due process rights.

Sgt. Gary Stein — the embattled Marine facing a military discharge for anti-Obama remarks on Facebook — is suing members of his chain of command for violation of his first amendment and due process rights, he told posted on Facebook and confirmed with Patch Monday. Stein is founder of the Armed Forces Tea Party page on Facebook and is facing a military discharge for writing that he would not follow illegal orders from President Obama. He is not concerned with any specific order he told Patch Monday. “There are a lot of hypothetical scenarios, but there have not been any orders that I deem to be unlawful,” he said. An Administrative Separation board will hold a hearing on base Thursday to decide whether or not to discharge him. According to…

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Separation Board Hearing Set for Anti-Obama Marine

Sgt. Gary Stein will have his first hearing in which a panel will decide whether or not to discharge the Marine for stating on a Facebook page that he would not carry out orders from the president, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Marine Sgt. Gary Stein will have his first hearing in which a panel will decide whether or not to discharge the Marine for stating on a Facebook page that he would not carry out orders from the president, the Los Angeles Times reports. He posted the comment on his Armed Forces Tea Party page on Facebook. This comes two months after a soldier found himself in a similar situation for endorsing Ron Paul. Do you think active duty service members should be vocal in politics? Vote in the poll and tell us in the comments. Subscribe to the Fort Stewart Patch newsletter and get news, Patch deals and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your inbox. Follow Fort Stewart Patch on Twitter and Facebook. Add your photos to the Neighborhood Gallery.

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POLL: Tea Party Marine Being Discharged

Tea Party advocate and Marine Sgt. Gary Stein says he is being involuntarily discharged from the military after posting anti-Obama content on a public Facebook page.

Marine Sgt. Gary Stein told the Associated Press Wednesday that he is being discharged for his Facebook remarks against President Barack Obama. The Marine earlier created Armed Forces Tea Party, a Facebook group on which he stated he would not carry out an order from the president. Earlier this year a soldier found himself in trouble after endorsing Ron Paul, while at uniform at a rally.  What do you think? Vote in the poll and tell us in the comments.

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42 Years Later, Vietnam Veterans Reunite on Facebook

Veterans become "friends" again after a Las Vegas man contacted Ron Colby of Saukville using the social media site. Now, the two continue to rekindle their relationship, sharing photos of family and stories from their lives since the war.