Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point, Altmire said. As of Friday, his account was public again. The class of 2023 saw about a four percent increase in minority representation. However, the Army has strict rules regarding the wear and appearance of Army uniforms.. ", 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. A review of Rapones Facebook page shows that over time, since 2014, his posts became increasingly anti-racism, anti-Israel, pro-Muslim, pro-Communist, anti-military, and anti-police. The biggest thing about Pat Tillman was that he didnt want to be put in abox. On March 18, 2014, Hosein posted on his Facebook page, Back from the Taj [Mahal] and it delivered. Two days later, on March 20, 2104, Hosein posted a picture of himself, wearing a long tunic, and Rapone, wearing a turban and a long tunic, with the caption: The brothers are gonna work it out., Two days later, on March 20, 2104, Hosein posted a picture of himself, wearing a long tunic, and Rapone, wearing a turban and a long tunic, with the caption, The brothers are gonna work it out.. Our 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 Maro Rubio penned a panic-stricken letter to acting Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy demanding, Florida Senator Marco Rubio called on the U.S. Army to remove Rapone and make him pay back his tuition for advocating for communism., U.S. Army spokesperson Valerie Mongello had told American Military News that while the Department of Defense and Army encourage soldiers to participate in the democratic process, the Army has strict rules regarding the wear and appearance of Army uniforms., West Point Military Academy had also responded to the situation, and released a statement saying Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army., Spenser Rapone (Photos from Social Media, Compiled by American Military News). As a Facebook friend since 2014, Hosein would have been aware of Rapones Facebook postings between 2014 and when he graduated in 2016. I started to think, If Iwere aguy in Afghanistan, how would Ifeel about this? Ithink its no secret that many people in America would take great umbrage if someone was walking through their homes. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. But then Igot deployed to Afghanistan, and my experience overseas showed me that if anything, Iwas making adifference for those with power and wealth. "During the interview, he expressed patriotism and looked just like a top-notch candidate. His social media accounts were at one point set to private after his photos went viral. [from Resolution #34] Amplify the perspectives & insights of impacted communities through national media platforms. Spenser Rapone is a former Army Ranger and Infantry Officer who resigned his commission in June 2018 due to his opposition to United States imperialism. Spenser is my son and I love him dearly however I do not like nor condone his politics, his actions or behavior. West Point Chief Pushes Back On Criticism Amid 'Commie Cadet Upon completion of Cadet Basic Training, scheduled for August 17, they'll be accepted into the Corps of Cadets. Be Proactive. Rapone, a former enlisted Ranger who had completed the US Military Academy Prep School and graduated from West Point, was made famous by his own social media posts showing him regaling communism and wearing a Che . But the service declined to disclose what investigators found, how Rapone had been disciplined, or even if he has been allowed to stay in the service. Rapones social media was filled with up to hundreds of posts, messages and photos that were being circulated around the military and civilian communities. 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. 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. The saga of communist sympathizing Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone keeps on going, and with every turn it looks worse for Rapone. ", "I consider myself a revolutionary socialist," the 26-year-old Rapone told The Associated Press. 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. 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 . In my own unit, Isaw no commitment to learning about the Afghan people or trying to understand them or their culture. Whatever happened to that communist lieutenant? The Army won't say. Ithink it shows some peoples priority. In many ways, youre even moredisillusioned. If this was Ukraine the mainstream media would be shrieking day and night about human rights and international law. His Facebook, where he goes under Giuseppe Impastato, was private. Low around 35F. person will not be tolerated. Trump and other right wingers also still trot out Pat Tillman as asymbol. 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). He got out on the other side thought and became an anti-war activist and asocialist. He was nominated out of high school by then-U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire in 2010. Previously, he served as the director of Public Education for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. Rapone's discharge will place him in a situation where he will not be entitled to VA benefits and he may have to . 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. Then-Lieutenant Rapone put his own continued service on the line in order to speak up in support of blacklisted ex-49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick. 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. WvLUTTTkJX5SK's?:aBe".0X~m41aT`Z""%&QR6&; On March 23, 2014, Rapone posted about anti-corporatism and racism. 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.. You go in with acertain vision in your head of what being in the military is and then you see the reality of it. University of Texas History Department Hires The West Point "Commie He said that we need to do something about this Rapone guy. 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. A search of Rapones page shows they are still Facebook friends. The Navy, on the other hand, readily releases full investigations into rank-and-file sailors when their cases have become infamous. Throughout this whole process, the military has certain ways of coercing you, so there was always athreat of morepunishment. PDF Spenser R. Rapone Education - University of Texas at Austin Im probably going to take some time to decompress and process all Ive been through. [emailprotected]. Last October, some old tweets of a West Point cadet in a Che Guevara shirt sparked outrage across the country. 2?pe5 uxk+qeO/jiez,&V%?`L"[A
aiJeyr~]Jx$r!6'bw "I figured maybe I could change things from inside.". Contents 1 Austin academic 2 DSA resolution on Red Deal 3 Socialism 2018 4 Radical soldier 5 DSA solidarity 6 DSA Veterans Closed Facebook Group 7 DSA Veterans Working Group Statement on Afghanistan 8 Altmire support 9 Socialist Punk Caucus It was more about taking pleasure in going out every night and killing people with impunity. x]on?J"0;]Mq8~PNKw+#"%K,=/yd''Ur%"O30b&-TttxpAY4.e8+OD~H^ racist or sexually-oriented language. Can you describe the backlash you experienced afterthat? The Army often invokes privacy concerns when dealing with information about junior ranking soldiers, though there is no blanket policy for the Defense Department. Hes an exceptional soldier, the Twitter account, @DSAVeterans, wrote. He is a man of above-average stature. Theyre not designed to achieve any sort ofobjective. West Point Commie May Have Been Radicalized by His Mentor at the It is against Army regulations to wear the uniform in connection with the furtherance of any political or commercial interests or when participating in public demonstrations unless authorized to do so. However, the percentage of female cadets has remained largely unchanged for the past four years, averaging between 22 and 24 percent of the class. Ithink it was just him seeing the word communist made him draw his own conclusions fromthere. He didnt really partake in the social life when he was at the Ranger Battalion. Could you explain the type of discharge they gaveyou? There are a lot of veterans both active duty and not that feel like I do.. 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. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism But Ididnt say too much afterthat. Even the army chaplain would give us these kinds of speeches. Another figure whos had abig influence on me was Stan Goff. To get into West Point, applicants must receive nominations, usually from U.S. politicians. In the liberal mentality, if you get this particularly disgusting person out of office, then things will change. Then American society and political culture influences you because we are constantly slapped with patriotism and respecting the troops. What does that even mean?
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