'My son was tortured and didn’t get help': Manalapan Navy SEAL death hearing to start

Regina Mullen’s two-and-a-half year quest for justice after her son’s death as a Navy SEAL trainee is taking a key step forward — even as the emotional toll over the tragedy continues to mount.

The Navy is convening administrative hearings to determine the fate of two officers who have been accused of dereliction of duty in the February 2022 death of Manalapan High School grad Kyle Mullen. The 24-year-old former football star died hours after completing the notoriously rigorous “Hell Week” portion of SEAL training due to what multiple autopsies determined was untreated pneumonia.

As reported by veteran national security reporter Seth Hettena, the hearings are an “unprecedented step” of accountability within the Special Warfare community. The potential consequences “include separation from the service with an other than honorable discharge and loss of all benefits, but no criminal penalties,” Hettena wrote.

Regina Mullen may be asked to testify at the hearings, which are unscheduled as of now. In the meantime, one of the accused officers who oversees SEAL training, Capt. Bradley Geary, has gone on a media blitz casting doubt on the autopsy results and denying his own culpability.

On Monday, as the guest on a popular podcast, Geary tried to blame Mullen’s death on performance-enhancing drugs — citing circumstantial evidence in addition to reports that steroids were widely used by SEAL candidates to get through the training.

“I’m sickened that he’s trying to blame my son’s character,” Regina Mullen, who is a registered nurse, said by phone Monday. “Two autopsies, mine and the Navy’s, concluded it was untreated pneumonia. It had nothing to do with steroids.”

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‘He’s making it worse’

A 296-page report on the tragedy by Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS), based on interviews with SEAL trainees who witnessed Mullen’s death, concluded that although he spat up enough blood-tinged fluid to fill a 32-ounce water bottle, was struggling to breathe, could not walk and was “delirious and disoriented,” he went untreated by the SEAL medical staff, which went home early that day and did not return despite frantic calls from the other trainees.

After the investigation, three officers who oversee SEAL training were offered non-judicial punishments — essentially a reputational hit — by the Navy. One accepted and retired. Geary and Dr. Erik Ramey, who headed the medical department that handled SEAL trainees, declined and now face hearings.

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During Monday’s interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show,” a podcast with 2.8 million subscribers, Geary lashed out at the Navy’s hierarchy as bearing ultimate responsibility for Mullen’s death, even though it happened on his watch as commander of Naval Special Warfare Basic Training.

“I understand the charge of command; I understand responsibility,” Geary said, even as he shifted responsibility for the tragedy to Mullen’s alleged steroid use and policy-setting superiors in Washington, D.C.

He also said Regina Mullen faulting him for Kyle’s death is “not really a great moment for the family” and at the same framed his crusade to vindicate his name as an effort to achieve closure for the Mullens.

“He’s making it worse,” Regina Mullen said. “He thinks he’s so above everything. You can’t do whatever the heck you want and not be held accountable.”

During his podcast appearance with Ryan, who is a former SEAL, Geary was flanked by two attorneys.

“He talks about his stress and his lawyer bills, well boo-hoo, poor you,” Regina Mullen said. “I go to work every day, I’m a nurse in the field, and you know what I’ve got to deal with every day? The death of my son and hearing him (Geary) spew lies about character. You know how much stress that is on me? He has no idea about stress. He should walk in my shoes. Knowing how my son was tortured and didn’t get help — and if he did, hands down he would be alive today.”

She added, “The whole thing is making me sick.”

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A fellow SEAL candidate speaks

Jake Kuykendall, a fellow SEAL candidate who completed Hell Week alongside Kyle Mullen, said he appreciates how Regina Mullen has both stood up for Kyle and tried to reform medical care for future SEAL trainees in the process.

“She lost her son and I can’t imagine how difficult that’s been for her, but I admire her for not backing down and still seeking justice,” said Kuykendall, who lives in Texas.

Kuykendall said that while the SEAL training program “certainly provides what this country needs” for warfare, that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved — especially in terms of medical care.

“You can’t be expecting your nation’s best and not giving the absolute best you have to offer as far as services in medical and human performance,” Kuykendall said. “We need to study this and see if we can learn from it. I loved Kyle, but unfortunately we can’t bring him back. But we can look at ourselves and learn what we did wrong — and what he taught us about the program and how we should approach things.”

That’s what continues to drive Regina Mullen, despite what she called Geary’s “smear campaign” against her son.

“It’s two-and-a-half years later, and I’m surprised with all this stress that I haven’t had a heart attack,” she said. “But there’s kids who are permanently injured (during training), they’re young, in they’re in their 20s. This is very important to me.”

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Officers in Kyle Mullen Navy SEAL death will soon learn their fates