If you’re a veteran like me, you will find it increasingly more difficult to watch the news. Lately, as current events pertain to the military, however, it’s becoming almost unbearable to witness the crumbling of the beloved nation we once donned the uniform to preserve and protect.
If you follow The Daily Wire, you know I recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woke-u-s-military-more-dangerous-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote an article</a> addressing my concerns that a sense of “wokeness” is seeping into America’s armed forces. It is a seemingly conscious effort to chip away at American nationalism. This relentless shift to the Left is distracting our military from focusing on its true mission, which is to protect our homeland through lethal projection of power and the willingness to use this power if necessary.
With this said, imagine my dismay, along with many other veterans, when I read that the United States Military Academy at West Point is dropping the patriotic edict “Duty, Honor, Country” from its mission statement in favor of the more politically correct “Preserving Army Values.” At first, I thought it was “fake news” as I simply refused to believe that such an about face on American patriotism was taking place at one of the nation’s oldest and most revered military academies. To my dismay, as The Daily Wire has since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/west-point-removes-duty-honor-country-from-mission-statement-replaces-with-army-values" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a>, the initial report I read was, in fact, correct. 
I am not the only veteran in my family. My father served in the Korean War, First Marines, wounded in combat, whose hero was General Douglas MacArthur. Although not popular among the rank and file, my father always admired that MacArthur, an army chauvinist to the core, nevertheless chose his First Marine Division as the spearpoint for his brilliant Inchon landing behind communist lines in 1950 that saved South Korea from tyranny. And so, many of MacArthur’s dicta rang true with him. 
One of the General’s mantras was the hallowed West Point rallying cry of “Duty, Honor, Country.” Indeed, though my father was a hard man who’d seen war up close, who suffered personal loss during his life, the only time I ever saw him weep was when we watched the movie “MacArthur” and actor Gregory Peck recites to a group of actually assembled West Point cadets, the eponymous character’s final speech to his beloved academy in 1962, two years before his death. Audio recordings of the General’s actual speech can also be found on YouTube. It wasn’t the acting so much as the words, spoken verbatim, that so deeply affected my combat veteran father.
In his moving elocution, the old warrior again and again reverts to the three sublime words as the bedrock standards upon which they should base their future conduct as America’s first line of defense: “Duty, Honor, Country.” 
Says MacArthur, 
<blockquote>…great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a ten-fold beacon in the night &#8211; Duty, Honor, Country. 
You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come-the great captains who hold the nation’s destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds. The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words &#8211; Duty, Honor, Country.</blockquote>
To a member of the U.S. Armed Forces, this sacred credo is the summation of who, why, and what we serve. They are calls to commitment, morality, and belief in the national interest above the self. Indeed, no better words can sum up the ethos of the American fighting man and woman. 
And now these words which stood as a beacon in an institution that for over two centuries has produced some of the world’s most gifted captains have been scrubbed from the walls of the academy like so much politically incorrect graffiti.
During MacArthur’s soliloquy — a framed copy of which my father kept prominently displayed in our family room — the importance the great strategist and former West Point superintendent placed on those three words &#8220;Duty, Honor, Country&#8221; made an indelible mark on my psyche. So much so that offering my life up for military service was an easy decision. To this day, those three words still inspire me with a deep sense of American nationalism whenever I revisit them: “Duty, Honor, Country.” 
Now, I find that this new, progressive group of Army bureaucrats — I won’t call them generals because that is a title worthy of respect and admiration — who are “facilitating” West Point, not leading, are actually uprooting every fiber of the patriotic base that made West Point the wellspring from which the desire to preserve our American Constitution flows. Words have meaning; they inspire feelings, thoughts, and conduct. As such, to sterilize the powerful message found in those three words “Duty, Honor, Country” with a sanitized, anodyne PowerPoint slogan such as “Respect Army Values” is a blight against every patriot who died for this country, from Nathan Hale to the Unknown Soldier.
Words can inspire, and an inspired enemy is difficult to control and is capable of extraordinary bravery. The Left understands quite well that language can be a powerful tool of indoctrination. It is not by chance that our children no longer start off their school days by first reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Again, rousing words lead to extraordinary deeds, and evil people, who are trying to usurp a good and free nation, know this. Taking away the loyalty oath of “Duty, Honor, Country” has a desired, debilitating effect. I doubt very much, that the men who fought their way to the summit of Mount Suribachi to plant the flag atop Iwo Jima had the words “Army Values” running through their minds as the fierce battle raged around them. But they knew their purpose, they knew why they were fighting, and they knew for whom they were willing to continue engaging in a life-and-death struggle for freedom. It was their duty to honor their fallen comrades in order to save the country they loved so dearly. Again, I don’t see where saying “Army Values” would have motivated anyone to risk their lives for a nation that from grade school to even our military academies they are being taught to disdain.
No doubt, many a G.I. over many battlefields has garnered intestinal fortitude by whispering to themselves those same three words “Duty, Honor, Country” before lining up for the charge into the hell of enemy fire. The concept that “Army Values” could inspire such valor at a time when an American soldier needs it most in order to ensure a continuation of our free way of life under the Constitution is ludicrous and laughable on its face, and frankly insulting and offensive. “Army Values” indeed.
With every waking moment of his or her day, a West Point cadet is reminded that he or she is an integral part of The Corps whose core values were, &#8220;Duty, Honor, Country.&#8221; A cadet can take solace in the knowledge that the shiver of motivation he or she feels running down their spine is a natural outgrowth of such inspiring words. That is, until today!
If you had read one of my other articles about the reactions us boomer vets and myself were having to President Biden threatening to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/extreme-prejudice-at-the-texas-border" target="_blank" rel="noopener">call out the National Guard</a> on the Texas border agents, you will remember that we regularly debate this nation’s policies as we sit in the waiting rooms of the VA hospitals. The same scenario will happen the next time I show up at my VA, and I’m almost certain I can gauge what will be the reaction to the extreme alteration to West Point’s point mission statement.
In 1917, the Espionage Act was passed after the United States entered World War I. It was followed by the Sedition Act of 1918. Both of these pieces of legislation were designed to incriminate individuals who attempted to impede the war effort. Those who did so were punished since they were believed to be performing acts of anti-patriotism.
I can tell you with no uncertainty, that during the next discussion I have with a fellow vet, we will be deliberating who we feel is responsible for removing West Point’s more than a century-old motto. My conclusion would be that the individual bureaucrat in uniform, or even the entire committee if the decision were made in this manner, should be stripped of his/her rank(s) and brought before a court martial to face charges of sedition in accordance with the Espionage and Sedition Acts.
After all, unlike &#8220;Duty, Honor, Country,&#8221; these words are still on the books.
* * *
Brian Schaeffer served as a Naval aviator until his honorable discharge in 1985 with the rank of Lieutenant. Lt. Schaeffer has been in both the shipping business and involved in real estate ever since re-entering civilian life. Prior to heading off to Aviation Reserve Officers Corps, he graduated with honors from Indiana University, Bloomington.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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‘Duty, Honor, Country’: Political Correctness At West Point Leaves Our Military Distracted From Its True Mission

'Duty, Honor, Country': Political Correctness At West Point Leaves Our Military Distracted From Its True Mission

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The mission statement of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/west-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Point</a> will no longer include the words “duty, honor, country,” as the over 220-year-old military academy choses to adopt a new mission statement based on “Army Values.”
The military academy <a href="https://www.westpoint.edu/news/press-releases/west-point-mission-statement-update-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the proposed change on Monday, saying that the edits to the decades-old mission statement have already been approved by the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff. West Point will still retain “duty, honor, country,” as the academy’s motto, saying that the changes to the mission statement came after a year and a half long assessment.
West Point&#8217;s new mission statement will be: “To build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation.”
The academy explained the change by saying that it was part of routine examination of the mission of the institution.
“Our responsibility to produce leaders to fight and win our nation&#8217;s wars requires us to assess ourselves regularly,” West Point said. “Thus, over the past year and a half, working with leaders from across West Point and external stakeholders, we reviewed our vision, mission, and strategy to serve this purpose. We believe our mission binds the Academy to the Army — the Army in which our cadets will serve.”
The mission statement has been changed nine times before and the lines “duty, honor, country,” were added in 1998.
“It defines who we are as an institution and as graduates of West Point,” the statement said. “These three hallowed words are the hallmark of the cadet experience and bind the Long Gray Line together across our great history.”
The news that West Point was changing its mission statement was criticized by some conservatives who said it was another example of the military’s mission drift.
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&#8220;The elimination of &#8216;Duty, Honor, Country&#8217; from West Point’s mission statement is a direct reflection of undesirable shifts in our service academies,&#8221; Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/1768659580551115069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;The values that have led generations should not be erased to appeal to the cultural moment.&#8221;
&#8220;Wow! #WestPoint announcing they’ve gone full globalist,&#8221; commentator Rachel Campos Duff <a href="https://twitter.com/RCamposDuffy/status/1768088990131847678" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. &#8220;Purposely tanking recruitment of young Americans patriots to make room for the illegal mercenaries.&#8221;
&#8220;West Point has dropped ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ from its mission statement and replaced it with the more generic ‘Army Values,'&#8221; conservative think tank Center for Renewing America said. &#8220;Is allegiance to country no longer a requirement for U.S. military service?&#8221;

DOD Secretary Lloyd Austin Presides Over West Point Commencement Ceremony

West Point Removes ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ From Mission Statement, Replaces With ‘Army Values’

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Students for Fair Admissions, the group that brought the lawsuit to the Supreme Court that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-issues-landmark-ruling-on-affirmative-action-at-universities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ended affirmative action</a> for admissions at colleges, is now targeting West Point military academy, filing a lawsuit asserting the academy discriminates against white applicants.
The SCOTUS ruling written by Chief Justice John Roberts that ended affirmative action exempted military academies; Roberts wrote a footnote that military academies had “potentially distinct interests.”
“For most of its history, West Point has evaluated cadets based on merit and achievement,” the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/1ab01e56-458f-4df8-94f4-338d720fed51.pdf?itid=lk_inline_manual_18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lawsuit</a> — filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York — notes. “For good reasons: America’s enemies do not fight differently based on the race of the commanding officer opposing them, soldiers must follow orders without regard to the skin color of those giving them, and battlefield realities apply equally to all soldiers regardless of race, ethnicity, or national origin.”
After pointing out that President Harry Truman desegregated the military, the lawsuit charges, “Over the past few decades, however, West Point has strayed from that approach. Instead of admitting future cadets based on objective metrics and leadership potential, West Point focuses on race. In fact, it openly publishes its racial composition ‘goals,’ and its director of admissions brags that race is wholly determinative for hundreds if not thousands of applicants.”
“West Point has no justification for using race-based admissions,” the lawsuit declares. “Those admissions are unconstitutional for all other public institutions of higher education.”
The lawsuit mentions two prospective candidates for West Point, both white, who joined Students for Fair Admissions in the lawsuit because they supports its mission. Both have excellent grade point averages, are in excellent physical condition, have family members who served in the military, and believe it would be an honor to serve their country.
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“Unless West Point is ordered to stop using race as a factor in admissions, his race will prevent him from competing for admission on an equal footing,” the lawsuit states of each candidate, adding that each preferred to remain pseudonymous, “because he is a high-school student, and he fears reprisal from West Point and others if his participation in this litigation becomes public.”
President Joe Biden has urged the military to continue filtering applications by race.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL: SEP 08 Liberty at Army

Group That Ended Affirmative Action Admissions At Colleges Sues West Point, Claims Discrimination Against Whites

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<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/west-point" target="_blank" rel="noopener">West Point</a> has begun to remove monuments and references that “commemorate or memorialize the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/confederacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Confederacy</a>,” the academy announced last week. 
The 220-year-old U.S. military academy said it had begun a “multi-phase” process over the holiday break to remove all 13 references and monuments that West Point says honor the Confederacy, including a portrait and bust of former West Point Superintendent Gen. Robert E. Lee, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/25/politics/west-point-to-remove-confederate-monuments/index.html">reported</a>. The removal is in response to an October order from the Department of Defense (DOD) mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act. 
“During the holiday break, we will begin a multi-phased process, in accordance with Department of Defense (DoD) directives, to remove, rename or modify assets and real property at the United States Military Academy (USMA) and West Point installation that commemorate or memorialize the Confederacy or those who voluntarily served with the Confederacy,” Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland <a href="https://www.westpoint.edu/naming-commission-report/superintendents-message">wrote</a> in a letter to the West Point community. 
Along with Lee’s portrait and bust, West Point is also replacing a quote from the southern general that is displayed at the campus’ Honor Plaza. Gilland wrote that a committee will determine a new quote that will replace Lee’s quote by the spring of 2023. 
At least three roads and three buildings on campus named after those who fought for the Confederacy will also be renamed by the spring of next year.
Lee’s portrait that was on display in the library will be moved to storage at the West Point Museum, while Lee’s bust is being moved to other storage, the general explained. A bronze triptych that <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19nhxKfBungsgL1d157vjDUdAlk4V-8g8/view" target="_blank" rel="noopener">includes</a> Lee and other Confederate soldiers along with the words “Ku Klux Klan” will also be sent to storage “until a more suitable location is determined.”
“We will conduct these actions with dignity and respect,” Gilland wrote. 
A massive outcry against Confederate monuments hit the nation following the death of George Floyd in May of 2020, resulting in numerous statues being taken down. In September of 2021, the largest Confederate monument on display in the U.S., a statue of Lee, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/largest-confederate-statue-in-u-s-comes-down-in-virginia">taken down</a> in Richmond, Virginia. 
Earlier this month, the city of Richmond <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/city-digs-up-remains-of-confederate-general-after-taking-down-statue">dug up</a> the remains of Confederate General A.P. Hill as it continues to purge Confederate symbols and monuments from public spaces.

Portrait of Robert E. Lee

West Point Begins Removing Confederate Monuments From Campus; Robert E. Lee Portrait And Bust Cleared Out

West Point Begins Removing Confederate Monuments From Campus, Including Robert E. Lee Portrait

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The United States Army&#8217;s military academy at West Point is reportedly teaching several left-wing classes as part of a Marxist indoctrination system, a military official said.
The Washington Times <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/aug/11/west-point-teaching-marxism/">reported</a> Wednesday on three classes future officers are taking at the academy (emphasis added):
<blockquote>Three classes in particular at the academy are being taught with what critics say is the goal of social engineering and politicization of the 4,294 cadets: “Social Inequality,” “Military Leadership: Leading Inclusive Teams” and “Politics of Race Gender and Sexuality and Diversity.” </blockquote>
West Point also offers a seminar on &#8220;diversity and inclusion that features images of Black Lives Matter protesters,&#8221; the report noted.
The military official told the Times, “All of those classes are primarily focused on teaching our nation’s young men and women Marxism in the name of ‘social equality.’”
In July, Lynne Chandler García, an associate professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/06/military-academies-should-teach-critical-race-theory/">penned</a> an opinion piece in The Washington Post, titled “I’m a professor at a U.S. military academy. Here’s why I teach critical race theory.”
In response, Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) sent a letter to the acting secretary of the Air Force demanding the removal of the professor. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/for-the-sake-of-our-national-security-gop-congressman-demands-end-of-crt-at-military-academies-in-letter-calling-for-professors-removal">The Daily Wire</a> reported:
<blockquote>
Green, a West Point graduate himself, <a href="https://markgreen.house.gov/_cache/files/0/6/0678f814-cf07-4c78-ab94-f82ca601d5b5/F506EB8ACDCCC9F84BD2B7CDFA4CA116.rep-markgreen-letter-to-sec-air-force---crt.pdf">wrote</a> to Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth, saying that “Professor Lynne Chandler García’s full-throttled attack on our country and her support for Critical Race Theory render her unqualified to teach in one of our prestigious military academies.”
“How are our future Air Force leaders supposed to take an oath to defend the Constitution if they are being taught that it is racist and promotes inequality?” he asked.
“As a graduate of West Point and Army veteran, I know firsthand what is taught at these service academies leaves a lasting impact. It was at West Point where I first raised my right hand and took the oath to defend our Constitution,” he wrote. “My professors there taught me the importance of serving our nation — both in uniform and in public office.”
“Teaching our next generation that our country is fundamentally racist is not only propagandizing lies about our great nation, it will also undoubtedly leave an impact on our nation’s Armed Forces and national security,” he added. “If we want servicemembers who are proud to defend this country, we must not denigrate the very principles upon which it was founded. Making them ashamed of their country will only decrease morale, retention, and unit cohesion.”
He added, “Critical Race Theory teaches that the only way to right past racial discrimination is with present racial discrimination. This teaching is utterly incompatible with the principles in the Declaration of Independence and the Civil Rights Movement — not to mention illegal. Our country already lived through a horrific era when people were judged by the color of their skin rather than by the content of their character — we must never go back to this way of thinking.”
</blockquote>
“If we allow this destructive ideology to be taught in our Military Service Academies, we will be responsible for this nation’s demise. Professor García must be removed from her teaching position,” Green emphasized, demanding the end of teaching Critical Race Theory in military service academies “for the sake of our national security.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/for-the-sake-of-our-national-security-gop-congressman-demands-end-of-crt-at-military-academies-in-letter-calling-for-professors-removal">‘For The Sake Of Our National Security:’ GOP Congressman Demands End Of CRT At Military Academies In Letter Calling For Professor’s Removal</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/army-investigating-west-point-command-sergeant-who-reportedly-slammed-trump-on-twitter">Army Investigating West Point Command Sergeant Who Reportedly Slammed Trump On Twitter</a>

Biden Delivers Commencement Address At US Military Academy At West Point

West Point Teaching ‘Marxism,’ Military Official Says; Left-Wing Courses Revealed

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Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would ban U.S. Military Service Academies from teaching Critical Race Theory (CRT).
Green, a West Point alumni and Iraq war veteran, called CRT a “Marxist ideology” that will undermine the ability’s core mission to protect America.
“Critical Race Theory is based on a massive and purposeful misunderstanding of the American founding, American history, and America as it exists today. This is a Marxist ideology created to tear American institutions down. It teaches Americans and members of the Armed Services to judge one another by the color of their skin instead of by the “content of their character.” America should never go back to this kind of thinking. A curriculum based on Critical Race Theory seeks to divide Americans instead of unite them,” Green said in <a href="https://markgreen.house.gov/2021/5/rep-green-introduces-bill-to-block-critical-race-theory-training-in-us-military-service-academies">a press release</a> for his bill. “The United States military service academies are designed to train leaders and warriors for combat—men and women of every race, creed, and religion. Critical Race Theory’s divisiveness will destroy the unit cohesion necessary to win in combat and defend this nation.”
Green’s office also pointed out that Service Academies have implemented CRT due to pressure from the Pentagon, with some Academies even adding Diversity and Inclusion as a minor.
The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/military-service-academies-go-woke/">reported</a> in April that West Point had been using “anti-racist” teaching tools and admissions practices. The outlet found that one reading list included the work of Ibram X. Kendi, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Nikole Hannah-Jones, all well-known critical race theorists. Kendi wrote the book, “How to be an Antiracist,” while Hannah-Jones created The New York Times’ much-criticized “1619 Project.”
“Internal documents also showed the military academy stressed the importance of diversity and inclusion to remain appealing to ‘America&#8217;s younger generation’ and competitive with other elite institutions that have embraced critical race theory,” the Free Beacon reported. “Critical race theory extends beyond military academies into branches of the armed forces. A recent U.S. Navy reading list for officers and sailors <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/navy-reading-list-includes-anti-racism-book-for-sailors/">included</a> books on ‘anti-racism,’ the criminal justice system, and gender politics.”
As The Daily Wire has reported, numerous state legislatures have passed or introduced bills to ban CRT from public schools. At the end of April, Idaho’s governor became the first to actually <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/first-in-nation-idahos-republican-gov-signs-bill-banning-critical-race-theory">sign a bill</a> banning CRT. Similar bills have passed in Arkansas, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-passes-tennessee-state-house-prohibiting-critical-race-theory-in-public-schools">Tennessee</a>, and Utah. The Oklahoma House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass a bill that would do the same. State Sen. Shane Jett previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/oklahoma-state-senators-introduce-bill-to-ban-critical-race-theory-from-public-schools-and-universities">told</a> The Daily Wire that CRT is just Marxism using race in place of class.
“Using race instead of the traditional Marxist strategy of trying to pit classes against one another based on socioeconomic issues, they’ve chosen race which is immutable. You can’t change the color of your skin,” Jett said. “You can, in a meritorious system where we reward those who work hard and innovate, you can change your socioeconomic status by creating wealth by innovation, but you can’t change the color of your skin. So, they’ve chosen something that they’re using to create chaos to create a narrative that says your form of government doesn’t work.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) took his own action, directing the state’s education department to ban CRT from public schools, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-takes-on-critical-race-theory-teaching-kids-to-hate-their-country-not-worth-one-red-cent-of-taxpayer-money">reported</a>.

Mark Green

Republican Introduces Bill To Ban Critical Race Theory From Being Taught In Military Service Academies

The U.S. Army, alerted that the command sergeant major of U.S. Military Academy, West Point reportedly violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) by tweeting criticism of former President Donald Trump — and also targeted Republican Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan — has commenced an investigation.
According to the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2021/01/21/army-investigation-sergeant-major-west-point-accused-trolling-elected-officials-president-twitter/">Daily Caller</a>, an Army official confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the actions of Sergeant Maj. Michael J. Coffey, who has served as command sergeant major at West Point since 2020.
“In response to a tweet from Vice President Kamala Harris, a Twitter account with the handle @mjcoff02 going by ‘Michael J.’ posted, ‘As a service member with 28 years active duty and multiple combat deployments, I spent every day wondering what my Commander in Chief would do to me and my unit. I have not slept well for the last 4 years. I’m sleeping soundly tonight,’” the Daily Caller noted.
One recent tweet from the handle @mjcoff02 was a reply to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s tweet in which four Iranian leaders were pictured, including Ayatollah Khamenei, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, Brigadier Gen. Esmail Ghani, the man who replaced terrorist master Qassem Soleimani as leader of the Quds force. Pompeo tweeted, “Let’s talk Iran. The men in these photos threaten America and Israel nearly every day.”
The @mjcoff02 account responded, “Add Trump to the photo and then it’ll be correct.”
The Daily Caller reported that a Twitter user conducted a lengthy conversation with the @mjcoff02 account, “identifying him multiple times as former command sergeant major of the Army’s Third Infantry Division (3rd ID) and as current senior enlisted at West Point. Shortly following the identifying tweets, ‘Michael J.’ deleted his account.&#8221;
Army Lt. Col. Christopher Ophardt, Director of Public Affairs and Communications at the U.S. Military Academy, informed the Daily Caller, “West Point takes all allegations of impropriety seriously and will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter.”
In a profile of Coffey published on the U.S. Army <a href="https://www.army.mil/article/239365/new_usma_senior_enlisted_leader_makes_people_his_first_priority">website</a> in September 2020, Coffey stated, “I believe in doing the right things the right way. If you communicate, if you’re present and you’re a team player, you can get through almost anything and you will be a valued member of the team. … We have to make sure that everyone is a part of a squad, that they are not alone and that someone is there for them. This is a crucial element on how we combat racism, extremism, sexual harassment, assault and suicide.”
“Everyone who steps foot on West Point who has anything to do with anything here, I consider that part of my responsibility,” Coffey continued. “I also have an inherent responsibility for the professional development of noncommissioned officers to help with the management of enlisted Soldiers. I am also always responsible for the members of my squad which includes the Supe, the Chief, the XO, aides, civilian secretaries, etc. … What I’m really armed with now is greater empathy of what our Soldiers are going through during COVID. A Soldier will not have to convince me about their issues because I have been through it. The truest power of the noncommissioned officer is that we have the experience. We’ve been through it all.”

President Trump Speaks At West Point Graduation Ceremony

Army Investigating West Point Command Sergeant Who Reportedly Slammed Trump On Twitter

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