For his part, Rapone became infamous in 2017 after his photos and tweets made the internet rounds. 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. Then-Lieutenant Rapone put his own continued service on the line in order to speak up in support of blacklisted ex-49ers quarterbackColin Kaepernick. No matter what you did in these imperialist conflicts, theres arole you can play in ending them and try to help emancipate and liberate people. Less than a year after Rapones images drew a firestorm of vitriol and even death threats, the second lieutenant who became known as the commie cadet is officially out of the U.S. Army with an other-than-honorable discharge. The Saga of the Commie Lieutenant Comes to an End. each comment to let us know of abusive posts. I think theres acouple things that happened since. But you felt like you couldnt do anything about what you wereexperiencing. He wanted to enlist and do his time. [7], Members of the Democratic Socialists of America Wholesome Meme Stash closed Facebook group, accessed November 14, 2017 included Spenser Rapone. Spenser Rapone is a former officer in the U.S. Army and the co-host of the EyesLeft podcast. 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. 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. He was nominated out of high school by then-U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire in 2010. The class of 2023 saw about a four percent increase in minority representation. 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. 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. Spenser Rapone, a former second lieutenant whose "Communism Will Win" photo rocked the internet in 2017 after being featured by this publication, has received an "Other Than Honorable" discharge from the U.S. Army. But he wasnt accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. Deciding he could no longer stomach the immorality of US imperialism, he spoke out against the reprehensible actions of the military in September 2017. Rapone was initially in high spirits during said investigation. The unit issued its own statement that focused on uniform regulations. Latest. For me, Icouldnt shake the fact that what we were doing was wrong and morallyreprehensible. "On the other hand, many people reached out and showed me support. At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. 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.. He completed Airborne school and a rigorous Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia. But after being deployed to Afghanistan and seeing the violence his unit was helping to inflict, Rapone grew increasingly disillusioned with the military. Emailus. This time around, West Point accepted him. Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. 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. Whatever happened to that communist lieutenant? 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. 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. 2023 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). But he wasn't accepted to West Point, so Rapone enlisted in the Army. On Monday, the Army's 10th Mountain Division accepted the resignation of 2nd Lt. Rapone less than a year after he posted . Low around 35F. 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. He posted January 18 on Facebook, May we all learn from her example of what integrity and strength of conviction truly entails.. In many ways, youre even moredisillusioned. In another, he raises his fist and flips his cap to reveal the message: "Communism will win." The Army Times reports in 2018: At West Point, Irealized Imight be asocialist. 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. While I strongly support the rights of American citizens to express their opinions, the actions of 2nd Lieutenant Rapone are abhorrent and appear to be in clear violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in addition to being inconsistent with the values of the United States Military Academy. Since the class of 2012, the percentage of women entering West Point increased by about 10 percent, according to data on class characteristics. He was in the army for 26years and was in special operations. It strikes me how much, as aculture, weve praised troops since 9/11. Latest news and commentary on Spenser Rapone including photos, videos, quotations, and a biography. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. 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. Sign up to become a Sustainer before the deadline and take advantage of our best offer ever. 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. 2?pe5 uxk+qeO/jiez,&V%?`L"[A aiJeyr~]Jx$r!6'bw Greg Rinckey, an attorney specializing in military law, said its rare for an officer out of West Point to receive an other-than-honorable discharge. Keep it Clean. 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. Then there was the move to an all-volunteer force and thats interesting because asubstantial number of Vietnam resisters were volunteers. 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. 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 . Spenser Rapone, the former Army second lieutenant whose "Communism will win" photos went viral in 2017, has received an "other than honorable" discharge. 4 0 obj 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. <>/Metadata 248 0 R/ViewerPreferences 249 0 R>> May 29, 2018 Admin. In the simplest of terms, Ifelt like we were the big bully and the purveyor of violence. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? 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. But from what Iunderstand about his life, he didnt get to the point where you reached, but was still veryquestioning. In response, the Army has opened an investigation intoRapone for his social media comments. Yes, Rory Fanning Ive had correspondence with for awhile. Aside from his recent West Point graduation, Rapone was an infantry officer in the 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, New York. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. 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. "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.". The United States Army is so impressed with Spenser Rapone, they decided to promote him to first lieutenant. They're also given 60 seconds to say goodbye to their families, who they may or may not contact during Cadet Basic Training. Republicans apparently don't believe that Americans who work longer hours should get paid more. Previously, he served as the director of Public Education for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago. Follow him on Twitter: @punkproletarian. We can confirm, however, that the Army conducted a full investigation and that appropriate action was taken., 2nd. |?RzNB*0t[%vTvRHhii\&4PGO>]~:.1b"* 97by7=w|i>edjR9@6$Ol~9U`: onj "8W(:!,w0e0eIvsRdR5y6odwq,lAQ6Az!F Xig'" aNJFNED$Z9CYOzjc!=;{21m%veb0Nf[,|lj{(/ Applicants to West Point must receive a nomination for their applications to be considered. Low around 35F. Threats of harming another "I was still idealistic," he said. Officially, the Army said in a statement only that it conducted a full investigation and "appropriate action was taken. Right: Army Private First Class Spenser Rapone receiving his "Ranger Scrol" patch after completing Ranger Assessment and Selection Program in 2011. . Its a program for Indigenous liberation, life, and landan affirmation that colonialism and capitalism must be overturned for this planet to be habitable for human and other-than-human relatives to live dignified lives. At the end of this Convention, the GNDCC will be tasked with initiating a more direct working relationship between DSA and The Red Nation. As a Facebook friend since 2014, Hosein would have been aware of Rapones Facebook postings between 2014 and when he graduated in 2016. 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. that is degrading to another person. He was nominated out of high school by. 2 0 obj 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., Rapone said his journey to communism grew out of his experiences as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan before he was accepted into the U.S. Military Academy. (Via Twitter). Sen. Marco Rubio caught wind of Rapones protest and demanded that the Army boot him from the service. Episode 19: No War But The Class War w/ Spenser Rapone (Podcast Episode 2018) Parents Guide and Certifications from around the world. You have permission to edit this article. Upon completion of Cadet Basic Training, scheduled for August 17, they'll be accepted into the Corps of Cadets. Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. % Throughout this whole process, the military has certain ways of coercing you, so there was always athreat of morepunishment. [3], Members of the Democratic Socialists of America Veterans Working Group Closed Facebook Group, as of September 28, 2017, included Spenser Rapone under the name of Giuseppe Impastato.[4]. 3 0 obj During the interview, he expressed patriotism and looked just like a top-notch candidate. person will not be tolerated. Click here for reprint permission. The so-called Commie Cadet was anything but acommunist at the start of his militarycareer. He also stated publicly that Vice President Mike Pence is a fucking medieval, cold-blooded killer.. In October, he said that Iadvocated violence and was athreat to national security and Ishould have my commission revoked, my degree revoked. The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academys motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. He was also Muslim Lay Chaplain at West Point, Officer in Charge of the Muslim Cadet Association, and Emeritus Facility Adviser of Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society of which Rapone was a member, according to a photo. The Bush administration saw this football player and this guy who looked like G.I. 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 . The appropriate Command authorities are reviewing the situation, an Army spokesman said. Prospective Students; Undergraduate Students; Graduate Studies On March 23, 2014, Rapone posted about anti-corporatism and racism. Its a call for action beyond the scope of the US colonial state. 51 Rapones Twitter account, where he tweets as @punkproletarian, was previously set to protected while the investigation ran its course. Idont want people saying that because they are volunteers, theres no room for resisting. There are a lot of veterans both active duty and not that feel like I do.". Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored. You go in with acertain vision in your head of what being in the military is and then you see the reality of it. He got out on the other side thought and became an anti-war activist and asocialist. Igraduated and went to officer training, but once Trump got elected, Ithought this was aparticular political moment when Iwas like, Ok, now more than ever, it would be inauthentic of me tocontinue.. The Army often invokes privacy concerns when dealing with information about junior ranking soldiers, though there is no blanket policy for the Defense Department. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, - The Washington Times - Friday, June 8, 2018. Seeing and learning about Pat Tillman and how he was able to never be fully assimilated into military culture, it was really inspiring to me and kind of gave me an example to follow in terms of resisting this indoctrination and dehumanization that the military puts youthrough. Both the United States Military Academy and his current command, the 10th Mountain Division, launched investigations into his conduct. Id have to do ashow cause board, which is essentially me convincing them why Ishould stay in themilitary. Then she puts them under a microscope. Rapone will eventually have an opportunity to petition for an upgrade in his discharge status, however, which would have a positive impact on his eligibility. Iwas ahistory major, and Istudied Middle Eastern history specifically. 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. West Point's newest class has increased minority representation and the percentage of female new cadets remained consistent with previous years. Prysner stands at a height of 5 ft 11 in (Approx. Rapones activities caught the attention of command authorities this week after he posted photos of himself in his West Point uniform while promoting communism on social media. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. Hoseins bio on the West Point website lists Rapone as one of two cadets he last advised at West Point. 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.. 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. The DSAs Veterans Working Group, of which Rapone is a member, also offered support to him in a statement. Share with Us. 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. He studied political theory, radicalized, and eventually turned to socialism. New cadets are outfitted with their initial issue of military clothing, receive haircuts and get their first lessons in marching, military courtesy and discipline. 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 . Money Minute, What's next for experimental AI projects in the C4ISR sphere. The saga of communist sympathizing Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone keeps on going, and with every turn it looks worse for Rapone. endobj There were no red flags of any kind.". Last October, some old tweets of a West Point cadet in a Che Guevara shirt sparked outrage across the country. 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Photos from the graduation posted on social media earned the vitriol of many his fellow soldiers and avocal cadre of right-wing politicians and mediaeven death threats. He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 and was assigned as an assistant machine gunner in Khost Province. Spenser Rapone was a proposed featured speaker of the Socialism 2018, an annual socialist gathering sponsored by the International Socialist Organization held in Chicago, Illinois in July 2018. x. You start to see why these wars are endless. Yes, Spenser "with an s" Rapone is now a Ph.D. candidate at that hotbed of communism, University of Texas-Austin. As figures of public trust, members of the military must exhibit exemplary conduct, and are prohibited from engaging in certain expressions of political speech in uniform. Spenser is my son and I love him dearly however I do not like nor condone his politics, his actions or behavior., Rapone has a long background of support for far-left extremism, even going so far as to promote communism while in uniform. For sure, Pat was abig influence on me. Spenser Rapone, 26, quit on Monday with an other-than-honourable discharge over his "unbecoming" conduct at the famed military academy in New York state. Could you explain the type of discharge they gaveyou? 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. [from Resolution #34] Amplify the perspectives & insights of impacted communities through national media platforms. "I knew there could be repercussions," said Rapone, who is scheduled to speak at a socialism conference in Chicago next month. In my own unit, Isaw no commitment to learning about the Afghan people or trying to understand them or their culture. 1.78 m). 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. 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. When the U.S. invaded Iraq, there was an anti-war movement, but when Obama ran as anti-war candidate, his election took the wind out of the sails. The last 15years have shown otherwise. Sign up to become a Sustainer before the deadline and take advantage of our best offer ever. Local man, West Point grad talks about ouster from Army, Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Spenser R. Rapone Graduate Student, Department of History, University of Texas at Austin 128 Inner Campus Dr. B7000, GAR 1.104, Austin, Texas 78712-1739 p. (512) 471-3261 e. srrapone@utexas.edu Education University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas He was an idealistic teenager from the rural Rust Belt town of New Castle, Pennsylvania (literally the Fireworks Capital of America), who embraced patriotic jingoism and enlisted in the army straight out of highschool. Later, he served as an Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan on special mission. He tweeted the photo along with the words #VeteransForKaepernick a reference to football player Colin Kaepernick, the first player to kneel during the national anthem at a football game to protest racism. Mr. Rapone retweeted the message. Articles by this author Opinion Your Commander-in-Chief Is Lying to You: Veterans Issue Open Letter to Active Duty US Soldiers Rory Fanning. Have a tip or story idea? With all their political gamesmanship, lawmakers forget that real human lives are often on the line. Be Nice. Toward the end of his deployment, he learned West Point fulfills a certain quota of enlisted soldiers every year. Theyre designed to be profitable. In fact, Ididnt really find what we were being told in America to be reflective of what was really going on in Afghanistan. Despite his growing disillusionment about the military, he applied and got in. Resolution to DSA National Convention Atlanta Georgia July 2019. "During the interview, he expressed patriotism and looked just like a top-notch candidate. Movies. UQuIgR0-8Z4m5D_pY`ucWl A^k -f=l@u?H}^Zuj2')`gdzhg~pwwNcEATk,.sWChKggdsCxsA#/aU.8$D^x^@3k;=:V'EQzBju:&XRc]Y|}U.>$mco-/RgxyR\/KA{wz9@Y2]nSQa0baEA~Uws83tF SOI5jraML/ua;s y~D /A' l9~:' In an interview with In These Times, Rapone tells his story of his journey from GI Joe to an anti-war activistand why Rubio got himwrong. He was nominated out of high school by. 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. "We have one of the most technologically advanced militaries of all time and all we were doing is brutalizing and invading and terrorizing a population that had nothing to do with what the United States claimed was a threat.". He then deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a combat infantryman badge. Some of the people who respect the troops are also the ones who most want to privatize the VA. 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. Can you describe the backlash you experienced afterthat? "I figured maybe I could change things from inside.". 45 1,924 I was still idealistic, he said. I figured maybe I could change things from inside.. Most of the guys Iwas witheven and especially the leadershiprelished in the fact that we could kill human beings. 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. While I strongly support the rights of American citizens to express their opinions, the actions of 2nd Lieutenant Rapone are abhorrent and appear to be in clear violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in addition to being inconsistent with the values of the United States Military Academy. Communist ex-Ranger and West Pointer receiving a other than honorable discharge. We'd love to hear eyewitness 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. 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. We have one of the most technologically advanced militaries of all time and all we were doing is brutalizing and invading and terrorizing a population that had nothing to do with what the United States claimed was a threat.. Rapones father, a local politician in Pennsylvania, explicitly disavowed his sons political views Tuesday in a Facebook post. So Istarted to think of what Icould do and then 10 months after Trump was elected, Colin Kaepernick lost his job essentially. 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. During the Vietnam era, there were various things happening for working-class soldiers and soldiers of color and it was all veryvibrant. Inspired by former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who famously took aknee to protest police violence, Rapone wore aChe Guevara T-shirt to his West Point graduation in May 2016 and turned his cap over to reveal the hand-scrawled message, Communism willwin.. Second Lieutenant Rapones actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. Another figure whos had abig influence on me was Stan Goff. He didnt really partake in the social life when he was at the Ranger Battalion. 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. Two weeks later, they issued me my discharge papers and Ileft. Spenser Rapone was like a character who stepped out of a Bruce Springsteen song. (Chicago), Nazir Khan (Twin Cities). 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.
