LT Rapone at West Point
Our friends at Bring the Heat don’t say where they got this sworn statement on then-cadet Spenser Rapone, but here it is;
It was written in November 2015, so I’m guessing the political climate was a little different then. I’m wondering why we haven’t heard from the prescient LTC Heffington in recent days, though.
Category: Dumbass Bullshit
Yet he was allowed to remain, graduate and be commissioned. Makes me wonder how many more there are like him.
One does wonder …
I’m pretty sure there’s at least one more. The one who took the picture of Rapone showing what’s inside his uniform hat, and his Che t-shirt.
There’s also a pic Rapone posted on Twitter showing himself sitting on an armored vehicle with several other soldiers. They were all giving the Marxist raised-fist salute.
so were the fist pumping black female cadets at West Point.
I posted a link to a Daily Caller story about Lt.Col. Heffington’s report this morning on one of the old Rapone posts. Someone needs to answer for this. How could such a turd be known to USMA’s leadership and still be allowed to graduate?? Rapone wasn’t even trying to deceive anyone – he flaunted his hateful beliefs and attitude towards both the Army and the country itself, and yet no one took action.
The rot that set into the military in the Obama era runs deep indeed. Makes me wonder if it’s too late to be rooted out.
It all goes back to that most frightening of all political creatures – Big Army.
Oh, yeah …
… and one of the most glaring examples of all the is wrong in Big Army is the WPPA.
Those clowns need to be fired, stripped of their uniform, any rank, and commendations, and given a Big Chicken Dinner, for all of the damage they have done to the faith and trust between the men and teir leadership. IMO.
Absolutely agree!
I’m wondering how the guy adjudicating he security clearance decided that he was good to go. If I were a Cuban HUMINT collector looking for an inside source to work, he’d be on the top of my list. He’s a male version of Ana Montes.
I boggles the mind.
*It
dammit
It goes even higher. How did John Brennan, former CIA Director, ever get a security clearance since he supported former presidential candidate and Communist Party Member Gus Hall? Brennan’s passionate partisanship for Hillary & Obama are well known. Then there is the claim that Brennan might have tampered with Obama’s passport records to cover. How did Brennan ever get a clearance AND retain it?
Crazything hear to, it looks like he may have been turned in multiple times for threats also. But absolutely nothing was done
Napolean sat here and pulled his bone apart. What would rhyme with Rapone??? Above was a mens room saying written on the wall.
“disown,” “alone”.
Tell you what, that Heffington rocks as a writer!
Jonn,
That looks like page 2 of a DA-Form 2823 (Sworn Statement)
http://www.armywriter.com/DA-2823.pdf
I don’t remember “statement” being on a counseling statement.
You are correct, It is an “Sworn Statement” affadavit form. I’ve filled out more than one in my military career.
Man, that shows just how much damage the left did to the military during that period, if a statement like that could be ignored, and the scum allowed to continue at West Point.
“dangerously unbalanced” or “coward and hypocrite”. And West Point kept him as an officer candidate.
How many others are there like him passing through that school? I will NOT refer to it as USMA until they clean house of this rot.
I hope this embarrasses them enough to weed out all others like him, and quickly, too. I don’t think my tax money or yours should ever be used to pay for people like this, who obviously want to destroy this country from within.
It seems bigger than just USMA. How did this guy get an appointment to West Point. How did he fool the Ranger battalion he was attached to enough to get that appointment?
He didn’t. He was pulled from the Ranger Battalion. Yet, somehow, that didn’t keep him from getting a USMA appointment.
The LTC has a fine liberal arts streak…and as said earlier, this doesn’t appear to be a counseling statement; it is a formal statement as to the little asshole’s suitability to be an Army Officer…very damning if authentic
Looks like he took a roundabout way of calling Rapone an asshole.
Not roundabout, eloquent…
It’s what’s known in my family as “Irish Tact”. That’s the art of telling someone to go to hell is such a manner as to make them look forward to the trip.
I believe that a change needs to be made in the West Point leadership cadre – and I don’t mean the students.
Here’s a link to a pdf of a 2011 interview with Heffington. If he was making these observations this far back and being ignored, just how deep does this go, that someone like Rapone can be passed forward?
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Owner/My%20Documents/Downloads/2327.pdf
He makes several statements regarding the type of person who should be in advisory jobs. His recommendations were being ignored by the Army, for no given reason. And what did the Army end up with??? Remember our local socialistic bloviating blabbermouth?
Does this reek of bad influence from on high? Seems to me if it smells like a dead rat, it IS a dead rat. Did we just miss the bullet?
Ex, this file is on your computer, which we can’t access from the net. Can you upload it here, send it to Jonn for uploading?
Let’s try this link. If it doesn’t work, I’ll send the pdf to Jonn.
http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm/ref/collection/p4013coll13/id/2324
That worked, thanks!
You have to understand what this interview is- they interview almost everyone that comes through Leavenworth at some point because it is one of the career crossroads for most officers.
He isn’t saying that his recommendations are being ignored, he is giving his opinion of who should be on a MiTT (having been on one myself I happen to agree, but that is a different story).
The Army put a lot of the wrong people on MiTTs because literally everyone that was the right grade, skill, and experience level was either at war or getting ready to go back to war.
As far as his sworn statement, I would be interested to learn what other actions were being taken- was this part of a larger investigation, or did he do it as a way to inform the TACs.
It sounds like Heffinton was in the academic department- he taught classes to cadets. The Brigade Tactical Department (the Tacs) are responsible for discipline and leadership education. This reads like a statement he would have given a TAC.
Heffington refers to the fact that Rapone faked the funk with his Tacs. He was a CIB and Scroll wearing Ranger, so he has sort of automatic credibility with a lot of folks. He was probably able to keep his military stuff straight with no issues (uniform looked good, room straight, tactically sound, etc), and might never have raised an alarm on that side of the house. So, the TAC figured that this MI- weenie-Middle-Eastern-Studies prof didn’t know how to handle a real live infantryman and blown him off.
Maybe there was an inquiry and Rapone did hours on the quad. Who knows.
Disclaimer: I am not a West Point grad- I went to an accredited university. However, I the endless hours of USMA stories I endured over the years developed in me the superpower of imitating a West Pointer at will. I use this power only for evil, and I can spout poop with the best of them. “Sir, she walks, she talks, she’s full of chalk…”
This is in Stars and Stripes
https://lm.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stripes.com%2Fnews%2Fus%2Fsen-rubio-remove-communist-soldier-from-officer-ranks-1.490989%23.WdU9bWiPK70&h=ATOOxeC0GQbeIW1WZb3BYFhajuyGZChG0CamcFRFQz5u59M_z5LE_xXANfDAZjxARSneYLCCz6ow-l84rObWus-xFN8xScuP5NN9nuFEyGGhEMjzid_4GiYD_QBpEP9Ev4X3XYX0nInkVldy4bAN&enc=AZN8muKtJ0qsj9JHva4HuhNru4kPPgdyXXHxACkcq5UmS4zkq0h7j8vrzB1uMjtjJpPO3i-E4LqgKgyDkXfMgb-e1THQDz8VqIs6K7xd14dkMI_NpZXUo7TbYeVo6zJ9vbhEXx-oQR2WLSp8SVkdY-GU7qtuA_Kx1AU5W9RPG7Ugrx2KK3UwWIEs2udv9x8JX9GYd0AKvCngy1OzELw1T-VTMLQ3r9h_FFblZ70JtS0qMe29ypaOQJPG2Dl9-_-a9cJbNtaZ1AY1W4s9F70c8ZisuS-IlD9grXzWK9cqeHqJgUxnj_UROfZwKq_jpzoyZinB86WHoRhtTS_Z7jJBhykYWh5zIyNzmsEUkXs7dyaxlg&s=1
That link doesn’t work well. Try this one instead.
https://www.stripes.com/sen-marco-rubio-calls-for-dismissal-of-fort-drum-officer-that-made-pro-communist-anti-trump-statements-1.490989
Thank you
“In a letter to acting Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, Sen. Rubio said 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone’s statements should be an “extreme embarrassment” for West Point and the U.S. Army and that his West Point diploma should be revoked.”
That AND make him pay reimburse the US Government for the four years of room, board and tuition he got at taxpayer expense!
Why do I get the feeling that this whole thing is just a stunt by some attention-starved student?
In other words…”don’t feed the trolls”.
If so, he exceeded the allowable limits for an officer in the US military by a substantial margin, his judgement is corrupt, and he needs to go away. Rapidly,
taking just long enough to set up his educational repayment plan.
His behavior and demeanor towards this officer alone should have gotten him Article 15’d.
And a Field Grade one at that!
Umm, no. This goes WELL beyond an attention-getter. And he is prior enlisted, so he’s no kid.
He is an officer in the United States Army, and was serving in that capacity when he made contemptuous statements against the President and other officials. This alone is a punishable crime.
He arguably is guilty of sedition and subversion.
Following a full investigation he should be prosecuted for any crimes, have his commission revoked, and be separated from the service. The last two could be done now, we don’t even need a reason. He serves at the pleasure of the president.
In my view, it would be better to bust him down to E-1, keep him doing crap tasks like permanent burn pit duty, under guard, until his contract runs out. Include a “no contact” order. He is an arrogant know-it-all asshole and a spoiled brat who needs a serious lesson in humility and what it means to lose his freedom.
If not that, drop him off at the Korean DMZ border with a note that he can’t get rid of tattooed to his chest.
“it would be better to bust him down to E-1”
Unfortunately, you can’t do that to an officer. The only way that could work is if they were able to revoke his commission first (as though it never happened). Not a JAG, but I would think they have justification (commissioned under false pretenses).
But he is prior enlisted, which should have some weight in the matter.
This is some bullshit!
As a member of the USMA class of 75, the only thing I find more repugnant than this self aggrandizing,factually challenged attention whore is a command climate that allowed him to continue his studies and graduate. Granted; I’m old, but I would happily volunteer to discuss this individual’s attitude and lunatic leanings behind the gym.
Get in line. I want to know how deep this rot has gone.
Ex-PH2… I’m sure that one of our resident SJW’s could tell us that… and then proceed to lecture all of us about how “oppressive” the UCMJ and Military life is.
He hasn’t been around lately, I wonder if he finally pissed Jonn off enough to get hit with the Ban Hammer®™?
Maybe he’s doing 90 days in a county jail somewhere?
That’s my impression. Much more peaceful and enjoyable now. There are lots of places I can go if I want a debate (which I usually don’t have the time for). I come here to relax and enjoy the camaraderie of my brothers and sisters.
It’s not surprising PFC/CDT/LT Rapone was RFS’d from Ranger Regiment. My question is how did he manage to get into West Point at all?
RFS’ed, what’s that mean in English? Just curious.
Released For Standards. That’s Ranger speak for “you fucked up and we don’t want you around anymore”. In a regular military unit, if you screw up , or are just a general shit bag,your unit has to deal with you. Not in the Rangers. You screw up, you get your walking papers and get sent to one of the regular Infantry units on Benning, Stewart, or Lewis.
Okay, about the same as an RFT (Released From Training) in Basic or AIT, the precursor to throwing out a substandard snowflake except an RFT is typically followed up with an ELS Discharge.
Our hero was RFS’d because he effed up firing an anti-tank weapon on the range endangering those around him. I met an E-5 when I was at the Benning School for Wayward Boys several years ago. He loved being in 3dBn/75th, but he was bounced from the unit with several of his mates merely because they disregarded a “suggestion” from their SGM that they not go into Mexico when they had a three-day pass after an exercise in Texas.
SMH. . .
WHO in their right freakin’ minds disregards the “suggestion” of their Sergeant Major!!??
A rock-headed DUMB DICK.
It’s been a few years since I worked there but seems to me a LTC would be a regiment commander, maybe a department head. Can’t wait for Senator Rubio to have him in front of Committee so maybe we can get some answers and the duckweed in the chain who ignored the warning gets to put his papers in. Or maybe, he was hoping for another Fort Hood.
Dude is from NY. Obama encouraged the liberal states/socialist democrat congresscritters nominating pieces of shit like this with the intent of doing all the damage he could in his time.
Rapone is from New Castle, PA, on the border near Youngstown. Not exactly the most liberal part of PA.
I misread the article. He is stationed with 10th Mountain out of NY state, not from there.
if this is true and not some false forged thing. This indicates a clear case of passing the buck syndrome that I have seen. If true, this would indicate that the leadership made the decision to let him pass go knowing the result would be handled once he was in an AD unit. I would hope this is fake news, otherwise it shows the academies have a systematic problem with maintaining its fundamental core values, or they are being severely watered down. If that is the case, are the service academies a relevant use of tax dollars to produce officers now? In ROTC, at least I went through, if you pulled a stunt like this, you would have been bounced off the island so fast your head would have been spinning.
All good points.. one thing to remember though, it could very well be that doing away with service academies is just one of the collateral damage effects that obummer planned on.. it seems it wasn’t that long ago that some of the dims were trying to do just that..
True, but when I went on AD and started UPT at Vance ’03. I was in a class full of academy guys from the USAFA. I had my stereo type that they would be the most stracked blue blood AF officers. No, they were the most cynical and disgruntled people I had met. The only advantage I saw them have was that they were immune to the AF training environment. Most of them had an easier time in pilot training playing the game. It took me about a month and a half in our flight line phase to figure the game out. In terms in pure officership, they were no different than someone from ROTC, OTS or the Air Guard’s AMS course. My understanding was the academy was designed to be a venue to groom the professional officer to essentially to be tapped to be the top leaders of whatever service they were in. With the exception of the USAFA, the other two were set up in a time where there were not many civilian schools adequate to give the education coupled with the military training at that time. It was not until the Thompson Act when they had the ROTC programs set up. So it does beg a serious question, all politics and rhetoric aside. Are we getting the best bang for our buck now? I have heard from some academy officers anecdotally, say that they don’t think they receive much more of an education than a good state school like T A&M, VT, GT or others. If that’s the case would it be cheaper to offer complete full rides that cover everything they need to graduate a high end civilian school. I believe the Navy did an assessment and found that they could save 200K per student by simply giving them a scholarship to MIT, Harvard, Stanford, or like schools. If they are no longer being the elite officers that the academies envisioned them to be coupled with not being in a world class educational environment, it does seem like we could be pouring money into a failed… Read more »
No argument at all, and it’s entirely possible that they have outlived their usefulness, I was just saying that we should do a full housecleaning and reassessment before we throw the baby out with the bathwater, and base the decision on one shitbag… If it is what needs done, turn part of em into museums, and re purpose the rest.
I agree, and I would never suggest this course of action for this isolated incident. Its been a thought in my head for over a decade now. I have kind looked whole spectrum of the above, from the quality of education, to the overall conduct of affairs at these institutions.
But I am not going to lie that I am floored he would act this way while under the UCMJ. Academy cadets, unlike ROTC are under the UCMJ and are subject to a general court martial. He clearly could have received an Article 15 for this. But if something so severe that a cadet could get NJP, you would they would be subject to expulsion. In his case sent back to the regular Army under his enlisted status.
Either way he has dug himself a big hole. He doesn’t realize that if they did not give him NJP for the described insubordination, they might go ahead and bring him up on charges for that conduct with the current conduct in his little rants. He could be in some serious trouble.
What a shame to just flush your career down the drain so quickly and foolishly. I guess better now than later before he could do some serious damage.
I could never as a cadet fathom telling off any officer let alone a Lt Col. Shit I am a reserve Major now and I would never pop off to a Lt Col like that. WTF was this kid thinking?
I got blessed by being a Citadel graduate (shout out to TSO). Paid for mine but still had military training creds.
My first BN CO in the 82nd was a mustang and hated Academy guys and we had 6 of them, and me, in ’63. Actually all of them were good troops.
Not so much for the CPT WP’er that I relived as the BN S4 as a 1LT. Swore everything was great and since both of us had gone through a strict honor system, I believed him. Was that ever a mistake.
All institutions have a “normal distribution” of people: a few assholes; lots of normal folks; a few water walkers.
Upside is I bet you didn’t make that mistake as a Commander :).
Although I was in ROTC over 48 years ago, I know that either of these sworn statements would have put an end to my RA commission. I also know either of them would have killed my ever getting a top secret security clearance once on active duty. What the hell have the proglodytes done to our military?
In my experience (as little as it is) in the Army Reserve, Guard, and a wee bit o’ active duty; I have to say that regardless of the source of commission, a dirt bag is a dirt bag.
I have had the honor to work with mustangs, OCS, ROTC, and Academy graduates and found that I mostly mirror Starbux’ experience. Being an enlisted soldier first, I had a tendency to take USMA and non-prior service ROTC officers with a huge grain of salt. As time went on, and I grew up, I found out that what the person had in their heart and brain was WAAAAAAAAY more important than where their commission came from.
I have three sayings or mantras locked in my brain from the officers I learned the most from:
You Don’t Have to Remember the Truth (CPT M (U of MT ROTC))
Ya Done Good, but Ya Fucked Up (Same guy above)
YOU, as an officer, have a duty to say when something is Stupid and Fucked up, with that is another more important duty; to propose a valid solution to the issue at hand (A very well spoken CPT S, USMA ’77.
With apologies to Starbux and O4E; I still am thankful I was able to bail as an O3, most of the 04’s I worked for were more like the not so lamented Commissar.
LTC Heffington Netted Out:
Rapone is an adolescent @$$hole who has flawed arguments and won’t change … needs to go.
If anyone hasn’t gone to the link and read the entire statement, you need to do so. It is literally incredible. Rapone was blatantly disrespectful and insubordinate to a superior officer on multiple occasions and was known at the time to be an anti-American Communist. Yet he was allowed to remain at West Point, graduate, and receive a commission.
To describe the actions of the officers who allowed this to happen as moral cowardice and failed leadership would be a severe understatement. There needs to be a serious investigation to determine how this happened, who is responsible, and how deep the rot goes at West Point. And people need to be held accountable and have their careers ended.
Not holding my breath waiting for that to happen, unfortunately.
Agreed.
For those curious, the full sworn statement can be found at:
https://www.scribd.com/document/360708005/Heffington-Sworn-Statement-18-Nov-2015-Signed-2#from_embed
Wow, what an amazing statement that is… Truly the rot runs deep if they ignored that!
Wow, just wow. Can you imagine being witness to a cadet, or anyone for that matter, speaking to a LTC like that? I can’t imagine taking any crap like that from one of my troops, and I was just a junior NCO.
How did someone with this much contempt for authority make it through basic, infantry school, RASP, and the academy? How many people had to look away or ignore him? How did he get excused all along the route.
Who sent that arrogant little bastard all the way through the Academy?
Not sure what to say…..
Absolutely. Who received this report? That’s what needs to be revealed. Someone in a high position received this, read it….and did absolutely nothing. Talk about dereliction of duty.
His statement is like reading “Alice in Wonderland,” written by someone strung out on opiods. It is hard to believe that it’s all real…but sadly, it seems to be.
Given the way this case was (mis)handled, I wonder how much more we don’t know about this one http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=65718 and others…
Where is LTC Heffington? Recovering from a severe overdose caused by prolonged exposure to a thesaurus.
Oh, ha ha ha. Is that supposed to be funny? Do you have difficulty with people who are literate and whose vocabulary is somewhat larger than the end of your nose?
Don’t tell, let me guess.
You are one of that POS Rapone’s homies. Are you wearing a Che t-shirt, also?
he’s either retired or forced to retire. didnt see him listed.
shame- had the balls to something
He wasn’t forced to retire.
Think Rich was making a funny ExP, just without the /sark at the end. Hell, I have to google a good bit of your posts from time to time. /jarhead
I didn’t have any trouble understanding the LTC. He wrote in clear detail to lay out exactly what his encounters with this Rapone were like. He was taking all the room for speculation or interpretation out of it,as he should have.
So is this one of those “If you see something, say something, and we’ll ignore it”?
or “If you see something, say something and then we’ll put YOU on double secret probation”
And that’s the way it was probably working
For officers, based on the current POTUS and SECDEF’s ideology, if you say something, we’ll put “Center Mass” on your evaluations……
I bet LARS wants to date this commie bastard. Chelsea Manning style.
already defended him on facebook early on when this broke.
Wow unbelievable. Actually not. But what an asshat!
Why is that NOT a surprise?
Ranger School booted his ass.
Ranger Regiment booted his ass.
USMA graduated and commissioned him.
So perhaps the Rangers might be tasked to train and commission Officers. Or at the very least, to fumigate USMA.
Simply un-fucking-believable!
Where the fuck were the Honor Code bound classmates? How many cadets and cadre failed to say “no way! Over my dead fucking body do we commission this disreputable disloyal shitbag!”
The whole fucking class stood there with him at graduation! The class before passed him along.
Shut it down now. Start over.
Relieve for cause anyone who did this, or stood by for it.
Why? This is -not- the only one. This is just the awesomely -stupid- fucker that wanted to rub everyone’s nose in it.
I want the post-purge survivors to fucking -witch hunt- the ones that were smart Enough to stay invisible.
The fucking – Republic- is at stake if we let this go on. Shitbags like this then run out any decent folks, and then say goodbye to civilian and free rule.
Think I exaggerate? Look at Venezuela. That didn’t just happen one day, when everyone just said “hey, let’s try Marxism”.
“The Long March”.. he said it himself
Perhaps more than only the previous administration is to blame. Trends take time to develop; things do not change overnight.
Certainly. But as someone noted elsewhere in comments, left-leaning
gangs of naive fools and Fellow TravelersAdministrations ran DC for 16 out of the previous 24 years.Seems to me like that’s enough time to effect some degree of change.
That one photo of him with the message inside his cover was taken by someone else…obviously he had ‘Cadet Comrades’ there with him.
Are they being investigated too?
I mean, as a Petty Officer, had I witnessed that bullshit you can bet I’d have turned his ass in.
Then again, if a LTC can’t get him into a Article 15 situation what good would a 2nd Class PO?
Yep, LTC should have stomped a mudhole in his ass right then and there..
I rather doubt he was permitted to do so. Thus, the sworn statement.
USMA graduated that shutbag, openly and un-apologetically. They have disgraced themselves. The sanction should be severe.
With apologies to anyone from the USMA, my observations from out here have shown that it is pretty fucked up, and really needs to be turned off. The Prick Factory has some of the same problems, and frankly, what is the need for either of them? If this sort of thing is allowed, the service acadamies have stopped being useful. You have rules. You apply those rules. All the time, every time. This cocksucker is now going to be an officer in charge of troops and has very questionable judgement and loyalty. Frankly, were I one of his people, I would frag him.
I believe the good LtCol. has it right. The standard ‘angry young man” who has no idea what he’s angry about, just that he’s angry, and he’s going to do something about it.
I remember when I had all the answers too. Of course I was 15 at the time, and not in my fucking 20s.
Oh, I think that’s a bit shortsighted on your part, Mark Lauer. This wasn’t some teenager on a rebellious streak. Rapone was far past that point by the time he entered West Point as a cadet. His attitude is not that of someone who is simply the ‘angry young man’.
You need to go back and reread the report. Rapone was both unfit and unsuited for a position in US military leadership. He should have been shitcanned long before he was allowed to graduate.
Agree.. I think the LTC just included that line to cover all the bases, so he couldn’t reasonably be accused of bias
Yep, I think he was including that as a “this isn’t just a phase this dipshit is going through”.
Like too many millenials these days, they must be “outraged” by the current culture and are seeking out Counter-Cultures to join others who are similarly “outraged”.
They might have some “intelligence” but their wisdom meter is running at about 0.5.
Another case of “we knew all about him but failed to do anything about it” when someone makes negative headlines.
From the “In Case You Missed It” files,
Academy grads are being routinely found to be abusing their enlisted, sexually predating juniors, stealing, and getting away with most of it.
The toxic leadership model starts early. They are not born that way, they are molded, forged and refined to be that way.
Somewhere along the line, going to the Academies became a political favor (much like those Dept of State jobs for 3 name assholes from Ivy League schools) and the consequences have been terrible for our military–and likely the entire nation as well.
Back in the ’80s, Academy grads came in two types, excellent leaders and turds. The great ones dealt with the turds with a quickness. Over the past 10 or so years, most of them I have worked for and around are SJW turds so self absorbed they lie about PT tests, allow prostitution rings to exist, tolerate cliques and clubs within the units, and perjure themselves in front of congress…..
And people wonder where a Rapone comes from….
“Over the past 10 or so years, most of them I have worked for and around are SJW turds…”
I can see that, my CO in A-stan was a dyed-in-the-wool heart-on-the-sleeve Clintonista SJW and he was a Ringknocker.
Is it too late to revoke Rapone’s degree?
I do not know enough about West Point to know who to blame for allowing this complaint to go unaddressed, but what I’d like to see is those in the chain of command pushing them out until the Sergeant gets tired. Along with some time in the brig and a refund of salary for failure to execute their duty.
It’s like I said: how deep is the rot in this business? And did we just miss the bullet?
the rot is not “deep”. The entire structure is all rot.
Great officers are an accident these days. The Army rewards them by passing them over and forcing them out.
“Is it too late to revoke Rapone’s degree?”
I hope not and IMHO they need to find a way to make him reimburse the U.S. Army for the four year ride he got at the USMA! I hope they can and if they do, they’ll collect come hell or high water, DFAS does NOT play games when someone determines that you owe Uncle Sugar some money!
i want the degree revoked. its epic karma!!! he would have spent 4 years WASTING his time for nothing. And will be among those DISHONORED few that were kicked out, and every one knows why. its like dumbass whitgenfield and killer shovel guddick and kicked out of the SF Association. And all these worms can do is blame the reflection in the mirror for the fallout!
Joe Teti was also kicked out of the SFA, something only a handful of people have had done to them. As to Spenser Rapone (Google Hit!!), I still sincerely hope they decide to come after him for the expenses of his four years at the USMA!!
the answer to how this can happen is simple. The Military was under the Clinton and Obungler administration for 16 of the past 24 Years.
People were recruited, Commissioned, Promoted and assigned to billets as a social experiment, and any of the old school holdouts had to walk on eggshells so they wouldn’t offend some special snowflake and have a screeching leftist congress critter come after them.
The time for a purge is now.
“The time for a purge is now.”
Yes indeed!
This little chickenshit dreams of being the next Bob (master)Bateman. Or the next Commissar.
He probably wants to be the next John Kerry.
More likely he has grandiose ideas of himself as Valery Gerasimov, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Army.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valery_Gerasimov
If I had ever spoken to an officer like that I would have been swallowing my teeth. Seriously what the fuck is wrong with that LtCol?
He likely had his hands tied (figuratively) behind his back. That statement was the best he could do under the circumstances (and the administration at the time).
Its the new Army people, be all you can be, Army of One, free speech and individual rights.
You people are so 80’s
Its no longer the Army of Don’t ask Don’t tell,
Its the Army of Say it loud and say it proud.
I remember the days when you could stuff a Marine recruit in a dryer for a cycle or two and they didn’t leap off the roof over it.
Jelly doughnut anyone?
A JELLY DOUGHNUT!
ARE YOU ALLOWED TO BRING FOOD INTO THE BARRACKS PRIVATE PILE?
Maybe he ain’t the fat boy, but this shitbird certainly deserves a few bad dreams.
Sugar Packets! No one would be that dumb to bring food out of the chow hall! Besides, jelly donuts are too squishy!
Is chow allowed in the barracks, Private Pyle?!
-SIR NO SIR!
Are you allowed to eat jelly doughtnuts, Private Pyle?!?!
-SIR NO SIR!
Why not, Private Pyle?
-SIR, BECAUSE I’M TOO HEAVY SIR!
Because you are a DISGUSTING FATBODY!
Don’t forget the TIMEOUT cards they apparently were able to flash at the Drill Sergeants in Basic because they were “feeling stressed.”
I’m still trying to come to grips with that one.
The “rot” runs deep, but not just in the Army. It is pervasive throughout American society, IMO.
Excuse me but – TIMEOUT CARDS?????????
What in the blue-eyed voltsucking world are you talking about, OldSodier54?
You know what a timeout card would get you in WAVES boot camp in 1967? 10 days in detention while they “evaluated” you – something like that. I knew someone who went missing for 10 days. No explanation.
I’ve never seen one and I just retired in 2015…
Basic in 1987, retired in 2012, never saw one
Our paths may have crossed sometime. 25W here.
Could be…I was a 29V before the Dark Towers screwed up the Signal Force…LOL
86-10 heard rumors about the other branches having them, but never saw one
Funny story about stress cards. My brother in law and I, both Marines of the 70’s and 80’s, took my dad to a China Marine reunion in DC in 2003. They took us to the Sunset Tattoo at 8th & I. We had a young Lance Corporal as our guide and he mentioned a stress card. Oh the looks on those old Marines faces could have written volumes. My dad, in the early stages of dementia, asked if the Marine Crops turned into a bunch of pussies. I kind of felt sorry for the kid.
Please note that every testimony here specifies they “heard” about this card, but no one ever actually saw or received one.
This supports what I’ve read elsewhere, that it’s an urban myth.
I heard about those in the nineties during The Clinton Curse. During my time in Engineer OSUT you were allowed to go see the Chaplain to get your tough shit card punched and made up for the lost time via an extra shift of fire watch that night.
I ran across a retired Drill SGT in the late 80’s or early 90’s who told me about the “stress card.” I could not believe it. I can’t imagine what MSG Brinker would have done at Ranger School if someone tried to give him a stress card. At the time, I thought he ate a pound of nails for breakfast. Just having him talk to you scared the shit out of you.
I heard stories abou those in the mid to late 90s and those sharing them with me basically said that with that crap in place, Permanent party Units were forced to finish those kids’ AIT for them.
MSG Brinker? Naw …. you MUST be talking about SFC Swackhammer. Sheesh — he looked just like his name!
Brinker was the real deal. He lost a leg from a wound on a recon mission with MACV/SOG.
I don’t usually put a lot of stock in “Snopes,” but they did address this years ago and I tend to think they reported it accurately…
http://www.snopes.com/military/stresscards.asp
Ah, I see now. Stress Cards actually got their start in the Navy.
Figures./s
(Runs and Hides from the many ass kickings snide comments like this are sure to produce.)
Yeah, but the legend was that Army became Creampuffs. 🙂
This was a rumor, with just enough fact to make people believe it.
https://www.stripes.com/blogs-archive/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/follow-up-visit-the-rumor-doctor-s-dissertation-on-stress-cards-1.155850#.Wde8u7AUnxg
Ahhh … good catch.
Makes more sense than just “Stress Cards.”
When I first started getting security clearances, there were definite questions about Communists and communism. I don’t remember the questions from 2004, but I still have the questionnaire I filled out for my latest (and last) clearance from 2014. Not one mention of the C word. Just some vaguely worded affirmation that you don’t seek to over throw the US Govt by violence or are a member of a terrorist organization.
Times have changed.
Communism murdered about 100 Million people in the last century. If that is not terrorism on a grand scale then what is it?
Word.
COMMUNISM killed a mere 120+ million people during the 20th Century and we still have leftard idiots who want to give it just one more chance.
As Lars says, “don’t fear the commie”
Did someone say “Don’t Fear the Commie”?
I agree, Communism should be considered hostile, but apparently not any more.
If that is a real statement that LTC needs to get the sand out of his mangina. Seriously, letting some junior talk to him in that fashion and then writing it up in a statement like some limp wristed milquetoast? Weak.
Before you jump on my pills API, I haven’t replaced that combo cover from last time yet. just so you know.
It’s all good, W2, I myself am half past damn astounded as to WHY THE HELL that episode didn’t get him thrown the mudda-fuck OUT of the USMA?
LTC Heffington probably remembered that the Army takes a helluva dim view of officers getting into a physical altercation with junior personnel (or peers or seniors, for that matter). He likely decided beating the hell out of the little sh!t wasn’t worth risking his career.
Personally, I think he showed admirable restraint. I’m guessing that Rapone was trying to goad him into doing something stupid with witnesses nearby – and he had the self-control to not fall for it.
100% agree. He was daring Lt.Col. Heffington to lose his temper and do something that would get him in hot water.
Commies love to goad people who oppose them into doing something they can exploit.
…but if it’s something done out of sight, around a corner, behind the dumpster in the alley and no surveillance cams anywhere, well, then it’s his word against whoever did it.
I wonder what would happen to Repo Rapone if he ran into a couple of anonymous people who would take delight in pounding his arrogant ass into the ground… just wondering, that’s all.
I’d pay good money to see that, and even more to be involved.
He didn’t have to jack the guy up physically, but he definitely shouldn’t”t have argued with the guy as he spelled out in his limp wrist statement (if all this is true). End the conversation once that smart ass started running his suck, order him to return to his room, and in the morning use the full force of the UCMJ to ruin his life for a while
Maybe the service academies need some crusty old senior NCO’s to “assist” the officer cadre. I’m thinking that would unfuck a lot of cadet problems.
^^^word^^^
Those behind the barracks “counseling” sessions used to work wonders with the wayward yutes, back in the pre-proglodyte days.
you know, the Israelis don’t commission from school…they require…ahem…actual experience.
Of course, they also don’t have 3 dress uniforms and a million pieces of bling to put on them…
This turd would never pass the gateways in that Army…
That and allow them to conduct Wall to Wall Counseling Sessions with little shits like Spenser Rapone.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2DzXFEPUwBo/Txg5eLVaspI/AAAAAAAADiE/fGwxqiFXMJY/s1600/Lou+Gosset+Jr.+An+Officer+and+a+Gentleman.PNG
I’m trying to imagine what the reaction of my SDI, GySgt Wood, would have been to that kind of disrespect shown to a field grade officer. It would not have been pleasant for the commie shitbird.
I am reasonably certain that Drill Sergeant Nua would have taken this boil-filling and bounced him off wall, ceiling, wall, and floor, until his arms grew tired.
There are plenty of NCOs at USMA for that very purpose.
Well now, isn’t this little red snowflake a precious bit of work?
They could have thrown the little shit out for say, Insubordination and Conduct Unbecoming a Cadet THEN, why the hell didn’t they?
Look at the date on the statement…..I think it would be hard during that period when the Administration of the time was all about “inclusiveness”…even for commie puke bags…..he would have screamed “Its because Im not a capitalist”….honor my ass; he has none.
Unfortunately I have to say I think you’re right.
Yup. Confirmed shitbag.
Obvious someone was watching his ass and helping him get through. Probably other commies that aren’t exposed yet. The deeper they dig on this turd the more turds they are going to find no doubt about it. .
Yup, its like finding one termite…you know there are going to be a lot more weakening your structure.
There are several who are/were his associates and FB friends. . .
Spenser?
The spelling alone is a giant clue.
If it matters, then why have they not relieved him and sent him packing? Buddy Fucker.
I’d say they’re keeping him close to keep a weather eye on him and his shenanigans.
Hold your friends close, your enemies closer. – proverb.
The way I see this is the LTC did report the cadet’s behavior as unacceptable, and filed the report properly. Followed procedure. Nothing happened, nothing followed, from higher up. Apparently, Repo Rapone wasn’t considered to be anything but a loud-mouthed blatherskite at the time. Considering the tolerance by the USMA of those young women who did the “black power” fist photo, the command structure was knuckling under to an agenda from higher up.
I’d say it’s time to clean house up there. I would like to know why such unacceptable behavior was let go. We haven’t seen anything like that yet from Annapolis, have we? Or have we? Does it mean students at USNA-Annapolis are watched more closely, or just to busy to be wankers?
Been a while since I was at USNA, but I can tell you that its proximity to DC means its under a microscope most of the time and they know it. I don’t know about the current climate there, so I can’t speculate.
As for cleaning house, it may warrant a hard look for leadership at the faculty of all service academies. I believe the Army is taking a look into his student advisor. But closing down the academies would be a mistake.
I was a Marine Mustang and I don’t think any one commissioning source or institution of higher learning is inherently better than the other as far as producing good officers and in fact, I think a mix (including academies) is actually very important in producing diverse leaders.
I served with some very fine ring knockers and some turds including one prick who was devastated when I got augmented and he did not. Same thing goes for ROTC, VMI, The Citidel, ECP, LDO etc.
We need to clean house at the academies but I am not in favor of throwing the baby out with the bath water. If you think West Point and Annapolis are out of control I fail to see the advantage of closing them and sending everyone to solely civilian universities where his type of behavior is openly lauded.
A high profile investigation, public sacking of the toxic leadership that allowed this to happen and even a thorough vetting of Rapone’s peers at the academy is in order but the basic reason behind having military academies is even more important today than it was when they were founded IMO.
This is what happens when the President hates his own country and appoints radical leftist fellow travelers into the military command structure. Is there any doubt now about what Obama and the Democrats really are that an out and out America hating Communist was allowed to graduate West Point? This is how subversion is conducted.
“when the President hates his own country”
What is “his country”?
Joe McCarthy was a prophet.
All I can say is this guy is more interested in getting attention and being the center of it than anything else. Keep him in the Army at E-1 or E-0 for the six years he owes taxpayers and put him with some really ornery USMC DI, or worse. Make him clean heads/latrines, give him permanent burn pit duty, and make it plain that he is not to be spoken to or consorted with until further notice.
If no that, put him on a ship out at sea, within the boundary waters and drop food to him once a month. Any of you slackers ever read ‘Man Without a Country’? I read that in 7th grade. No contact, period, for life.
Works for me!
… and yes, I believe I did read it.
I look at some of the menagerie now graduating from the academies and wonder and they just keep on coming.
I also think how totally disdainful some academy grads are regarding those of us who entered the military via ROTC/OCS route and think of how grateful I did.
I served throughout Vietnam + and am a Navy brat and do not regret for one minute I am one of those pathetic OCS grads.
As for me, I’d take an OCS Grad with Enlisted time under their belts over a cherry 2LT fresh out of college ANYTIME, Academy Grad or not!