Hosein was tagged in the picture, suggesting they were Facebook friends at the time. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and was assigned as an assistant machine gunner in Khost Province. 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. or anything. Its my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views. #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/3jnCtawvHc, Rudi (Dutschke) Cant Fail (@punkproletarian) September 24, 2017. As a Facebook friend since 2014, Hosein would have been aware of Rapones Facebook postings between 2014 and when he graduated in 2016. The Army often invokes privacy concerns when dealing with information about junior ranking soldiers, though there is no blanket policy for the Defense Department. There is no better way to support this workand no better time to join. It seeks to create astateless, classless, moneyless society. How Peter Mims spent a week hiding in a warships engine room, US report shows China taking steps toward space dominance, Biden to allow Afghans to stay longer in US, sources say, Michigan expands absentee voting for military members, Some companies charge hefty fees to help vets with disability claims, Meet 12M+, the new community app for military spouses, Your next tech and incoming AI | Defense News Weekly Full Episode 4.28.2023, Home Improvement Loans What are my options? Igot flagged and essentially told that if Iposted anything else, Iwould be in moretrouble. Is West Point Beginning a Whitewash of the Commie Lieutenant - RedState As part of this effort, this Convention will endorse the Red Deal, launched by comrades in The Red Nation, a radical anti-capitalist Indigenous liberation group, and its principles on the fight for non-reformist reforms. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. For sure, Pat was abig influence on me. But after being deployed to Afghanistan and seeing the violence his unit was helping to inflict, Rapone grew increasingly disillusioned with the military. While they were going out partying and drinking, he was avery intellectual man. ", "I consider myself a revolutionary socialist," the 26-year-old Rapone told The Associated Press. Toward the end of his deployment, he learned West Point fulfills a certain quota of enlisted soldiers every year. 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. 1 0 obj University of Texas History Department Hires The West Point "Commie Its out there now and Ithink the narrative of this is starting to shift alittle bit, which is good because people are starting to understand my experience. The Daily Caller | 1775 Eye Street NW | Suite 1150-290 | Washington, DC 20006, West Point said in a statement released Tuesday. Chance of precip 90%. At ayoung age, youre inundated with propaganda and patriotism, and Ithought Icould make adifference joining the Army. Later that year, on August 19, 2014, Rapone posted a picture that showed them in a classroom with another soldier. Or, Icould submit an unconditional resignation and they can give me whatever discharge they want. New cadets are outfitted with their initial issue of military clothing, receive haircuts and get their first lessons in marching, military courtesy and discipline. 2 0 obj 2UOgS[M . In fact, Ididnt really find what we were being told in America to be reflective of what was really going on in Afghanistan. I was still idealistic, he said. I figured maybe I could change things from inside.. At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. On January 5, 2015, he posted a Slate.com article calling for the abolishment of West Point. "We have averaged 290 female cadets, or 23.3 percent of the class, over the last four years and continue to strive to increase the diversity through programs like Leadership Ethics and Diversity in STEM workshops and others.". 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.. Officially, the Army said in a statement only that it conducted a full investigation and appropriate action was taken., An unrepentant Rapone summed up the fallout in yet another tweet Monday that showed him extending a middle finger at a sign at the entrance to Fort Drum, accompanied by the words, One final salute., I consider myself a revolutionary socialist, the 26-year-old Rapone told The Associated Press. Hes an exceptional soldier, the Twitter account, @DSAVeterans, wrote. The saga of the commie West Point graduate took a rather strange twist yesterday when the officer who achieved a degree of fame for his scorching sworn statement about then-Cadet Spenser, with an 's,' Rapone's epic insubordination and disrespect, Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Robert Heffington released a letter calling into question what is actually being instilled in young men and women . 'Commie Cadet' sends vulgar message on his way out of the Army At worst, however, Cadet Rapones statements bespeak either a severe mental or psychological disorder, or a genuine commitment to values and ideals wholly at odds with those of West Point and the Army, he added. Since the class of 2012, the percentage of women entering West Point increased by about 10 percent, according to data on class characteristics. But he wasnt accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. % Spenser Rapone - KeyWiki As a Sustainer, you'll never have to worry about renewal notices, or fundraising appeals. On Monday, the Army's 10th Mountain Division accepted the resignation of 2nd Lt. Rapone less than a year after he posted . The Intelligentsia, the caption read. 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. Officially, the Army said in a statement only that it conducted a full investigation and "appropriate action was taken. Due to privacy act restrictions, we are limited in what information we can provide, Lt. Col. Nina Hill, an Army spokeswoman, told reporters. Officials also confirmed that, following his commissioning, he had failed out of Ranger school before being assigned to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. To be clear, Rapones discharge is officially based on the fact that he made political gestures while in uniformnot due to the content of said gestures. "West Point is happy with its highly qualified and diverse classes of 2023," a West Point spokesperson told Newsweek. For me, Icouldnt shake the fact that what we were doing was wrong and morallyreprehensible. WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) The images Spenser Rapone posted on Twitter from his West Point graduation were intentionally shocking: In one, the cadet opens his dress uniform to expose a T-shirt with a blood-red image of socialist icon Che Guevara. Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. "He was an honors student, an athlete, a model citizen who volunteered in the community," recalled Altmire, a Democrat. He added that its possible the military academy could seek repayment of the cost of Rapones education because he didnt serve the full five-year service obligation required upon graduation. Communist Army LT, prior enlisted Ranger, receives punishment for West Even the army chaplain would give us these kinds of speeches. If this was Ukraine the mainstream media would be shrieking day and night about human rights and international law. On Contact: Afghanistan Papers with Spenser Rapone This time around, West Point accepted him. He was nominated out of high school by. endobj You go in with acertain vision in your head of what being in the military is and then you see the reality of it. Menu. On Monday, Rapone tweeted another picture of himself in his West Point uniform, exposing a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath with the caption In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre.. Spenser Rapone, Author at - Truthdig: Expert Reporting, Current News He didnt really partake in the social life when he was at the Ranger Battalion. He then deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a combat infantryman badge. "During the interview, he expressed patriotism and looked just like a top-notch candidate. Soon after getting to West Point, Isaw that this was astructural problem across the military and that the military itself, its material relation to power, serves the capitalist class. Upon completion of Cadet Basic Training, scheduled for August 17, they'll be accepted into the Corps of Cadets. In June, Rapone resigned and now hes out with an other-than-honorabledischarge. Rapone had previously deployed to Afghanistan where he received a Combat Infantryman Badgemeaning he has fought in active ground combat. Its not illegal to be acommunist in the military, but since Iwas in uniform, and in their mind, making apolitical statement and posted on social media, they lumped it all together as this nebulous unbecoming conduct charge and said Iwas advocating forviolence. We now consider the matter closed, Hill said. In the middle of all of this, these right-wing sites were saying stuff about me and Iwas under investigation, so Icouldnt say anything because theyd use that as ammunition. PDF Spenser R. Rapone Education - University of Texas at Austin Iremember one time it achaplain said we were about bringing wrath upon these people, and Iwas like, Wow, these people have some kind of crusader fantasy. It was prettyunsettling. 1.78 m). stream According to popularmilitary.com, Rapone, 25, from New Castle, Pennsylvania, first enlisted in the Army in 2010 and was assigned to Fort Benning for basic training and infantry training. endobj Today, his Twitter account is again public. Vice President Mike Pence called the class of 2019 the most diverse in West Point's history during the commencement address. [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. "We Were Terrorizing Some of the Most Exploited People on Earth" Those nominations usually come from senators or representatives. He went viral after posting a photo to Twitter of himself in support of professional football player Colin Kaepernick, where Rapone is seen in his West Point uniform at graduation holding his cap that contains a piece of paper that says Communism will win.. Are there more restrictions against certain kinds of speech after 9/11? Over the course of the next six weeks, new cadets will be complete physical training, as well as small-unit tactical training and rifle marksmanship. The class of 2023 saw about a four percent increase in minority representation. Rapone said an investigation found he went online to advocate for a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers. Right: Army Private First Class Spenser Rapone receiving his "Ranger Scrol" patch after completing Ranger Assessment and Selection Program in 2011. .