The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. military released a memo on Tuesday reminding troops of their oath to the Constitution as investigations are underway to identify former and active-duty soldiers who may have taken part in last week’s riot at the Capitol.
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According to the New York Times, the memo condemned the events that transpired last week as “a direct assault on the U.S. Congress, the Capitol building and our constitutional process.” The letter was signed by all eight military leaders, including Army General Mark A. Milley, head of the chiefs of staff.
“As we have done throughout our history, the U.S. military will obey lawful orders from civilian leadership, support civil authorities to protect lives and property, ensure public safety in accordance with the law, and remain fully committed to protecting and defending the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” the one-page memo read.
The memo comes as investigations continue into just how many active and former members of the armed forces participated in last week’s failed insurrection. The Department of Justice is reported to be investigating as many as 25 members of the service, and the Army is currently investigating Capt. Emily Rainey, a psychological operations officer who told the Associated Press that she led 100 people from North Carolina to the rally in Washington, D.C.
You know, it’s a shame these folks are so racist that they’ve probably never listened to even one Dipset song. They might have learned a thing or two about not snitching, or at the very least, learned not to snitch on yourself. Mind you, I’m happy these people are outing themselves. I’m simply in disbelief at how willing they are to self-incriminate.
Rainey isn’t the only member of the armed forces under investigation, as retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Larry R. Brock was arrested in Texas by the FBI on Sunday. Brock was seen in photographs on the Senate floor wearing combat gear and holding zip-ties. In an interview with the New Yorker, Brock said that he picked the zip ties up off the ground and was planning to give them to a police officer.
Nigga. You stormed the goddamn U.S. Capitol. You know damn well you weren’t planning to assist law enforcement. Ol’ lying ass.
Tammy Duckworth, the Democratic senator from Illinois, has requested that acting Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller cooperate with the FBI as they investigate service members who may have participated in the riot. Sen. Duckworth, an Iraq War vet, also reiterated that certain retired members are still subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
John Altenberg, a retired deputy judge advocate general of the Army, told NBC News that under the Uniform Code of Military Justice “some of our rights are abridged because of the nature of the military organization and the importance of cohesion and combat readiness.”
“We can’t just say anything we want,” he added. While veterans aren’t held to as strict a code, they can still face court-martial if they retired as an officer.
In the last few days we’ve seen cops, firefighters, and even elected officials among those either being investigated or facing charges for participating in the Capitol riot. It’s almost like white supremacists and far-right extremists have successfully “infiltrated” the ranks of the organizations meant to “protect” us. Or maybe they were just always there.
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