The U.S. Army announced Tuesday it was investigating a West Point graduate who publicly posted to social media several photos advocating communism, including several that featured him wearing his alma mater’s uniform.
West Point swiftly responded to the posts as they spread rapidly across social media, making clear the messages posted by Second Lieutenant Spenser Rapone "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," West Point wrote in a statement. "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."
In one photo posted to twitter this week, Rapone is holding a military cap with the message "Communism Will Win" scrawled on the inside. A second photo features Rapone wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform with the the Argentine communist revolutionary's iconic mantra, "Hasta la victoria siempre," posted below.
#VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/3jnCtawvHc
— Commie Bebop🌹 (@punkproletarian) September 24, 2017
In case there was any lingering doubt, hasta la victoria siempre pic.twitter.com/0XrW38wcCk
— Commie Bebop🌹 (@punkproletarian) September 25, 2017
Several of Rapone's messages feature the hashtag "Veterans for Kaepernick," referring to the former 49ers quarterback who sparked the movement of players taking a knee during the National Anthem in protest of racial injustice.
Rapone also boasts his communist views in his twitter bio, referring to himself as a "commie" and member of the Democratic Socialists of America Veterans Working Group.