Marine Officer Sends Resignation Letter, Cites ‘Loss of Trust and Confidence’ in Leadership

Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller requested Sept. 11, 2021, as his withdrawal date from the U.S. Marine Corps in the formal resignation he submitted Tuesday.

Scheller, relieved of command last week for his Facebook rant critical of senior 🪖Military leadership, returned to social media to make the letter public. On Facebook and LinkedIn, he addressed his posts to “The American Leadership” along with a copy of the letter citing “loss of trust and confidence” in his superiors’ ability to lead as his reason for leaving.

The wording mimics how the Marine Corps justified firing him. According to CNN, Marine Corps Spokesperson Major Jim Stenger said in a statement on Friday that Scheller was relieved of his command due to the “loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command.”

Referring to himself as “We the people” in his Tuesday LinkedIn post, Scheller wrote, “We the people seek change. We the people seek leadership. We the people seek accountability. We the people WILL take it.”

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The letter came two days after Scheller posted an emotional 10-minute video announcing his imminent resignation.

There he credited his decision to resign to a former mentor, retired Marine Col. Thomas K. Hobbs, who Scheller said he loves “like a father” but who had left a comment on one of his LinkedIn posts that “just played through my head.”