Retired Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher spoke out on Newsmax's "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" on Tuesday, addressing the Navy's handling of the investigation into SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen's death.
In February 2022, Kyle Mullen, a 24-year-old former Yale football captain and Navy SEAL candidate, tragically passed away after finishing the grueling "Hell Week" phase of the Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) course. This intense training is meant to mimic combat conditions, pushing candidates to their limits with extreme stressors, such as repeated submersion in freezing water, sleep deprivation, and lack of food, as detailed by CBS News.
Gallagher criticized the Navy's approach to the case and defended the current medical officer and commanding officer (CO) under scrutiny.
"I mean, that's why we founded, you know, we started this foundation [Pipe Hitter Foundation], and unfortunately, it was the Navy [that] was the reason we started this foundation because they just cannot stop themselves from trying to make cases out of nothing," Gallagher stated. "I mean, this has been an injustice from the beginning."
Gallagher suggested that the Navy is withholding certain details about Mullen's death, particularly regarding alleged steroid use.
"You know, the bottom line is that no one wants to tell this mother that her son is cheating. And her son's not the only one that does it, but he cheated. He took steroids. They found him in his car. You know, he tested. They did an autopsy and found he had an enlarged heart. But she wanted that stricken out of everything," he said.
"So, her son, you know, did not have this shadow over him that he was taking steroids, and because of that, they took that completely out of the case."
Expressing concern over the repercussions faced by the medical officer and commanding officer, Gallagher added, "And now they're doing what they do best [which] is they're hanging out the medical officer and the CO to dry. And yeah, you know, unfortunately, these things happen more and more and are common. And this is why our foundation is stepping in to make sure that the medical officer receives the justice he deserves."
"You know, and I was a BUD/S instructor for two years, and I can testify to that selection process and the way that the instructors are run, the standards need to be met, but they also mitigate all the risk to the students," he noted. "They are the most professional group that you can have running a selection course like that, you know, and, you know, Murphy's Law will kick in every once in a while, and things do happen."
Addressing Mullen's personal choices, Gallagher stated, "But to sit there and try to hang these people out to dry for a decision that was made by Mullen himself to take drugs, to take steroids before he did the selection process. You know, those are his choices, and those are the consequences that happen."
"I do grieve for the mother. You know, I do understand. I could never imagine that. But we should not be ruining people's careers over this young man's actions," Gallagher said.
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Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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