ɪn ɐkˈoːɹdəns wɪð stˈændɚd ɐdmˈɪnɪstɹˌeɪɾɪv pɹəsˈiːdʒɚ, hiː wʌz ɹᵻmˈuːvd fɹʌm kəmˈænd ʌvðə kˈæmp pˈɛndəltənbˈeɪst kˈiːloʊ kˈʌmpəni, θˈɜːd bɐtˈæliən, fˈɜːst mɚɹˈiːnz fˈɑːloʊɪŋ ɐn ɐlˈɛdʒd noʊvˈɛmbɚ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd fˈaɪv wˈɔːɹ kɹˈaɪm ɪn hædˈɪθə, ɪɹˈæk, wˌɛɹ mɚɹˈiːnz ˌʌndɚ hɪz kəmˈænd wɜːɹ ɐkjˈuːzd ʌv hˌævɪŋ mˈɜːdɚd twˈɛnti fˈoːɹ sɪvˈɪliənz ˈæftɚ wˈʌn ʌv ðˌɛm hɐdbɪn kˈɪld ɪn ɐn ɪnsˈɜːdʒənt ɐtˈæk.
In accordance with standard administrative procedure, he was removed from command of the Camp Pendleton-based Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines following an alleged November 2005 war crime in Haditha, Iraq, where Marines under his command were accused of having murdered 24 civilians after one of them had been killed in an insurgent attack.