Former Green Beret Mathew Golsteyn, who Donald Trump pardoned before his war crimes trial for ‘murdering a Taliban bombmaker’, wants his stripped medals and Special Forces tabs BACK
- Matthew Golsteyn was given a Special Forces designation and awarded a Silver Star for heroic actions during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2010
- However, he was stripped of the honors in 2015, after he admitted to shooting a Taliban bombmaker
- Golsteyn said he shot he Afghan national as he believed he was responsible for an explosion that killed two US troops
- Golsteyn was subsequently charged with murder and expected to face a court-martial trial before he was pardoned earlier this month by President Trump
- The former Green Beret is now seeking the retrieval of his Silver Star and Special Forces tabs
A former Green Beret accused of war crimes is now seeking the return of his medals and Special Forces tabs after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump.
Matthew Golsteyn was stripped of his Silver Star and was due to face a court-martial trial over the 2010 murder of a Taliban bombmaker before the Commander-in-chief stepped in to issue an Executive Grant of Clemency on November 15.
Speaking on Tuesday, Golsteyn’s lawyer says his client is already trying to retrieve the honors he had received before being charged with the crime.
‘There’s a letter sitting with the secretary of the Army right now,’ attorney Phillip Stackhouse told Stripes.
He added that he believes Trump will be willing to assist with the retrieval of Golsteyn’s medal, stating: ‘What the president has told Matt is he’s allowed everything as though this never happened’.
Former Green Beret Mathew Golsteyn is seeking the retrieval of his stripped medals and Special Forces tabs back after being pardoned by Trump. He is pictured in 2011 with Silver Star
Golsteyn was given a Special Forces designation and awarded a Silver Star back in 2011, after it was revealed he repeatedly braved enemy fire, coordinated airstrikes and came to the aid of a wounded Afghan soldier during his 2010 deployment to Afghanistan.
The Silver Star was due upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, the military’s second-highest honor, before he was stripped of the medal in 2015 after he admitted to shooting an alleged Taliban bombmaker.
Golsteyn, who was leading a team of Army Special Forces troops at the time of the shooting, believed that the bombmaker was responsible for an explosion that killed two US Marines – Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary, 27, and Lance Cpl. Larry M. Johnson, 19.
Golsteyn has said he believed the bombmaker was legal target because of his behavior.
Golsteyn was was stripped of the medal in 2015 after he admitted to shooting an alleged Taliban bombmaker. He is pictured back in June leaving an arraignment hearing after being charged with the man’s murder
Sgt. Jeremy R. McQueary (left), 27, and Lance Cpl. Larry M. Johnson (right), 19, were killed in an explosion in February 2010. Golsteyn believed the Afghan he killed was responsible for their deaths
The Army Criminal Investigation Command, acting on information from the CIA, looked into the incident, but could never find anyone to corroborate Golsteyn’s claim and couldn’t find any remains of the Afghan national, possibly because they were burned in a trash pit.
According to an Army investigation report, Golsteyn buried the victim in an unmarked grave, then dug up the corpse, carried it back to the base and burned it in a trash pit.
In November 2016, Golsteyn appeared on a Fox News special called ‘How We Fight,’ in which he told host Brett Baier that he killed the Afghan because letting him go would have led to additional problems’.
His appearance on the show caused the case against him to be reopened, and he was later charged with murder.
Golsteyn was due to face a court-martial in December over the shooting before the pardon came through from Trump.
Broadcasting his support for Golestyn, Trump tweeted: ‘Mathew is a highly decorated Green Beret who is being tried for killing a Taliban bombmaker.
‘We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!’
Golsteyn was due to face a court-martial in December over the shooting before the pardon came through from Trump. He is pictured in June with lawyer Phillip Stackhouse
Trump expressed his support for Golsteyn, stating: ‘We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!’