• Congressmen Confront West Point Over Cadet Remarks Highlighted By AFP

    September 23, 2023
    Views: 6921

    The right people obviously read Armed Forces Press.

    Two powerful congressmen have confronted West Point and DoD about incident reported in AFP recently, concerning an Air Force Cadet 'bashing' Congress at a DEI conference.

    Two veteran Republican congressmen are demanding answers from the heads of West Point and the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) regarding a event they say "encouraged partisanship," promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and bashed conservative lawmakers, reported Fox News.

    Republican Reps. Michael Waltz of Florida and Jim Banks of Indiana sent letters to U.S. Military Academy (USMA) and USAFA superintendents Lt. Gens. Steven Gilland and Richard Clark regarding the event, and a cadet's question to a panel at the USMA's Annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference.

    At the August 30 conference, a USAFA cadet in uniform reportedly asked how DEI teachings can be "safeguarded" by U.S. military academies and their cadets. The cadet also "spoke contemptuously of Members of Congress for performing their constitutional oversight duties," according to Waltz and Banks.

    "The issue is that the U.S. Military Academy is hosting partisan, DEI events in the first place," Banks said.

    "The recording, the crowd in attendance erupted in laughter at the cadet’s comments, and it is not apparent that any senior officer attempted to correct or counsel the cadet, nor did anyone take the opportunity to educate the group of cadets regarding civilian oversight of the military or the constitutional duty of elected officials to conduct legislative oversight."

    "As veterans, we find USMA and the U.S. Air Force Academy’s apparent acquiescence of demeaning statements aimed at Congress troubling and emblematic of the increasing politicization of our academies," the Republicans wrote.

    "The apparent failure of any senior officer to correct the highly inappropriate behavior of scorning lawful, civilian authorities amounts to turning a blind eye to conduct that could be a violation of Article 88 of the UCMJ," they continued.

    The congressmen wrote that some cadets as well as their families "feared that voicing a dissenting opinion" on DEI or critical race theory teachings "even in an academic setting or seminar" will lead to "mockery by their peers, faculty, and would be detrimental to their fledgling military careers."

    "As we discussed during a Congressional hearing this year, I hope you will ask yourselves as commanders, why these cadets are so uncomfortable sharing their concerns with their chain of command," the Republicans wrote.

    The congressmen also torched USMA's DEI speaker selection for its annual conference, writing that the speakers, "as well as the nature of the conference itself, suggests that USMA fostered an environment that encourages partisanship."

    "One of the speakers on the panel titled ‘Diversity in National Security: Views from Academia and Practice’, Dr. Nakissa P. Jahanbani, has a history of divisive public statements," the lawmakers wrote, pointing to social media posts from the speaker attacking former President Trump.

    "On social media, she has blamed the ‘rise in anti-black, immigrant hate’ on former President Trump’s ‘bigoted opinions’ and stated that ‘white identity and grievances,’ explain his political success," the lawmakers wrote.

    "Another participant on that panel, Dr. Rachel Yon, has published ‘classroom exercises’ based on the work of Derrick Bell, who has been described as the ‘Godfather of Critical Race Theory.’ A third member of the same panel was Zainab Ahmad, a former federal prosecutor who worked on Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s very controversial investigation into the Trump campaign, the premise of which was later discredited by the Durham report."

    "Given the example that has been set at an official USMA event, it’s not surprising that a cadet felt it acceptable to attack elected officials while in uniform," the lawmakers added.

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    Armed Forces Press is the Military's premier investigative newspaper. Long suffering from an absence of patriotic media, the United States Military is in dire need of an organization which will confront and highlight bad policies. The Military is in deep need of leadership. Armed Forces Press is committed to highlighting the tremendous courage, determination, tenacity and fortitude that our servicemen exemplify on a daily basis.
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    3 Comments
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    Ed Kennedy

    Another ON-TARGET article. Our military is being subverted from within with D.I.E. garbage. Non-conformity means career suicide.

    Peter York

    sounds like being a cadet is now like our colleges have been for 50 years now.

    what patriotic son will want to join this outfit? send democrats back to hell.

    Amy Williams

    This Cadet’s behavior is cringeworthy! If this is what the Academies intend on producing, we are in serious trouble. The Marxist Echo chamber of thoughts and ideals, of the current Leadership requires a complete purge- before we corrupt any more young, impressionable minds. If not, our future looks bleak, and we have failed our young patriots.

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