Former Commie Lieutenant Spenser Rapone Shows the Radical-to - RedState West Point Communist Spenser Rapone Leaving Army | Law & Crime The last 15years have shown otherwise. Spenser Rapone | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin I have no doubt that the U.S. Army will take appropriate action, Altmire said. The thread has since been deleted. Are there more restrictions against certain kinds of speech after 9/11? You start to see why these wars are endless. Hes an exceptional soldier, the Twitter account, @DSAVeterans, wrote. West Point Commie May Have Been Radicalized by His Mentor at the He enlisted in the United States Army right out of high school. His social media accounts were at one point set to private after his photos went viral. As weve seen in the recent past, ideological actors working inside the system such as Edward Snowden can do a tremendous amount of damage to national security. At the time, Iwas a19-year-old private, so Ifeel like Icouldnt voice anything without being told, Shut the fuck up and execute your task. But Iguess Iwas slowly radicalizing. Prysner stands at a height of 5 ft 11 in (Approx. 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. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army, it said. Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. New cadets hold and read booklets called 'Cadet Knowledge' during Reception Day at the United States Military Academy at West Point, June 27, 2016, in West Point, New York. Is West Point Beginning a Whitewash of the Commie Lieutenant - RedState 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. 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. Spenser Rapone was like a character who stepped out of a Bruce Springsteen song. 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 . "On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support. [6], Members of Democratic Socialists of America's Socialist Punk Caucus closed Facebook group, accessed November 24, 2017, included Spenser Rapone. Spenser Rapone, the former second lieutenant whose Communism will win photos went viral in 2017, has received an other than honorable discharge from the Army. Rapone is scheduled to speak in July at a Socialism 2018 conference in Chicago, where he and fellow far-lefty Rory Fanning, an ex-Army ranger, will appear together in a "War Resister in the . Looks like the Commie Cadet is well on his way to become the first Army General who advocates the overthrow of the American Government. Get the whole story: Subscribe to In These Times magazine. As described by The Red Nation, The Red Deal is not a counter program of the GND. 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. Iwas in the field at the time helping at afire range and so they took me out of the field, met with my attorney and was told Iwas under investigation. Republicans apparently don't believe that Americans who work longer hours should get paid more. Its the worst administrative discharge. x]on?J"0;]Mq8~PNKw+#"%K,=/yd''Ur%"O30b&-TttxpAY4.e8+OD~H^ "Commie Cadet" Spenser Rapone On Why He Left the U.S. Military and Right: Army Private First Class Spenser Rapone receiving his "Ranger Scrol" patch after completing Ranger Assessment and Selection Program in 2011. . (Chicago), Nazir Khan (Twin Cities). Army Commie Cadet Gets Promoted to 1LT. Im probably going to take some time to decompress and process all Ive been through. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. The appropriate Command authorities are reviewing the situation, an Army spokesman said. 1 0 obj Today, his Twitter account is again public. He posted January 18 on Facebook, May we all learn from her example of what integrity and strength of conviction truly entails.. 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. S5: Episode 31 - Mike Prysner & Spenser Rapone (Podcast Episode - IMDb "We were bullies in one of the poorest countries on Earth," Rapone said. As a caption to that photo, Rapone tweeted, In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre, a popular left-wing slogan oft-attributed to thelate Marxist revolutionary, physician, and guerrilla leaderwho was ultimately killed and captured by the U.S. CIA. WATERTOWN, N.Y. 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. 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. In total, this signified about a four percent increase in minority enrollment, equal to about 43 people, compared to the previous year. When last we heard from communist adherent and fan of murderous totalitarian Che Guevara Spenser Rapone, he was drummed out of the service under other-than-honorable conditions for his "protest" at his West Point Graduation. pic.twitter.com/BIPzfEHmoP, Rory Fanning (@RTFanning) June 5, 2018. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. Among other activities, Soldiers are encouraged to vote in elections and express their personal opinions on public issues. Those nominations usually come from senators or representatives. Although Im not apacifist, Inever called for any explicit violence. We can confirm, however, that the Army conducted a full investigation and that appropriate action was taken., 2nd. Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. Then she puts them under a microscope. For me, Icouldnt shake the fact that what we were doing was wrong and morallyreprehensible. Last October, some old tweets of a West Point cadet in a Che Guevara shirt sparked outrage across the country. West Point Chief Pushes Back On Criticism Amid 'Commie Cadet No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. Threats of harming another Share with Us. The saga of communist sympathizing Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone keeps on going, and with every turn it looks worse for Rapone. 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? Latest news and commentary on Spenser Rapone including photos, videos, quotations, and a biography. Theres no doubt that some of the generals and higher ranked retired officers and defense contractors had avoice in this. 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Vice President Mike Pence called the class of 2019 the most diverse in West Point's history during the commencement address. West Point graduate and now former Army infantry officer Spenser Rapone has been processed out of the U.S. Army and received an other than honorable discharge from the military after a photo he posted with his West Point cap and the words Communism will win went viral. 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone at his graduation from the Military Academy (via Twitter) West Point knew that they had an anti-American "commie cadet" on . *xU%pm^*CM^1VU%t/{buP3PU eLaN?yj':kd/e&ll*W>(ek=2/,$|D7V Pg.nZA JLM8uq/p{tnPX% ,F:A,K|3KrK2UL.m2`X*uV[f_\8:>v,Tj[ skR%Uk( N*5j-*l t!#GZMrG zgQ,cd5Xp*JKjZM5waYfuXr`RzU;[ek=H>Q)aPN[(X!5(&; Rainmixing with snow overnight. This time Rapone's father himself publicly weighed in on his son's gross comments and anti-American sentiment, according to the Daily Caller. Former Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Rapones long history of extremist tweets, which include calling Mattis an evil, vile f****, is shocking, disappointing and abhorrent. WATCH LIVE: Retrial for Florida man Eric Robinson accused of brutal love triangle murder, Law&Crime Looks Ahead to 10 Remarkable Criminal Trials Scheduled for the First Half of 2023, 9 Shocking Times Defendants Testified at Trial, 10 Most Memorable Law&Crime Network Trials, Former Christian missionary convicted of sexual abuse and incest after victim under the age of 12 contracts gonorrhea, Im sorry. Igot flagged and essentially told that if Iposted anything else, Iwould be in moretrouble. Spenser is my son and I love him dearly however I do not like nor condone his politics, his actions or behavior. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? Then American society and political culture influences you because we are constantly slapped with patriotism and respecting the troops. What does that even mean? Mar 29 Damascus is under attack. The newest class of cadets enters the academy on the heels of the school graduating a record number of black women in a single class, which occurred in May. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldnt afford college. Those inquires are finished, the Army said in a statement Tuesday but that is all they would say. Ithink thats acrucial part of it and why Idid what Idid. [image via Spenser Rapone with permission], Follow Colin Kalmbacher on Twitter: @colinkalmbacher, Have a tip we should know? "West Point is happy with its highly qualified and diverse classes of 2023," a West Point spokesperson told Newsweek. At that point, again, Iwanted nothing to do with the military because Ifind their rule morally reprehensible and ethically unsound, so Isubmitted my resignation. Menu. He got out on the other side thought and became an anti-war activist and asocialist. 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. 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.. I was still idealistic, he said. I figured maybe I could change things from inside.. Of the people who go into the military, not many people go with acomplete political formation of the world and, unfortunately, being in that world steers them acertain way. Greg Rinckey, an attorney specializing in military law, said it's rare for an officer out of West Point to receive an other-than-honorable discharge. The former West Point cadet who called himself Commie Beebop on Twitter rejoined civilian life without an honorable discharge. I think theres acouple things that happened since. Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com. Spenser Rapone, the former Army second lieutenant whose "Communism will win" photos went viral in 2017, has received an "other than honorable" discharge. He completed Air Assault School and then applied successfully to West Point.[2]. Then there was the move to an all-volunteer force and thats interesting because asubstantial number of Vietnam resisters were volunteers. When those three elements combine, thats what makes it sodifficult. that is degrading to another person. 1.78 m). For his part, Rapone became infamous in 2017 after his photos and tweets made the internet rounds. Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. 4 0 obj His Twitter account was set to protected, and his Instagram account had been taken down. The soldier pictured, now 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone, had been openly serving as an avowed communist supporting the downfall of the U.S. government. Spenser then enlisted in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan after which point he again applied to West Point. Rapone's discharge will place him in a situation where he will not be entitled to VA benefits and he may have to . He was an idealistic teenager from the rural Rust Belt town of New Castle, Pennsylvania (literally the . Top brass at Fort Drum accepted Rapones resignation Monday after an earlier reprimand for conduct unbecoming of an officer., Rapone said an investigation found he went online to advocate for a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers. endobj Aside from his recent West Point graduation, Rapone was an infantry officer in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. At the time, the Army confirmed that he had previously been an enlisted soldier and a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, with one Afghanistan deployment, but that he had been removed for standards.. This public. According to photos on Rapones Facebook page, he became close to Hosein, a Ph.D. in Islamic history from the University of Chicago. 'Commie Cadet' Spenser Rapone Leaving Army with 'Less Than Honorable 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. Send tips tojonah@dailycallernewsfoundation.org. West Point Knew the Commie Cadet Was an Avowed Marxistand Graduated ;Z*A.,Gr+UYn>SYQel:2>pUpk'+0?@t %*-m,}'~3tWhWwOVM81&:OFGy]$F%xG7*8QjVy(q\-`m'ge(|bUWn`K.O;wu^+r>;Y?^Uba-g2Ia$qYXP}mjCGNq0sy5ElUAiWe -H/r| >a~SuPc;*}{Mf.B@I}\)T|] But you felt like you couldnt do anything about what you wereexperiencing. "I would encourage all soldiers who have a conscience to lay down their arms and join me and so many others who are willing to stop serving the agents of imperialism and join us in a revolutionary movement. Ex-Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, who served from 2007 to 2013, said that Second Lt. Spenser Rapone let him down. "I figured maybe I could change things from inside.". Can you describe what you were seeing in in Afghanistan with your owneyes? Rapone is listed as one of the speakers for Socialism 2018, which is slated for early July in Chicago. #AntiFa, he wrote, according to a picture obtained before he took down his account. Two weeks later, they issued me my discharge papers and Ileft. There were no red flags of any kind.". 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. Use the 'Report' link on Check out the details here. "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.". Iwas just using all of this expensive equipment in one of the poorest places on earth to serve the interests of acapitalist class. Journalist Chris Hedges interviews former combat veteran and US Army officer, Spenser Rapone about bravery and morality. Resolution to DSA National Convention Atlanta Georgia July 2019. At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. Many other military personnel also tweeted in favor of Kaepernick, although most were supporting free speech, not communism. But then Igot deployed to Afghanistan, and my experience overseas showed me that if anything, Iwas making adifference for those with power and wealth. Ill probably be doing some learning and listening to some activists who have been doing this longer than Ihave to find my place inthis. After amission, wed have adebrief and, if something particularly violent would happen, officers would say something like, That was kickass! They said if we didnt like it, we were in the wrong place. 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. Rapone was disciplined but still allowed to graduate. In October, he said that Iadvocated violence and was athreat to national security and Ishould have my commission revoked, my degree revoked. He didnt really partake in the social life when he was at the Ranger Battalion. Rapones activism while in uniform appears to be much broader than those two photos. Or, Icould submit an unconditional resignation and they can give me whatever discharge they want. The more important thing is that alot of other veterans and active duty personnel have had similar experiences to me and have come to similar conclusions, if not the same, and Ihope that by speaking out. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. Click here for reprint permission. And those views only hardened during his studies of history as one of the academy's "Long Gray Line.". https://t.co/c3SW0QJsBl https://t.co/c3SW0QJsBl, My eyes are seriously about to roll out of the back of my head. Joe, but he wanted none of that. Similar to me, after he did his training and found himself overseas, he realized the harsh reality of what the American military was and formed his own opinions. Previously, he served as the director of Public Education for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. The second lieutenant was given an "other than honorable" discharge June 18 after an Army investigation determined that he "went online to promote a socialist revolution and disparage high-ranking officers" and thereby had engaged in "conduct unbecoming an officer." Report: West Point Professor Found Communist Officer's Social Media 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. From there, Iwould either be retained or kicked out. Pa. House committee advances ambulance mileage , Yellen says U.S. could default as soon as June 1, Lawrence County Historical Society celebrates L, Police charge 25 accused offenders in roundup, 25th Dollar General opens in Lawrence County, Bee in car apparent cause of 4-vehicle wreck, Mahoningtown man accused in narcotics sales, Attorney: Rights trampled for expelled Mohawk football player, Union school board approves superintendent evaluation, CURRY, Anthony Sep 22, 1988 - Apr 29, 2023, STEWART, Ronna Mar 14, 1960 - Apr 27, 2023. Rapone had also posted a second photo of himself in uniform, and he is seen wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt underneath his uniform jacket. However, the percentage of female cadets has remained largely unchanged for the past four years, averaging between 22 and 24 percent of the class. An investigation into Rapones behavior quickly commenced and he was placed on a monitoring regimesaid to be for his own safety. The Superintendent of West Point Military Academy, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen, Jr., released a letter on Wednesday. The Communist West Point Grad's Father Isn't too Happy with - RedState A spokeswoman for the 10th Mountain Division confirmed that Rapone had started Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia near Columbus in February 2017 but did not complete the course. He is also a teaching assistant, which gives him a platform to inflict his twisted worldview upon students who might think that if they don't go along, their grades could suffer. Nearly a year ago, the story of Army Lieutenant Spenser Rapone was a big item. 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 Emailus. So theres thataspect. Theyre not designed to achieve any sort ofobjective. Fanning wrote that their conversation will be called "Resisting Within the Ranks." "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 Rapone's military commission after seeing this photo," he wrote. But after being deployed to Afghanistan and seeing the violence his unit was helping to inflict, Rapone grew increasingly disillusioned with the military. They compiled all the things Ive said, the subversive things Ive said about Trump and various elected officials like General Mattis, and essentially gave me anumber of options. [from Resolution #34] Amplify the perspectives & insights of impacted communities through national media platforms. One of six children growing up in New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone said he applied to West Point, which is tuition-free, because he couldn't afford college. Spenser Rapone was like acharacter who stepped out of aBruce Springsteen song. [emailprotected]. Latest. On Sunday, Rapone posted a picture of himself in his West Point uniform holding a sign that said, Communism will win tucked under his cover, or hat, raising a clenched left fist. 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. He explained that he took the offending selfies at his May 2016 West Point graduation ceremony and kept them to himself until last September, when he tweeted them in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who was taking heat for kneeling for the national anthem to raise awareness of racism. Lt. Rapone, a member of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team, first drew attention when he tweeted an image from his Twitter account, @punkproletarian, with "Communism Will Win". But Iwas kind of stuck at that point because after your second year, you have to do whats called affirmation. If Idropped at that point, Iwould either be kicked back into the enlisted ranks or be forced to find away to pay for West Point. Low around 35F. As of Friday, his account was public again. 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. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Soon after getting to West Point, I saw that this was a structural problem across the military and that the military itself, its material relation to power, serves the capitalist class. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. In Ehrenreich's new book, she comes out about mystical experiences in her teens. In addition to classic socialist theorists such as Karl Marx, Rapone says he found inspiration in the writings of Stan Goff, a retired Special Forces master sergeant who became a socialist anti-war activist. 2?pe5 uxk+qeO/jiez,&V%?`L"[A aiJeyr~]Jx$r!6'bw We'd love to hear eyewitness In addition to classic socialist theorists such as Karl Marx, Rapone says he found inspiration in the writings of Stan Goff, a retired Special Forces master sergeant who became a socialist anti-war activist.

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