The US Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corp and Office of Military Commissions at Guantanamo Bay convicted former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff James C. “Jim” Slife of mutiny, insurrection, and other high crimes Tuesday afternoon. Military officers serving as jurors, or panelists, recommended he face the strictest punishment: death.
As reported, the US Army Criminal Investigation (CID) arrested Slife on February 23 based on “compelling” proof that Slife in 2013 had ordered an abortive against the Michigan Militia while commanding the 1st Special Operations Wing, one of six Air Force active-duty special operations wings that fall under the Air Force Special Operations Command. Slife had ordered an AC-130 Specter Gunship to raze a militia training area full of men, women, and children under the pretense of protecting then-president Barack Hussein Obama from “domestic terrorists.” The gunship was already airborne and less than 15 miles from the target when the crew, ostensibly realizing they were about to commit a war crime, aborted the illegal mission.
At his arraignment on March 4, Slife entered a plea of “not guilty,” and his JAG-appointed counsel argued that JAG’s charges were politically motivated and specious because no one had been killed and that Slife’s only crime was obeying his commander-in-chief. Slife’s lawyer filed a motion for dismissal and urged the magistrate to release his client.
“The phrase ‘I was just following orders has been used to justify too many war crimes. Mr. Slife will stand trial,” the magistrate said.
The tribunal began at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday and ended only two hours later.
Wearing handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit, Slife was escorted into court by military police and seated at the defense table beside his counsel, a balding middle-aged captain whose visible perspiration suggested he lacked confidence in his defense.
In opening statements, acting Judge Advocate General Lia Reynolds described Slife as a reckless, cavalier, obsequious officer who had abandoned his constitutional oath hoping to ingratiate himself with Obama. In contrast, Slife’s attorney defined his client as a “heroic, decorated military man with a history of meritorious service to his nation.” He said Slife had faithfully obeyed his commander-in-chief as all good officers should, adding that if anyone should stand trial, it should be Obama, not Slife.
Admiral Reynolds showed the panel a typewritten Air Force planning and execution document, dated 06/01/2013, requisitioning a single AC-130 to depart Hurlburt Field, Florida, at 1500 hours on June 6, fly directly to a “domestic terrorist” training center near Gaylord, Michigan, and use all available ordnance to obliterate the compound and its occupants. Slife’s handwritten signature, authenticated by handwriting analysis experts, appeared at the bottom of the page.
“Had the plane unloaded its weapons, there were, we now know, 63 innocent people that would’ve been killed. They weren’t domestic terrorists; they were citizens of the United States practicing their 1st and 2nd Amendments. ‘A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ Obama perceived armed citizens as a threat to his autocracy and did everything he could to neutralize what he saw as impediments to his presidency. I don’t doubt that Obama or Hagel (Chuck Hagel was Obama’s defense secretary between February 27, 2013 – February 17, 2015) initiated the idea, but Defendant Slife allowed himself to be their instrument of destruction. All Armed Forces officers understand moral from immoral or legal from illegal orders. The Defendant, well, cared more about promotion than right from wrong,” Admiral Reynolds told the panel.
Next, Adm. Reynolds called Lieutenant Jeremy Beals, USAF, Retd., to the witness stand. Beals had been the navigator, now referred to as a Combat Systems Officer (CSO), aboard the AC-130.
As his examination and cross-examination lasted 90 minutes, we have truncated it for brevity and relevancy.
“Did the Defendant talk to you before the flight?” Admiral Reynolds asked.
“Not personally, ma’am. He entered the flight deck and spoke with Captain Adams (the pilot) and Captain Monroe (the co-pilot). They told us the mission, and before that we, meaning me and the rest of the flight crew, didn’t even know it was real-world,” Beals said.
“We understand the meaning of ‘real-world,’ but can you state it for the record, please?” asked Adm. Reynolds.
“Basically, an actual operation and not a training exercise,” Beals said.
“And what was your understanding of this operation?” asked the Admiral.
“Ma’am, that we were to destroy a domestic terrorist cell that that threatened to kill the president,” Beals replied.
“Other than what the pilots told you, did you see a physical order authorizing the mission?” Admiral Reynolds asked.
Beals chortled. “It was unusual, but no. Not until 20 minutes before takeoff. Captain Monroe told us, the crew.”
“Do you recall what he said ?” the Admiral asked.
“Ma’am, it’s been 13 years, so, no, not verbatim, but I do remember it authorized the use of weapons to decimate the target package,” Beals said.
“And none of that seemed irregular, questionable, illegal? Firing on a farm in northern Michigan,” said the Admiral.
“Ma’am, Captain Monroe made it clear this was hush-hush, said compliance was mandatory, and that all our careers would go down in flames if we didn’t,” Beals said.
“But you didn’t,” the Admiral noted.
“No, ma’am. It was really only at the last moment—Captain Adams said we weren’t doing it and turned the plane around, and he said he’d accept full responsibility. I tell you, ma’am, we all breathed a sigh of relief because we knew what we were preparing to do was out and out wrong,” Beals said.
“What happened after? Were you, any of you, brought up on charges for disobeying a direct order?” asked Admiral Reynolds.
Beals chuckled. “No, ma’am. Your Defendant sitting there—he verbally reamed us out, but that’s it. I mean, what would he do? Court Martial us for not killing American citizens? He told us not to ever talk about the mission with anyone, or he’d make life hell.”
“And you resigned six months later, is that correct?” asked the Admiral.
“Yes, ma’am. I requested a tender of resignation saying military service was killing my marriage—I mean, that was a lie, but I couldn’t perform my duties after all that, and that’s the truth,” Beals said passionately.
“To the best of your knowledge, did all 16 crew members of that flight resign within a year of the incident?” the Admiral asked.
“I know of nine, ma’am, can’t speak for the rest,” Beals said.
Admiral Reynolds showed the panel DD-214s—certificates of release or discharge summarizing a service member’s qualifying active-duty military service—for all crew members on the AC-130 that fateful day. She said JAG had attempted to contact them all, but three had died in the interim and the rest refused to provide testimony.
She thanked the Beals for appearing and asked Slife’s attorney if he wished to cross-examine the witness. Defense counsel jumped at the chance.
“So, Lieutenant Beals—”
“I’m a civilian now and prefer Mr. Beals, or even Jeremy is fine,” Beals interjected.
Slife’s lawyer smirked. “Shouldn’t you be proud of your service?”
“I love my country, sir, but pride—I take no pride in what we embarked on. You call me Mr. Beals, and I’ll call you whatever you want,” Beals said.
“So, Mr. Beals, just so we’re clear: You never saw the deployment order, which could’ve been fabricated, and just heard of it from Captain Monroe, who, obviously, isn’t present in this courtroom,” the defense counsel said antagonistically.
“We left Hurlburt Field fully loaded—25 and 40mm Gattling guns loaded and 105mm Howitzer shells secured in cargo. We had an attack plan, GPS coordinates to hit, were told to make multiple passes over the target until it was rubble. Even if I thought it was training before we took off, once Captain Monroe briefed us, it, it wasn’t training. It doesn’t take a degree in rocket science to get that fact,” Beals countered.
“But you never saw the hardcopy order until today, in this courtroom, right?” the defense lawyer said.
“That’s right, but when we got back to Florida, that asshole there, Slife, was standing on the tarmac, and for two hours he berated us, told us how disappointed he was, and how pissed off President Obama would be—and what a dick he was—for not killing the militia people in Michigan. The guy you’re representing, that prick Slife sitting there, had the cockpit voice recorder removed, and who the hell knows what he had done with it. I know we were on a kill mission, kill Americans, no one can tell me otherwise,” Beals said.
Admiral Reynolds asked the defense attorney if Slife wished to testify.
“My client is innocent, why would he?” Slife’s lawyer barked.
Ten minutes later, the panel ruled Slife guilty, recommending he be hanged. Admiral Reynolds assented and scheduled Slife’s execution for May 12.