Along with domestic cadets, the newest class includes cadets from more than a dozen countries, including Columbia, Egypt, Rwanda and Thailand. The letter begins to address many concerns about what has taken place at West Point in light of revelations about 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone, who is an apparent socialist and communist spreading those doctrines; as well as a letter from a former West Point professor that alleges . You go to football games and they bring troops out on the field. Prysner holds an American nationality and belongs to the white ethnicity. "While in uniform, Spenser Rapone advocated for communism and political violence, and expressed support and sympathy for enemies of the United States," Rubio said Monday, adding "I'm glad to see that they have given him an 'other-than-honorable' discharge.". Top brass at Fort Drum accepted Rapone's resignation Monday after an earlier reprimand for "conduct unbecoming of an officer." 2UOgS[M . pic.twitter.com/BIPzfEHmoP, Rory Fanning (@RTFanning) June 5, 2018. A recently retired CIA officer remarked to SOFREP that right now our counter-intelligence is so bad that we are only catching the dumb ones, the people stupid enough to out themselves on social media or who mail classified documents to news outlets, Mr. Murphy continued. The former Democratic congressman who nominated communist 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone to West Point is now disavowing Rapones recent comments, which range from attacks on Secretary of Defense James Mattis to calls for political violence. SCOTUS Now Just Another Congressional Committee, Parents Allowed to Collect Sperm From Son Killed Skiing, 'Commie Cadet' Spenser Rapone Discharged From U.S. Army, West Point Marries First Active-Duty, Same-Sex Couple, Trump Ramps up Attacks on DeSantis: 'Dropping Like a Rock', Russian Strikes on Pavlohrad Aim to Hamper Ukraine's Counteroffensive, Greg Abbott Criticized for Response to Texas Shooting: 'A New Low', Democrat Sold First Republic Stock, Bought JP Morgan Before Collapse, Conservative Influencers Struggle With Countering Biden's Messaging. Don't Threaten. U.S. Army spokesperson Valerie Mongello stressed this point to American Military News, noting, Both the Department of Defense and the Army have long-standing policies encouraging Soldiers to participate in the democratic process. The Army confirmed that Rapone graduated from West Point in 2016 and is now serving as a second lieutenant with the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, based in Fort Drum, New York. He didnt want all these honorifics. The GNDCC will make direct connection with The Red Nation, dedicate one person to serve as the main point of contact, and collaborate with the comrades on joint actions, statements and local, national and international campaigns around indigenous liberation and climate justice. Many other military personnel also tweeted in favor of Kaepernick, although most were supporting free speech, not communism. "I figured maybe I could change things from inside.". We'd love to hear eyewitness On Contact: Afghanistan Papers with Spenser Rapone In this June 15, 2018, photo, West Point graduate Spenser Rapone leans on his motorcycle at a park in Watertown, N.Y. Spenser Rapone, a New Castle native, has received an other than honorable discharge from the US Army. =Vj)G+1dv @(V(%4=}Xlp$*NIS[1#J G>2_#bS *GKACk{:XV%3,AKej QUI>0!v mR He applied once again to West Point and was accepted. However, the Army has strict rules regarding the wear and appearance of Army uniforms.. So, Istarted reading theory. In many ways, youre even moredisillusioned. But he wasnt accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. "On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support. Even while still a cadet, Rapones online postings alarmed a West Point history professor, who wrote Rapone up, saying his online postings were red flags that cannot be ignored. Rapone was disciplined but still allowed to graduate. Rapone came under fire last year for his social media posts of socialist and communist content. There were no red flags of any kind.. You have permission to edit this article. No political movement can be healthy unless it has its own press to inform it, educate it and orient it. Rapone was initially in high spirits during said investigation. endobj 3 0 obj Spenser Rapone, Author at - Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News Spenser Rapone, a former US Army Ranger and Infantry Officer, was kicked out of the military for posting a photo of himself at his West Point graduation ceremony with an antiwar sign under his hat . With all their political gamesmanship, lawmakers forget that real human lives are often on the line. Whatever happened to that communist lieutenant? The Army won't say. Prospective Students; Undergraduate Students; Graduate Studies Left: Army 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone graduating from West Point in May of 2016. PDF Spenser R. Rapone Education - University of Texas at Austin Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point, Altmire said. First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. His expulsion came after a viral tweet showing him clad in uniform, fist raised displaying a hat reading, "COMMUNISM WILL WIN." The military website SOFREP reiterated on Thursday that Mr. Rapone was an advocate for the long march through the institutions of power., This [philosophy] entails burrowing inside the institutions of society, including the military, and subverting them from within and ultimately setting the conditions for a communist revolution, wrote Jack Murphy, a former Army Special Operations veteran. West Point Chief Pushes Back On Criticism Amid 'Commie Cadet Sometime last year, he posted a picture on Instagram of an Antifa flag in his room next to a print of Che Guevara. And those views only hardened during his studies of history as one of the academy's "Long Gray Line.". Then there was the move to an all-volunteer force and thats interesting because asubstantial number of Vietnam resisters were volunteers. Outside of my chain of command, people were threatening and silencing me and Ihad tons of alt-right and neo-fascists sending me death threats. The strikes left 34 people injured, including three children, and caused widespread damage. Rapone, whose Twitter handle is punkproletarian, recently retweeted posts from Rory Fanning, an ex-Army Ranger who says he will be interviewing Rapone at the conference Socialism 2018., At Socialism 2018 Ill be sitting down with with Spenser Rapone, the US Army Ranger, Afghan-war combat vet, recent West Point graduate, and now war-resister, who sparked nation-wide fury after publicly supporting Colin Kaepernick and Socialism during his West Point graduation. Spenser is being discharged from the military with an Other Than Honorable discharge this June, in part, because [Marco] Rubio penned a panic-stricken letter to acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy demanding the branch nullify Rapones military commission after seeing this photo, he wrote. Second Lieutenant Rapones chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. Send tips tojonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. So, theres this combination of an all-volunteer army, the post-9/11 era further instituting our religion of civic patriotism, and then the anti-war movement getting co-opted by liberal movements not interested in structural change. Then, theres anumber of people who Icant name because they might face repression themselves, but anumber of active-duty service members and enlisted soldiers who Im trying to help work through things and counsel them and hopefully inspire them to take the measures to stop serving the AmericanEmpire. Chris Hedges talks to Spenser Rapone, former combat veteran and US Army officer, about the Washington Post's series the 'Afghanistan Papers'.Drawing on thousands of pages of international government documents about the war in Afghanistan, the series exposes the lies, deceit, mismanagement, waste, corruption, fraud, and failed schemes that both Democratic and Republican administrations . As a reader-supported 501(c)3 nonprofit, In These Times does not oppose or endorse candidates for political office. But in terms of restrictions, after the Vietnam era in 78, they put it into code that any kind of military unions or organizing is explicitly forbidden. Now through Monday, sign up to become a Sustainer for just $5 a month and you'll receive your choice of one of three booksas well as an ongoing subscriptions (10 issues a year) to the print magazine. Rapone said an investigation found he went online to advocate for a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers. Spenser Rapone was accepted to West Point in 2012, graduated in 2016 and received an "other than honorable discharge" in June. Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. We can confirm, however, that the Army conducted a full investigation and that appropriate action was taken., 2nd. So theres thataspect. The class of 2023 saw about a four percent increase in minority representation. Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. The idea of an avowed communist subverting important military units and functions from within has the potential to be catastrophic., SEE ALSO: Spenser Rapone, West Point alumnus, riles with pro-Kaepernick Communism Will Win photo. Its atypical right-wing canard with communism that its atotalitarian entity, but thats not what it is. Istill had this liberal idea that Icould affect change from the inside, so Iapplied and got accepted to West Point and thought, I wont fail my men, like leadership failedme. In one, the graduating cadet is seen making a fist while displaying the underside of his cover, scrawled with COMMUNISM WILL WIN, at his commencement in 2016. [6], Members of Democratic Socialists of America's Socialist Punk Caucus closed Facebook group, accessed November 24, 2017, included Spenser Rapone. Ithink it was just him seeing the word communist made him draw his own conclusions fromthere. Later, he served as an Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan on special mission. He then deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a combat infantryman badge. The Communist West Point Grad's Father Isn't too Happy with - RedState Yes, Spenser "with an s" Rapone is now a Ph.D. candidate at that hotbed of communism, University of Texas-Austin. If this was Ukraine the mainstream media would be shrieking day and night about human rights and international law. At West Point, Hosein had mentored Rapone. Copyright 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). I have not been in touch with him in the years since the appointment, and I was shocked and extremely disappointed in the recent reports of his indefensible actions., The behavior of 2nd Lieutenant Rapone is symbolic of a larger problem in our society the epidemic of incivility in our public discourse, Altmire continued. Mike Prysner Podcast, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Salary, and Net Worth Trump's latest attack addresses DeSantis' overseas trips to the U.K., Israel, Florida's Covid-19 record, and polling support for the 2024 Presidential race. Use the 'Report' link on Spenser Rapone, 26, became notable a bit faster than most graduates. endobj On August 7, Rapone posted a photo on his Instagram account of himself in his Army uniform wearing a Democratic Socialists of America Membership card that says, official socialist organizer.. Whatever happened to West Point's Commie Cadet? West Point released a statement after Rapone posted the photos, saying his actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. And U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, called on the secretary of the Army to remove Rapone from the officer ranks. that is degrading to another person. Among other activities, Soldiers are encouraged to vote in elections and express their personal opinions on public issues. accounts, the history behind an article. The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academys motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values,West Point said in a statement released Tuesday. West Point graduate who wore Che Guevara T-shirt discharged hJHICB&Y'8erMr=31yfk|17~c}\T_* 9?V{9,'Y\%?MX}'ZI#B?9`V;&sI$nx6/ 2S&D#K2:3+5,YSa1a"7'+ZvvYnzlJScC)f$':AIR1>?"b Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. Rainmixing with snow overnight. pic.twitter.com/PP5lvIR8Pp. Those nominations usually come from senators or representatives. [1] Go to the main page of ISO Socialism Conference Rasheed Hosein, a professor of Middle East history was in charge of Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapones development at West Point.

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