A U.S. Marine, Major Joshua Mast, embroiled in a legal battle over adopting an Afghan war orphan, will remain on active duty. A Marine panel concluded on Tuesday that while Mast’s actions were unbecoming of an officer, they did not justify his discharge. Military lawyers contended that Mast abused his position, ignored orders, mishandled classified information, and misused a government computer in his efforts to adopt the child found orphaned in rural Afghanistan in 2019.
Mast and his wife, Stephanie, who lived in Fluvanna County, Virginia, convinced a judge to grant them the child’s adoption, despite her being in Afghanistan while the government sought her extended family. After the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Mast assisted the family in fleeing to the U.S. Once there, he used the adoption papers to gain custody of the child from her Afghan relatives. She has lived with Mast’s family since.
The five-day board of inquiry at Camp Lejeune, held partially behind closed doors, was an administrative hearing to assess Mast’s fitness to remain in the military. The worst possible outcome for Mast, 41, from Hampstead, North Carolina, was an other-than-honorable discharge. He denied the allegations, claiming he followed orders and upheld Marine Corps values to protect the girl. He displayed photos of the child from Afghanistan and North Carolina during the hearing.
❗️ABD hükümeti, ABD’nin Afganistan’da gerçekleştirdiği bir operasyonda yetim kalan Afgan çocuğu evlat edinen ve daha önce bu çocuğu kaçırmakla suçlanan Binbaşı Joshua Mast’ın görevinden alınmayacağını bildirdi
Çocuğu geri almak isteyen akrabaları ile Mast arasındaki dava sürüyor… pic.twitter.com/hYmqxFIxK3
— Ayrımcılık Hattı (@AyrimcilikHatti) October 9, 2024
Despite finding misconduct, the board will place a report in Mast’s file, potentially affecting his career. The report will be sent to the Secretary of the Navy, who will close the case. Meanwhile, the Afghan couple who cared for the child for 18 months seeks to overturn Mast’s adoption. The U.S. Department of Justice argues Mast lied to the Virginia court and federal officials, jeopardising America’s international standing. Earlier this year, the Virginia Court of Appeals ruled the adoption should not have been granted, but the case is now with the Virginia Supreme Court.
The hearing included classified information, and Mast made an unsworn statement in a closed session, avoiding cross-examination. His wife, Stephanie, testified publicly, shedding light on their efforts to adopt the child. She described their actions as aligned with Marine Corps values and American principles of valuing human life.
The panel questioned Stephanie Mast about their continued adoption efforts after the child was reunited with her Afghan relatives, despite warnings from high-ranking officials. She defended their actions, citing the child’s better prospects in the U.S. compared to Afghanistan, referencing Western values of life, liberty, and happiness.
The Afghan couple and the Masts are now barred from discussing the state court case with the media.
What Other Media Are Saying
- AP News reports on a U.S. Marine’s adoption of an Afghan war orphan, highlighting a bitter custody battle, procedural errors, and international implications for American foreign policy and troop security.(read more)
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some common questions asked about this news
What happened to the U.S. Marine who adopted an Afghan war orphan?
Maj. Joshua Mast will remain on active duty after a panel found his actions didn’t warrant separation.
How did Joshua Mast adopt the Afghan child?
Mast and his wife got a Virginia judge to grant them adoption, even though the child was still in Afghanistan.
What were the allegations against Joshua Mast?
He was accused of abusing his position, disobeying orders, mishandling classified info, and using a government computer improperly.
What might happen to Mast’s military career after the hearing?
A report of the substantiated misconduct will be in his file, possibly affecting promotions and assignments.
What is the current status of the child’s custody case?
The Virginia Court of Appeals ruled the adoption shouldn’t have been granted, but the case is stalled at the Virginia Supreme Court.
