Communist Infiltration Of The US Military

[Ryan Ruck]

As some of you may be starting to hear, a West Point attendee who posted pictures of himself wearing his cadet uniform while accompanied by a Che t-shirt and a message in his hat of "Communism Will Win", have been making the rounds as he's getting exposed.

West Point Grad Condemned For Pro-Communist Photos, Messages

September 27, 2017



A U.S. Military Academy graduate and Army infantry officer has been condemned after posing with a sign reading “Communism will win” and posting pro-Colin Kaepernick messages on social media.

The messages and images posted by Second Lt. Spenser Rapone have rocked the military community, prompting officers to open an investigation.

Alumni of West Point shared a photo on Twitter showing Rapone at a gathering wearing a Che Guevara shirt underneath his military uniform.

In another photo, he is seen making a fist with one hand as he holds a cap with a sign inside that reads “Communism will win.” Rapone tweeted the photo Sunday and captioned it with “#VeteransForKaepernick,” in a bid to show solidarity with the NFL’s national anthem protests.

Army officials condemned Rapone and said an investigation was opened Tuesday after his pro-Kaepernick and pro-communist photo drew social media attention, the New York Post reported.

“The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army,” an Army statement reads.

Rapone apparently embraced the outrage, sharing the photo of himself wearing a Che Guevara shirt and writing, “In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre.” The words, known as a Guevara slogan, translate to "Until victory, always!"

Ernesto "Che" Guevara, born in Argentina in 1928, became a key figure in Fidel Castro's Cuban Revolution in 1959. Guevara died in Bolivia in 1967 at age 39.

Rapone’s communist sympathies are no secret, the Post reported. He once posted photos of himself with Karl Marx's “Communist Manifesto” and a photo of One World Trade Center with him holding a communist red star on the top.



The soldier also admitted being a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

A veterans’ subgroup of the DSA threw its support behind Rapone following the controversy, tweeting: “Let there be no doubt that we have unequivocal solidarity with and pride in Spenser. He’s an exceptional soldier.”

The group also released a statement claiming it encouraged him "to take whatever steps he sees necessary to express his political beliefs and continue to organize towards a socialist future.”

But he, quite obviously, isn't the only one.

I've been following the thread on AR15.com since it started on the 25th.

There are several others that have been uncovered and deserve to have their names spread far and wide so they can all be purged from the military ranks.

One of his West Point buddies is a Michael Ross who uses an alias on Facebook by the name of Antonio Rosciano:

Also a buddy of Rapone is one Suhanraj Rajasegaran who is apparently not clever enough to use a Facebook alias:

Both Rapone and Ross have connections to a Dr. Rasheed Hosein who is an Islamic historian and Muslim layman at West Point. Pictures of them with him are featured on both of their Facebook pages.


And I also wanted to archive the social media content that has been dug up on Rapone here. His Twitter handle is punkproletarian/Commie Bebop. In no particlar order:

Additionally, his Facebook account under his fake name:

Lastly his reddit screen name and some content:

("She" being a reference to Bradley Manning)

[Ryan Ruck]

Former Congressman Who Nominated Communist Extremist To West Point Aggressively Disavows

September 27, 2017

The former Democratic congressman who nominated communist 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone to West Point is now disavowing Rapone’s recent comments, which range from attacks on Secretary of Defense James Mattis to calls for political violence.

Former Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania told The Daily Caller News Foundation that Rapone’s long history of extremist tweets, which include calling Mattis an “evil, vile f****,” is shocking, disappointing and abhorrent.

“Several years ago, I met Spenser Rapone when he was a high school student seeking an appointment to West Point,” Altmire said. “At the time, he was an outstanding, well-rounded student who came from a good family. 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. “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. I have no doubt that the U.S. Army will take appropriate action.”

Applicants to West Point must receive a nomination for their applications to be considered. Those nominations usually come from senators or representatives. In this case, it came from Altmire, who served as a membr of Congress in Pennsylvania’s 4th congressional district from 2007 to 2013.

Rapone’s father, a local politician in Pennsylvania, explicitly disavowed his son’s political views Tuesday in a Facebook post. Richard L. Rapone explained that Spenser tried to join West Point straight out of high school but was not accepted. Spenser then enlisted in the Army and deployed to Afghanistan after which point he again applied to West Point. This time around, West Point accepted him.

“It’s my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views,” Richard L. Rapone said. “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. He’s also tweeted out that he’ll “happily” dance on GOP Sen. John McCain’s grave. He also stated publicly that Vice President Mike “Pence is a fucking medieval, cold-blooded killer.”

In response, the Army has opened an investigation into Rapone for his social media comments.

“The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values,” West Point said in a statement released Tuesday. “Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army. 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. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s chain of command is aware of his actions and is looking into the matter. The academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.”

[Ryan Ruck]

Another one comes out of the woodwork, a Marine. Don't think he knows Rapone and crew directly but did comment on a FB post concerning Rapone.

Daniel O'Sullivan

[Ryan Ruck]

Another. One Timothy Hardin, an Army Psychological Operations Sergeant.

[Ryan Ruck]

West Point Professor Who Mentored Antifa Soldier on Administrative Leave

September 28, 2017

The West Point mentor of a soldier now under investigation by the Army for engaging in political activity while in uniform is on administrative leave, Breitbart News has learned.

The adviser is Rasheed Hosein, a professor of Middle East history, who was in charge of Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone’s development at West Point.

A West Point spokesman confirmed he is on administrative leave but said it is unrelated to Rapone.

“We are unable to provide information regarding administrative actions but can confirm that the details are unrelated to 2nd Lieutenant Rapone,” the spokesman said.

At West Point, Hosein had mentored Rapone. The two apparently traveled together to India together in 2014 and maintained a close relationship until Rapone graduated in May 2016.

Also during that time, Rapone’s Facebook posts grew increasingly radical and leftist.

Rapone’s 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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

After the photo garnered widespread attention on Twitter, West Point quickly issued a statement distancing itself from Rapone.

“The U.S. Military Academy strives to develop leaders who internalize the academy’s motto of Duty, Honor, Country, and who live the Army values. Second Lieutenant Rapone’s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army,” it said.

“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,” it said.

“The appropriate Command authorities are reviewing the situation,” an Army spokesman told Breitbart News.

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.

The unit issued its own statement that focused on uniform regulations.

“Both the Department of Defense and the Army have longstanding policies encouraging soldiers to participate in the democratic process. However, the Army has strict rules regarding the wear and appearance of Army uniforms.”

Rapone’s activism while in uniform appears to be much broader than those two photos.

On August 7, Rapone posted a photo on his Instagram account of himself in his Army uniform wearing a Democratic Socialists of America Membership nametag that says, “official socialist organizer.”

Rapone’s Instagram account was taken down Tuesday evening.

Rapone has also tweeted a number of provocative statements, including calling Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “the most vile, evil f*ck in the current administration” on June 7 from Columbus, Georgia.

A spokeswoman for the 10th Mountain Division confirmed to Breitbart News that Rapone had started Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia — near Columbus — in February 2017 but did not complete the course.

On February 11, he posted an article titled “Know Your (Gun) Rights! A Primer for Radicals — IT’S GOING DOWN.” He also reposted a meme from a group called Anarchist People of Color criticizing “white privilege.”

Rapone posted on several forums in support of Chelsea Manning, the Army soldier who went to jail for leaking classified intelligence to WikiLeaks. He posted January 18 on Facebook, “May we all learn from her example of what integrity and strength of conviction truly entails.”

Sometime last year, he posted a picture on Instagram of an Antifa flag in his room next to a print of Che Guevara. “New room decor … until it’s flying proudly in the streets. #AntiFa,” he wrote, according to a picture obtained before he took down his account.

Rapone has also posted on Facebook a picture of himself holding up the Communist Manifesto, with his Army dress uniform hanging in the closet in the background and a number of posts showing opposition for Trump policies and administration officials and support for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) at least since 2015.

His father, a local official for Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, issued his own statement, disavowing his son’s political views. “In regards to my son Spenser Rapone, I disavow his political views and overall politics. I am very disappointed in the direction he has chosen and as his father it greatly saddens me,” Richard L. Rapone posted on his Facebook page, adding:

As a young man, Spenser personified patriotism and in high school was a member of the Civil Air Patrol. He applied to be a West Point cadet and at that time he as not selected. He enlisted in the United States Army right out of high school. Later, he served as an Army Ranger and was deployed to Afghanistan on special mission.

He applied once again to West Point and was accepted. It’s my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views. Spenser is my son and I love him dearly however I do not like nor condone his politics, his actions or behavior.

The elder Rapone’s Facebook page has been taken down as of Wednesday.

According to photos on Rapone’s Facebook page, he became close to Hosein, a Ph.D. in Islamic history from the University of Chicago. The two appear to have traveled together to the Taj Mahal in March 2014, according to pictures posted on his Facebook page.

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.”

On March 23, 2014, Rapone posted about anti-corporatism and racism. On March 24, 2014, Rapone posted a picture of himself and Hosein in front of the Taj Mahal.

Later that year, on August 19, 2014, Rapone posted a picture that showed them in a classroom with another soldier. “The Intelligentsia,” the caption read. Hosein was tagged in the picture, suggesting they were Facebook friends at the time.

A review of Rapone’s 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.

On January 5, 2015, he posted a Slate.com article calling for the abolishment of West Point. As a Facebook friend since 2014, Hosein would have been aware of Rapone’s Facebook postings between 2014 and when he graduated in 2016. A search of Rapone’s page shows they are still Facebook friends.

Hosein’s bio on the West Point website lists Rapone as one of two cadets he last advised at West Point.

Hosein began teaching at West Point in July 2011. Previously, he served as the director of Public Education for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Chicago.

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.

Hosein brought Phi Alpha Theta members, including Rapone, to Orlando, Florida, for a national conference in February 2016.

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.

He completed Airborne school and a rigorous Ranger Assessment and Selection Program and was assigned to the 1st Ranger Battalion in Savannah, Georgia. He then deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a combat infantryman badge.

He completed Air Assault School and then applied successfully to West Point.

[Ryan Ruck]

SOFREP Exclusive: West Point Grad And Social Media Communist Quit Ranger School After Sharing Political Beliefs With Command

September 27, 2017

A graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and second lieutenant in the United States Army is now under investigation from the Army after pictures surfaced on the officer’s Twitter page on Tuesday showing him displaying pro-Communist messages and imagery, to include while in uniform.

Now, West Point has released an official statement saying that Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone’s “actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army,” and that the “the academy is prepared to assist the officer’s chain of command as required.”

But more details have emerged about Lt. Rapone’s short time in the Army and his potentially conflicting political beliefs. This summer, while a student at Ranger School, Lt. Rapone reportedly clashed with his chain of command, repeatedly being disrespectful to senior NCOs and Officers, culminating in telling his Battalion Commander that he does not agree with the United States’ military actions overseas.

Lt. Rapone’s social media presence remains public and includes inflammatory political statements for a Commissioned Officer in the United States Army. He calls President Trump, officially his commander, a fascist. He says other military members “lust for war and conflict. They fetishize violence.” He says West Point is a “bastion of reactionary politics and imperialist violence.”

Most curiously, one photo shows that he has written “Communism Will Win” inside of his uniform hat before the graduation ceremony. Tradition at West Point has graduating cadets write inspiring words of encouragement, typically including money, and leaving them in the hat for the ceremonial “hat toss.” Children then flood the field, collecting as many hats as they can. It can be inferred that Rapone intended for his message to be read by a child.

It should also be noted that hundreds of West Point graduates have fought and died fighting actual Communists during the 20th century.

Pictures posted include those which depict him in uniform on West Point’s graduation day wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform.

West Point and the Army do not allow soldiers and officers to make political statements while in uniform. While political speech on social media is allowed, the Army discourages such behavior if there is any indication the soldier is in the military, and if it could be interpreted as a sanctioned opinion of the Department of Defense. For example, if their profile picture shows them in uniform, they should not be posting political opinions.

Lt. Rapone graduated from West Point as a member of the class of 2016, but before entering the Academy he served for two years as an 11B Infantryman in the 75th Ranger Regiment, deploying to Afghanistan in that capacity. As such we did not have any overlapping time at the Academy. But when I was a cadet there between 2006 and 2010, we were very clearly instructed that our free speech rights as a service member are curtailed due to our profession. This is taught in the “Constitutional and Military Law” course that is a mandatory part of the curriculum to graduate. In no uncertain terms, we were taught that political statements while in uniform are completely unauthorized.

After Lt. Rapone’s social media activities went viral earlier Tuesday, I spoke with a Ranger Instructor from the 5th Ranger Training Battalion (RTB), who personally dealt with Lt. Rapone while he was at the Mountain Phase of Ranger School.

The Ranger Instructor (RI), who does not wish to be identified, confirmed that he was present and witnessed firsthand multiple acts of defiance and disrespect from Lt. Rapone to various members of 5th RTB, to include senior enlisted personnel and officers, which included sharing his political beliefs which run counter to the interest of the United States and could easily be construed as those consistent with an “insider threat.”

In the Mountain phase at Ranger School, students conduct a 10-day field training exercise (FTX) where they are graded on their leadership abilities while conducting patrols. A student needs to only pass one patrol, and most students are given two or three patrols to achieve this “go” in order to advance to Florida Phase.

According to the RI, Lt. Rapone failed all three of the graded patrols he was given during the FTX. However, he received favorable peer reviews, and the lengthy written reports from his graders indicated that Lt. Rapone was tactically competent, but simply failed certain critical no-fail tasks during each of his graded patrols. Under normal circumstances, this results in the RI’s telling the Ranger student that he or she will be recycled, to join the next class and try the phase again.

However, during Lt. Rapone’s counseling session when he was told he had failed the phase by a Sergeant First Class RI, he became disrespectful, to include swearing and showing no military bearing. At Ranger School, students do not wear rank, and therefore while Lt. Rapone technically outranked the RI, his rank was meaningless at the time.

After this display was reportedly heard by two nearby First Sergeants, they intervened to tell Lt. Rapone that he was now going to be recommended for a drop from the course due to his insubordination.

Going to a battalion board for only failing patrols is totally outside the norm. His apparent blatant disrespect to multiple senior NCOs got him presented in front of the 5th RTB commander, a Lieutenant Colonel, as well as every key member of the chain of command for 5th RTB, who would decide if he would recycle Mountain Phase, start over at Day 0, or be dropped entirely.

Upon reporting for this board, it was clear to all present that Lieutenant Rapone was showing a disrespectful attitude in how he carried himself and interacted with the members of the board. Talking back, sighing, rolling his eyes; Lieutenant Rapone argued with the Lt. Col. and disputed the written reports of three separate RIs who graded him individually on three separate occasions.

“There’s no fucking way I failed that patrol” he reportedly said during this board.

Before recommending a course of action, the Battalion Commander typically wants to understand the mindset of the student. Having his file, they knew he was a second lieutenant and a graduate of West Point. After asking about Rapone’s background and trying to understand his mentality as a leader, Rapone reportedly said that he disagrees with America’s military actions overseas.

After telling Rapone that with his mindset he should not be leading soldiers, members of the board suspected Rapone was trying to goad them into dropping him, so that he would have a story about bold defiance in the face of authority. Knowing this, the commander suggested that retaining Rapone in the course would benefit him; an opportunity to train and grow as a leader.

To this, Lt. Rapone allegedly replied “I feel like that’s just a threat,” implying that they would not in fact recycle him. With that, the commander announced that he would be a Day 1 recycle, and dismissed Rapone.

At this point, Rapone reportedly continued to be a nuisance for the RI’s assigned to escort him back to Fort Benning, resisting even simple requests to help expedite his out-processing from the Mountain Phase.

Once at Fort Benning, Lt. Rapone reportedly refused to restart Ranger School, rendering him a self-selected drop from the course, and what is referred to as “Lack of Motivation” (LOM) drop. An LOM is a mark of shame for an infantry officer. It is a career death sentence within the infantry community, especially with graduates of West Point. It does not force the officer out of the military, but an LOM will follow you, and every future commander will know that you quit Ranger School: an unofficial guarantee to not be selected for key assignments and your career will be over before it starts.

Rapone’s father, Richard Rapone, released a statement on Facebook disavowing his son’s politics and statements. “In regards to my son Spenser Rapone,” he wrote, “I disavow his political views and overall politics. I am very disappointed in the direction he has chosen and as his father it greatly saddens me.”

Referencing his son’s service as an enlisted soldier in the Ranger Regiment, he wrote “It’s my belief when he returned back from Afghanistan there was a notable difference in his political views.”

Beyond simply being a disrespectful junior officer while at Ranger School, Lt. Rapone’s statements of opposition regarding U.S. foreign policy and hyper-partisan postings on social media should raise eyebrows for anyone in the military or involved with national security, let alone an officer who is required to obtain and maintain a secret security clearance as part of their commission. As an Infantry Officer, Lt. Rapone would be responsible for leading a platoon of 40 infantrymen directly in support of American foreign policy objectives overseas: a concept he has freely admitted he opposes.

At a time of regular whistleblower leaking incidents, with most, if not all, stemming from partisan political beliefs counter to U.S. foreign policy objectives, Lt. Rapone’s demonstrated behavior will likely be of great concern to the U.S. Army and other branches of the military concerned with insider threats.

[Malsua]

Head full of mush, he should move to Cuba, it's got his political system.

[Ryan Ruck]

Head full of mush, he should move to Cuba, it's got his political system.

Yeah, funny how they never go move to their paradise on earth that is actively practicing the system they want.

Guess having to eat rats, and sometimes people, in Venezuela isn't exactly what our Comrade butter bar has in mind for The People's Paradise. Go figure...

[Ryan Ruck]

Ted Cruz sent this out:

[Ryan Ruck]

Communist Cadet’s Plebe Year Professor Told Him To Resign

October 15, 2017

Last week, former West Point instructor Lieutenant Colonel Robert Heffington, who reported communist West Point cadet Spenser Rapone, penned an open letter to academy graduates blaming West Point’s superintendent, commandant and dean for fostering a sweeping “culture of permissiveness” and an “embrace of mediocrity” within the academy. Now, some faculty have confirmed Heffington’s criticisms, and a former USMA professor claiming to have taught Rapone in his first year at the academy says the communist cadet was urged to resign.

On Thursday, a former senior faculty member contacted by The Daily Caller indicated that Lieutenant Colonel Heffington’s criticisms were “spot on” — and too forgiving, if anything.

Over the weekend, TheDC contacted a former West Point professor who claims to have taught Rapone during his first year at the academy. The professor confirmed that academy instructors are actively discouraged from disciplining cadets for poor behavior and violation of standards.

“I did teach Spenser Rapone,” one of the communist Army lieutenant’s plebe year professors stated. “And certainly the red flags were there.”

“He was highly critical of the Army,” the professor noted. “It seemed like he had a chip on his shoulder from his prior service, but I could never get him to say why. I had seen similar attitudes on soldiers getting out of the Army before. He was critical of the war strategy in Afghanistan as being a continuation of imperialism.”

“[I] even advised him bluntly to resign when he expressed some alarming opinions,” the professor recalled. “While I saw red flags in his statements and behavior, he hadn’t said or done anything bad enough to warrant a sworn statement like that of LTC Heffington. When I say he was critical of the Army, he never said things to me like he later posted on social media pages, like, ‘f$@k this country.’ To me, he was more obnoxious than anything; he sounded like a jaded private.”

“I can only assume he became more radicalized over time,” this professor added, “because for as many red flags that I saw, I never saw behavior like that which LTC Heffington attempted to correct. I corrected [Rapone] on his hair, attitude… I also witnessed other officers correct him, mostly for his hair and less than acceptable military bearing in interacting with officers in Thayer Hall.”

When TheDC asked if the professor reported the cadet for his attitude and alarming views, the professor responded, “no, I did not,” and explained why:

My superiors were aware of Rapone and had corrected him on their own (I witnessed that). Besides, academic instructors reporting disciplinary issues to TACs invariably resulted in the academic instructor being told, ‘stay in your lane.’ I had been told that already for correcting other cadet behavior… So I knew that writing a report would have been a useless waste of my time.

Asked what sort of disciplinary action, if any, the professor would have expected then-cadet Rapone to face, had a report been filed, the professor didn’t miss a beat: “I wouldn’t have expected them to do anything given the current state of discipline in the Corps of Cadets besides [telling] him to get a haircut.”

An active duty Army officer contacted by The Daily Caller, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed with the sentiments of Lieutenant Colonel Heffington and the former senior faculty remember. The officer said that criticism of the increasing civilian influence within West Point was entirely warranted. “I can assure you,” the officer stated, “there are a number of avowed communists [teaching at West Point].”

The officer said he has “personally heard” two civilian professors claim to be communists. One in particular, he adds, was “quite proud of this fact.”

According to the officer, the presence and influence of openly Marxist faculty members is partially to blame for the leniency that the academy showed then-cadet Spenser Rapone. “Why punish this Che-loving former cadet, Rapone, when we let senior faculty openly support such views?” the officer asked.

[Ryan Ruck]

Update: Communist Ranger And West Pointer Receives An "Other Than Honorable" Discharge

June 7, 2018

Last September, a West Point cadet’s pictures of himself at his graduation ceremony flaunting his devotion to communism made national headlines and sparked fury from current and former soldiers. Spenser Rapone posted pictures on social media in which he was wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform and wrote “communism will win” under his cap. This was really the least of it as a deeper dive into Rapone’s social media profiles revealed that he does not support the U.S. Constitution and believes that our government cannot be reformed and must be destroyed so that a communist government can be erected in its place.

SOFREP reported on Spenser Rapone at the time in an article titled, “The Calls are Coming From Inside the House: America’s Communist Insider Threat.” At the time, SOFREP spoke to a former Delta Force Sergeant Major who expressed concern because West Point is the feeder mechanism to put officers into the Ranger Regiment and Special Forces, which in turn acts as a feeder for JSOC units like Delta. By Rapone’s own admission, he followed a communist philosophy advocated by Rudi Dutschke.

Dutschke advocated a strategy he called the, “long march through the institutions of power.” This entails burrowing inside the institutions of society, including the military, and subverting them from within and ultimately setting the conditions for a communist revolution. As we’ve 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. The idea of an avowed communist subverting important military units and functions from within has the potential to be catastrophic.

LTC Robert Heffington was a West Point teacher who had numerous negative encounters with Rapone and after learning that the cadet was a Marxist, wrote a sworn statement about his concerns. It reads in part:

At, best, Cadet Rapone’s online ideological screeds reveal the philosophical infatuations of a precocious adolescent, rather like a school boy who cannot stop spouting off about Nietzsche. The “misunderstood” and “persecuted” young genius shouts truth to power by cobbling together ideas and quotations popping up in chat rooms or on Facebook walls, certain that his provocative and shocking proclamations will, based solely upon their vehemence and sarcasm, demonstrate both the profound sincerity and the unassailable correctness of his viewpoints. This phase tends to be ephemeral, the erstwhile youthful firebrand eventually emerging from the self adulatory fog after eye-opening encounter with equally brilliant people articulating cogent, well-supported, and entirely contrary arguments, or having gained sufficient life experience to illustrate the fundamental interpretive emptiness that renders any strictly Manichaean worldview emotional unfulfilling and analytical bankrupt. At worst, however, Cadet Rapone’s 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.

After Rapone outed himself as a communist actively involved in a political project of subverting the military, it was announced by the Army that he was being investigated but the outcome was unknown until recently. SOFREP had a series of somewhat surreal e-mails with the Department of Defense about his status. An Army public affairs officer simply told us, “Privacy restrictions preclude us from discussing what, if any, actions may be taken against 2LT Rapone as a result of the administrative investigation, as well as the findings and recommendations of the investigation.”

We pressed them regarding DOD policies regarding communists serving in the ranks. The public affairs officer said they would research this and get back to us. In a few days they replied that according to AR 600-20, members of the armed forces may not belong to extremist groups. We then asked how DOD accounts for service members who may not be members of extremist organizations but may follow decentralized strategies such as Dutschke’s “long march through the institutions” or Abu Mu’sab al-Suri’s “Open Front” strategy? Curiously, we received no reply.

Recently, Spenser Rapone re-tweeted a post on Twitter which announced that he would be speaking at a socialist event in July as he was being processed out of the Army this June with an other than honorable discharge. This was likely the harshest punishment the Army could give Rapone unless they decided to charge him with something like sedition. With an other than honorable discharge, Rapone will not be entitled to VA benefits, the GI Bill, and may have difficulties in finding employment.

As an avowed communist, one who is networked with other like-minded individuals, he may find a bit of a safety net after he is discharged from organizations he associates with such as the Democratic Socialists of America Veterans Working Group, which is reputed to be about 150 members strong. None the less, Rapone’s political decisions and judgments will likely follow him long after he separates from the military.

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, leading one to wonder how many more are out there that our government is completely unaware of.