Active-duty Marine Major Christopher Warnagiris arrested for assault on Capitol 1/6

[Generic Other]

BREAKING: Active-duty Marine Major Christopher Warnagiris, based at Quantico, was arrested in Virginia for assaulting federal officers at the Capitol.

Link to tweet

Officials believe this is the first Jan. 6 case against an active duty service member, but a number of guardsmen/reservists have been arrested, as have about 40 veterans.

[gratuitous]

1. A Major?!

How in the ever-loving blue-eyed world does a lunatic like that make it all the way to Major?!

In case it's gotten by folks, there are more problems to address than simply the armed mob that tried to overthrow the government by force on Jan. 6.

[Miguelito Loveless]

3. Rank does not equate to sanity

See Michael Flynn for example.

[malaise]

4. During the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq military men

would write biblical quotes on rockets. I asked who allowed this more than once, because it spoke to a venal culture. RWs have invaded every single institution and not just in the US.

Just remember there were two Flynns in senior posts in said military and there are many others.

[KPN]

29. ++++

[LittleGirl]

36. Doesn't isis do that too?

Write religious quotes on bombs?
How self righteous.

[azureblue]

44. if your neighbor

robs a bank,, will you,also? So much for following the teaching of Jesus, eh?

[marble falls]

6. "Major" is also a holding rank for guys who don't have what it takes to get further.

[Still Sensible]

47. This is exactly accurate

If he has more than about 12 years in, he is very likely in this category.

[COL Mustard]

76. Not True.

I've known many majors who for one reason or another didn't go further. Usually just one evaluation stopped their entire career.

[marble falls]

77. Like I said. Their carreer goes no further than Major.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

83. Absofuckinglutely correct. nt

[TreasonousBastard]

8. It's almost automatic if you stick around long enough. At least it was in the Army. But...

I doubt he'll be a major much longer.

[marie999]

20. Passed over twice for promotion and you are out except if you were enlisted for 4 years

and receive a commission without a college degree. The top rank is Captain, you can lose your commission but if you want to stay in you can and you retire as a captain.

[marble falls]

60. I don't get the Army over this. My FiL enlisted as a PFC in '38. By the end of WWII he was ...

a 1st LT and transferred to the reserves after the War. He was at Market Garden and the Bulge, having fought in N. Africa and up Italy getting two Silver Stars among other decorations.

At the end of the war he was created a Warrant Officer. And by the time Korea blew up he went through the WO ranks.

When Korea started he was activated to Korea, made a Captain, earned a bronze start for fighting an ammo dump fire.

He also raided a black market and confiscated winter boots for his troops, and another time had a gang of black marketeers' heads shaved. This last ended up with him officially apologizing and taking a letter in his file.

After Korea the Army drew down and not wanting to lose him, promoted him to Major but there was no way he was ever getting further.

My MiL threatened to leave him if he went to the Nam. The Army offered to let him retire as a major or become Sgt Major of the Army.

He was with the 504th in WWII. He mentioned in several books including a story about a letter he wrote to the family of one of his lost troopers.



He was a pioneer in para-assaults and his he helped develop cold weather equipment and school in Alaska during WWII, and he's the only person I know who fought the Japanese (a minor action in the Aleutian Islands) and the Germans.

He'd been every rank to Major and not in order, being reduced not for discipline but for peacetime.


He'd been a paratrooper for 30 years, and he refused to let my wife take a jump.

[dhol82]

61. Wow, that's quite the history!

[MLAA]

104. Wow!

Maybe you and your wife need to write a book about him. That would be a great one to read.

[marble falls]

106. He's mentioned in "The Battle for the Bridge: The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in ...

... Operation Market Garden", and "Blocking Kampfergruppe Peiper: The 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment in the Battle of the Bulge", both by Frank Van Lunteren, a Dutch historian.

1st Lt Harry J. Frear won a silver star for "bravery and able leadership" for his action when his company (G) and Regiment spearheaded the counter attack at the Bulge at Herresbach.

A good quick history of the 504th - http://facesbeyondthegraves.com/pagina43.html

[TomSlick]

79. That's not my experience.

The promotion from 2LT to 1LT is more or less automatic - absent a real screw-up.

From there, each promotion board is tougher than the last.

[Solly Mack]

11. Oh, let me tell you some tales. LOL

Some of the most fried brain crispy critters, so far out there they're lost kind of crazies make it to General.

Had a Colonel (P) tell me it was his mission from God to end the war with Iraq and bring peace to the Middle East. He meant it, down to his very core.

He was also a huge fan of Art Bell.

[AZ8theist]

24. He was ordered to do it by his commander in chief

So, yeah.
Doturd is guilty of sedition and needs to die in prison. Nothing short of that will fix our democracy. The only alternative is dictatorship.

[SergeStorms]

38. He'll probably try to use that...

as his "defense". Good luck with that.

[AZ8theist]

59. Isn't following an illegal order a court martial offense?

[SergeStorms]

94. I'm not familiar with military law...

but it seems like it should be. He's dead wrong for doing what he did, so there must be some punishment.

[sarge43]

101. The JAG won't bother with that.

There's a tidy list of punitive articles that can be used:

Art 94: Sedition
Art 109: Destruction of other than military property
Art 116: Riot or breach of the peace
Art 128: Assault
Art 133: Conduct unbecoming
Art 134: Known as the Gotcha or the Big Tent. Covers any FUs not specifically listed in the punitives.

I understand he had screen time. He better hope he isn't turned over to the Corps.

[sarge43]

25. It's not that hard.

Have to be near incompetent or in a super slo-mo career field to be stuck at captain. It's the jump to lieutenant colonel when promotion turns red in tooth and claw.

[maxrandb]

41. Yes, I'm a retired Navy Mustang Officer. I retired at 29 years as a LCDR/O4

LCDR is the same as a Major in the USMC or Army.

I served 15 years as enlisted, making it to Senior Chief Petty Officer/E8.

I had about a 1000% chance to make O4, but only about a 4% chance to make Master Chief.

From O1 to O3, it's frickin automatic. 2 years as an Ensign you automatically promote to LTJG. 2 years as a LTJG, you automatically promote to O3. O4 was about 5-6 years after O3, and the percentage of those eligible to promote to O4 that got promoted was 89%.

We used to say that you had to try not to make O4.

As long as you didn't kill someone, or get caught "fishing from the company pier", you were going to make O4.

[sarge43]

42. About the same in the Air Force.

I understand that only 2% of the enlisted force is chief/sgt maj (E-9).

[maxrandb]

43. Correct. In my Enlisted Rate the promotion percentage to E8 was 2%

For my Limited Duty Officer designator, my chance to make O4 was 90%.

[qazplm135]

70. the drawdown

brought those numbers down a little bit (the Army was definitely in the high 80s but now it's down to around 80) but your point remains valid, it's a lot harder to make O5 than O4.

[qazplm135]

69. yep retired Army LTC here

promotion to MAJ and my board's promotion rate was something like almost 90 percent.

The rate for my promotion to LTC was 56 percent.

[mahina]

35. Same thought here

Exactly.

[Grins]

45. Because there are so few slots...

....it takes a long time to get promoted in the Marines. Other services are much faster.

Regardless, this guy royally screwed his own self. Won’t EVER get promoted, may wind up in Leavenworth and dishonorably discharged with no pension or prospects.

Must suck to be him. His wife can’t be thrilled with this.

[Justice matters.]

54. A Major Lo$eR and $uckeR according to the oRange mob$teR...

And now, according to the DOJ, but not for the same reasons.

Lock him up.

[qazplm135]

67. don't know about the Marines

but the Army standard promotion rate to Major is 80 percent...so it ain't that hard to make Major.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

85. About the same with the Marines,

but that's because the Marines are a smaller force.

[COL Mustard]

75. For A While, At Least In The Army....

If you could fog a mirror you were good at least to Major, and potentially to LTC.

(No, I don't think that's how I was promoted, since it was before 9/11)........

[soldierant]

93. When I was an active duty Marine,

there was a joke that a young 2ndLt who was ambitious went to the MCX to price senior officers' brains to improve his chances. When he learned that 1stLts' brains were $5 per pound, he thought that was affordable, and asked the price of Captains' brains. "$10 per pound."
Well, how much for Majors' brains?"

"Majors' brains run $1,000 per ounce."

"WHAT! Why so expensive"

"Because we have to put so many majors together before we can come up with an ounce of brains."

Apparently this guy set out to prove that.

[sarge43]

98. A classic and definitely not limited to the Corps.

[maxrandb]

102. Long but good military joke

An Ensign reported to his first ship. After meeting with the Command Master Chief he asked; "Master Chief, they taught us a lot in OCS about Officer Ranks, but they never discussed the significance of the devices we wear on our collars, do you know where that tradition comes from"?

The Master Chief said; "Sure, you see, you're an O1, so we give you a single gold bar. That signifies that you're like a precious metal to us, and like gold, you're easy to mold"

"Then, when you make O2, we give you a silver bar. Still a precious metal, but a little tougher."

"When you make O3, we give you another silver bar and slap a firm backbone on it"

"Then there is the proud silver eagle, a symbol of our country and a symbol of great strength."

"Then there is the silver star! Our brightest light in the night sky and what man has looked to for guidance"

The Ensign thought for a moment and said; "Thanks Master Chief, but what about the Silver and Gold Oakleafs"?

The Master Chief says; "those symbols go back to the beginning of time, when God told Adam and Eve...

For all eternity, you will use these leaves to cover your pricks and assholes

[soldierant]

108. ...

[sarge43]

109. ...

[uponit7771]

96. +1,

[Sherman A1]

2. One hopes they

Throw the book at him.

[Warpy]

37. Yeah, cort marital and kiss the pension goodbye.

That is the very least that should happen.

[erronis]

51. I do like that "cort marital" since that's where his spousal relation is headed.

Bummer to get it from the military and the spouse at the same time.

Well deserved!

[Baked Potato]

5. Grifting scum getting fat off the government he attacks. Can his ass!!

Probably fantasizes goose stepping in front of cheering people.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

7. That he thought he could do this without repercussions to his career is frightening.

[Lonestarblue]

30. I don't think any of the January 6 terrorists thought of repercussions.

They probably thought that they would succeed in stopping the election, especially if leaders had been told that the National Guard would stand down. And if they succeeded, Trump would still be president and he would just pardon them all, just as he told ICE and contractors building the wall to do illegal things and he would pardon them. None of them seem to be the brightest bulbs in the room.

[uponit7771]

97. +1, no mask and fuckin on camera too !! omfg

[Paladin]

9. Loss of Marine status via dishonorable discharge, loss of all benefits.

By the end of business today, if I had the power to make it so.

[hlthe2b]

10. And up the chain we go. GOOD. Nail these a'holes.

[cloudbase]

12. Not a career enhancing action.

His afternoon is sort of ruined.

[Demovictory9]

13. whoa! 4 months later, the long arm of the law catches up with perp.

[dawg day]

14. A marine major!

Well, I hope Trump is worth ruining his career for. After all, he thought Trump was worth betraying his oath for, so why not.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

15. Active Duty U.S. Marine Corps Officer Arrested for Assault on Federal Law Enforcement Officer During

Hat tip, Joe.My.God.

U.S. Attorneys » District of Columbia » News

Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of Columbia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 13, 2021

Active Duty U.S. Marine Corps Officer Arrested for Assault on Federal Law Enforcement Officer During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach

Defendant, Stationed in Virginia, Defied, Pushed and Resisted Capitol Police to Help Other Rioters Break into the U.S. Capitol

Note: A full copy of the charging documents can be viewed here.

WASHINGTON — An active duty U.S. Marine Corps commissioned officer stationed at the Marine Corps Base Quantico was arrested today in Virginia and charged with crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election.

Security camera footage screenshot
Major Christopher Warnagiris, 40, of Woodbridge, is charged with federal offenses that include assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers; obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder; and obstruction of justice, among other charges. Warnagiris will make his initial court appearance today at 2:00 p.m. in the Eastern District of Virginia. Public access to the hearing is available via: 1-877-336-1828, with an access code of 8977102.

According to court documents and security camera footage, Warnagiris violently entered the Capitol on Jan. 6, after pushing through a line of police officers guarding the East Rotunda doors. Once inside, Warnagiris positioned himself in the corner of the doorway, using his body to keep the door open and pull others inside. When a U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officer tried to pull the doors shut, Warnagiris refused and continued pushing it open. Warnagiris can be seen pushing the officer in an effort to maintain his position in the open door in security camera footage and publicly available video footage captured shortly after 2:25 p.m.

Camera footage screenshot
The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, who identified Warnagiris as #241 in their seeking information photos.

In the first 120 days after Jan. 6, approximately 440 individuals have been arrested on charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, including over 125 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement. The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

The charges contained in any criminal complaint or indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Topic(s):
Counterterrorism
National Security

Component(s):
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
National Security Division (NSD)
USAO - District of Columbia
Updated May 13, 2021

[Marrah_Goodman]

63. Shouldn't he be court martialed as well?

[qazplm135]

71. same sovereign so no

you can be court-martialed and tried in a state court, but you can't be court-martialed and tried on the same charges in federal court. They will have to pick one venue unless they split the charges up somehow.

[DallasNE]

82. Doesn't Civilian Authority Generally Defer To Military Authority On Such Matters? n/t

[Ilsa]

89. I'm guessing it would if he had attacked a navy base, but

he attacked a nonmilitary institution. I'm thinking Federal jurisdiction, but I can't say for certain.

I wouldn't trust the military to pursue him as hard as possible.

[qazplm135]

91. not really

not as any kind of rule. The state/local folks usually do (although not always).

Feds RARELY get involved, so when they do, I'm guessing it's theirs if they want it.

[SunSeeker]

86. I bet he lied to his superiors about where he was that day. Doesn't that make him AWOL?

And the military can charge him for violating the military codes that would not be raised in the federal criminal trial, like conduct unbecoming an officer, etc., no?

[qazplm135]

90. no

you could make an argument that he went outside of the acceptable pass radius, assuming they had an order dealing with that, if not, then no, as long as he wasn't missing work that day, he wasn't AWOL. I'm going to guess he was on leave or pass or just off that day.

Yes, you can always use conduct unbecoming in a general sense as a catchall, but the military has a concept called unreasonable multiplication of charges that doesn't allow you to charge the same actual conduct twice (or at least doesn't allow you to double punish it). It's not clear they could convict on the same exact conduct if he gets a federal conviction.

[AllaN01Bear]

17. then must be stripped of all rank. bucked back down to cadet ,

dishonrably discharged , loose all benis of rank and put in jail.

[qazplm135]

92. you can't actually demote Officers

you can DD them, take away their pension and privilege of rank and whatnot.

[llashram]

18. all these

types...police, the RW military are nothing but Amerikkkan "death squads" in waiting for the smart fascist to take the presidency and mold it into the white supremacist office creating the 'white paradise'. All others will be on their own...

[Evolve Dammit]

21. I do believe you are correct in the intent. 4 years ago it was laughable. Look at the traction

[leftieNanner]

26. My Friend's Son Joined the Marines

Worked in the motor pool.

He left home as a Democrat and returned (after six years of listening to Rush Limbaugh) a Republican.

Armed Forces Radio should not broadcast that crap!

He's out of the military now - but he's a county sheriff's deputy.

[llashram]

33. well, figures

there are credible reports, SPLC has one, that shows that many racists from the military now serve on police forces. I don't know whether your friend's son is a racist, but the current racial/political climate in America would lead me to think yes. Hope he doesn't murder an innocent unarmed American POC
https://punchng.com/of-george-floyd-racism-and-police-brutality/
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257770672_Racism_and_Police_Brutality_in_America

[mopinko]

99. my nephew spent his life in the army. he's 1 of only 3 thugs in the family.

the other is his sister, who went full xtian nutjob, and my oldest sister, who married a ditto head in her 60's.
rw radio behind all 3 of them.

the rest of us bleed blue.

[Ferrets are Cool]

73. This

[malthaussen]

19. Enjoy your stay in Leavenworth, clown. n/t

[Bo Zarts]

48. Hard labor ..

Making little rocks out of big rocks.

[LiberalFighter]

22. He is not fit to serve.

[Baked Potato]

23. This case is live now.

Public access to the hearing is available via: 1-877-336-1828, with an access code of 8977102.

[Baked Potato]

27. Done. On different case now.

[48656c6c6f20]

28. The Navy needs to bring back Keel hauling

Traitor is Keel haul worthy.

[NoSheep]

50. I have to agree with you

[Ray Bruns]

31. The beauty is, Once the civilian courts get finished with him,

He gets to be courts martialed by the marine corps.

Commissioned officers cannot be reduced in rank by a court-martial, nor can they be given a bad conduct discharge or a dishonorable discharge. If an officer is convicted by a general court-martial, then that officer's sentence can include a "dismissal", a separation carrying the same consequences as a dishonorable discharge for an enlisted person and a reduction in rank to the last rank at which the officer served satisfactorily. A US Treasury decision states that even though an officer is dismissed rather than dishonorably discharged, the phrase "discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions" is broad enough to include a dismissal rendered for an officer by a general court-martial, and thus a dismissed officer is also prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law, in the same manner as a dishonorably discharged enlisted person

[UCmeNdc]

32. An active duty Major? I cannot believe he did not have enough sense to stay away from this event.

He obviously did not care about his career or the example he sets for his unit.

[DENVERPOPS]

40. Every seditionist there felt invincible, Trump spent all day telling them they were.....

thought they would succeed at overthrowing the existing government by any means necessary, and that Trump would be standing there right by them all the way. Of course, he didn't, which is his M.O.
If need be, he would have scampered for his underground White House Presidential Bunker and waited for everyone else to do his dirty work......

The seditionists didn't succeed in killing off every Dem Congressmember and all the dis-loyal republican Trump Humping congress members, much less Vice President Pence, and they still felt they could quite literally walk away un-scathed. Which in fact they did, except for the unscathed part.........

If these 74Million butt wads wanna be led by a Tyrant, let's send them to China, Russia, Saudi Arabia or any other dozens of countries that have an authoritarian government. And let them pull a stunt like Jan 6th, and see what happens.......
All 5,000 of them would have been completely surrounded that afternoon, with none of them able to escape. Then marched into the woods, lined up, and shot. Bulldozers would immediately dig a huge trench, and then the dozers would spend hours shoving the 5K corpses into it, and back filling the dirt over them. Done.

I doubt many of us oldsters will live to see many or maybe any of these seditionists get prison time, other than time served.

I am sorry that I suspect that this crowd is already organizing and orchestrating another sedition/insurrection event. AND this time, they will come, better prepared and all armed to the teeth, and have all the armed militia's from across the nation joining in with them. (They didn't come last time folks)

And for those that think the people that make up our police, national guards, and military will protect us......The ones that don't join in with the seditionists will desert their posts/jobs and run home to protect their loved ones............

[mahina]

34. Soon to be a former Marine.

I know, there are no former Marines. Well, except this guy.

[keithbvadu2]

39. 1+

[Treefrog]

46. Wonder what his job is in the Marines.

[padah513]

55. Don't know, but

I bet it has nothing to do with intelligence.

[Treefrog]

68. Who knows. I knew a woman who was in intelligence in the Air Force years ago.

I’m not sure she made it to Major, but certainly no further than that. One of the stupidest people I ever met. She was a friend of a friend, and I remember us all arguing with her that there were 50 states, not 52. Sadly, I think she was hired by an intelligence agency when she got out of the AF.

[snort]

49. He's in ever so much trouble.

So long, sucker.

[Bo Zarts]

52. Majordom is a cesspool, in my experience ..

Last edited Fri May 14, 2021, 01:39 AM - Edit history (1)

Our XO in my first unit in Vetnam was a major. He was a rated aviator, but afraid to fly .. especially combat missions. He was a quart-a-night Scotch man. Since whiskey was rationed, and since none of us junior officers drank much other than beer, we pooled our ration cards to keep the XO in whiskey and out of our cockpits. He flew with the poor, dumb training officer (another dud) every three months to get his flight pay. Otherwise the major was worthless.

Another major, in the same outfit in Vietnam, landed gear-up. But he didn't quite touch down. He heard the props dinging on the paved runway, and poured the coal to the two engines and managed to get it back up and around the field - with two engnes about to vibrate out of the mounts - and landed with the gear in the proper position: DOWN. Both engnes and both propellers were total losses.

Another major I knew, in Vietnam, got caught up in a money-laundering/gold-smuggling scheme. He, along with a 1st lieutenant, and the brains of the criminal enterprise .. a master sergeant .. were all headed for Leavenworth last I heard.

[Jilly_in_VA]

53. Bust his ass

down to private, court-martial him, and give him 20 years in Leavenworth for sedition and treason. Then discharge him dishonorably at the end of that.

[UCmeNdc]

78. His commander most likely already has him up on charges.

He has brought shame on his unit.

[Harker]

56. Do they start by ripping off his insignia of rank and breaking

his sword over a knee?

That's one Major who'll never be a Colonel.

[Wounded Bear]

57. OK, that makes me sad. No Semper Fi in him...

[Nevilledog]

58. So.....they gonna say this guy is Antifa?

[Marrah_Goodman]

62. Throw away the god damned key

[live love laugh]

64. Goon

[11 Bravo]

65. Welcome to the UCMJ, Major Warnagiris.

on edit: That's Uniform Code of Military Justice (for those unfamiliar with the acronym).

[usaf-vet]

105. It will be interesting to see the difference in justice between military and civilian.

My bet is it is not going to end well for the "major" but most civilians will get a slap on the wrist and told to never do that again.

[BobTheSubgenius]

66. If it were up to me...

...I'd say "less-than-honourable discharge" and "forfeit pension."

Sometimes, the best you can do is retribution. I'd say this asshat has earned plenty.

[Ferrets are Cool]

72. Great!!

Throw him out with dishonorable. Then lock him up.

[Edwcraig]

74. The military has always supported the Republican Party

I was in basic training in the Fall of 1972. In the middle of training we were given the "morning off from running to and from the range" to have a training in an auditorium. We are all happy to be in air conditioning. On the stage, a Drill Instructor (DI) we had never seen told us that we would be receiving ballots to vote in the election. That we should vote for Nixon because he would increase our pay and supported a strong defense. Several of our DI's also spoke about the evils of Democrats. I was a college grad so I was very offended by this crap. It was interesting to me as a looked around the room that no officers were present. It was obvious that the Army knew this was illegal under the UCMJ and the officers were told to stay away to give deniability in the event this blew up. Please. The military knows exactly what is going on here.

[SunSeeker]

80. The scum needs to be court martialed and dishonorably discharged.

I bet he lied to his superiors about where he was that day.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

81. Evangelical acquaintances fear Sharia Law.

What the heck is this?

[Marcuse]

87. Unlike Lucas McCain, Warnagiris was caught on video.

[DFW]

88. Dishonorable discharge

Then 6 months living under bridges, then a second career as an over-aggressive cop in some midwestern small town with a few minorities too many for his taste.

[yonder]

95. He can say goodbye to his commission

And hello to a conviction. Or three.

[diverdownjt]

100. I used to ride my bike around the

military prison on Ft. Leavenworth...nice area down by the river...the view from inside suck's.
Hope he has friends there to pass the time...lot's of time.

[bonniebgood]

103. I want to know at what point do they lose their voting and gun rights? Nt

[Sane1]

107. Yank His Military Benefits!!!!

This traitor does not deserve the military benefits hard working American taxpayers provide!