After a lengthy legal battle surrounding a U.S. Marine’s adoption of an Afghan war orphan, Maj. Joshua Mast will continue his service on active duty following a decision by a panel of Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The panel acknowledged that Mast’s conduct, while overly enthusiastic in his efforts to bring the orphaned baby girl home, did not warrant his dismissal from the military, despite claims from Marine Corps lawyers of misuse of authority, defiance of orders, mishandling of classified information, and improper use of government resources in his pursuit of the child found in rural Afghanistan in 2019.
Mast, along with his wife Stephanie, resided in Fluvanna County, Virginia at the time of the adoption proceedings. Despite the child remaining in Afghanistan while her extended family was located and brought together by the Afghan government, Mast facilitated their exit from the country after the Taliban’s rise to power in 2021. Leveraging the adoption documents, Mast successfully petitioned the U.S. authorities to transfer custody of the child from her Afghan relatives to his family, where she has resided since.
The board of inquiry conducted a five-day administrative hearing at Marine Forces Special Operations Command, evaluating Mast’s fitness for military service rather than pursuing criminal charges. While the panel affirmed instances of misconduct, it opted to document this in Mast’s military record, potentially impacting future promotions and assignments. The report will now be reviewed by the Secretary of the Navy for final adjudication.
Meanwhile, uncertainties persist regarding the child’s custody status, with the Afghan couple who cared for her seeking to nullify Mast’s adoption. The U.S. Department of Justice has intervened, asserting that Mast misrepresented facts to justify the adoption, potentially damaging the country’s international reputation. Despite a ruling by the Virginia Court of Appeals questioning the adoption’s validity, legal proceedings have stalled at the state’s Supreme Court, leaving the child’s future unresolved.
Stephanie Mast publicly testified during the hearing, shedding light on the couple’s unwavering commitment to bringing the child to the U.S., despite objections from high-ranking officials including former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo. Reflecting on their decision, Stephanie emphasized the couple’s belief in American values of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, contrasting it against what she described as the survival mentality prevalent in Afghanistan.
The panel’s scrutiny of the Mast’s pursuit of the adoption prompted questions about cultural biases and perceptions of what is best for the child, underscoring the complex interplay of legal, ethical, and cultural considerations enveloping the case. With the child’s fate hanging in the balance and legal battles ongoing, the controversy surrounding Mast’s actions continues to resonate within military and legal circles.
