From Navy Corpsman to MARSOC 3 | Eric Gilmet - S.O.S. #222

A decorated Navy corpsman's career derails when military justice turns against him. Eric Gilmette served 21 honorable years, deploying as a medic with Marine infantry and special operations forces, only to find himself embroiled in a four-year legal nightmare stemming from a New Year's Eve incident in Iraq.

After an altercation at a bar in Erbil left a civilian contractor unconscious, Gilmette's medical training kicked in. He monitored the man throughout the night, performing neurological checks and positioning him to maintain his airway. Despite these efforts, tragedy struck when the contractor stopped breathing the next morning and later died.

Rather than treating this as the accident autopsy evidence later confirmed it to be, military authorities charged Gilmette and two Marine Raiders with homicide. What followed exposed shocking flaws in the military justice system, particularly when a senior JAG officer made threatening comments to Gilmette's defense team, creating an untenable conflict of interest.

The case became a fight not just about what happened that night in Iraq, but about fundamental fairness in military courts. COVID delays stretched the ordeal to four years while Gilmette remained in limbo, unable to practice his medical skills or advance his career. The military's highest court eventually dismissed all charges, recognizing the violation of due process.

Gilmette's story reveals the personal toll when systems designed to protect service members fail them instead. Now retired in Michigan, he's pursuing his master's degree and speaking out about needed reforms. His journey reminds us how quickly lives can change and the courage required to stand firm when facing injustice from the very institution you've devoted your life to serving.

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