{"id":38661,"date":"2017-09-26T20:08:07","date_gmt":"2017-09-26T20:08:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/09\/26\/west-point-responds-to-tweets-of-cadet-with-che-guevara-tee-under-uniform\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:06:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:06:31","slug":"west-point-responds-to-tweets-of-cadet-with-che-guevara-tee-under-uniform","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2017\/09\/26\/west-point-responds-to-tweets-of-cadet-with-che-guevara-tee-under-uniform\/","title":{"rendered":"West Point responds to tweets of cadet with Che Guevara tee under uniform"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Military Academy released a statement Tuesday after a recent graduate posted photos of himself with pro-communist messages hidden under his uniform and dress cap while still a cadet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The photos, posted by 2nd Lt. Spenser Rapone, show the then-cadet posing with a Che Guevara t-shirt under his uniform and \u201ccommunism will win\u201d written under his cap at his graduation from the academy in May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSecond Lieutenant Rapone\u2018s actions in no way reflect the values of the U.S. Military Academy or the U.S. Army,\u201d the statement from West Point said.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rapone, who describes himself as an Army infantry officer in his medium.com<\/a> profile, first posted a photo of himself on Sunday in support of pre-game national anthem protests all over the NFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lieutenant is assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, who said in a statement to Army Times that while they support freedom of speech for soldiers, they draw the line at political statements made in uniform.
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\u201cThe 10th Mountain Division not only supports free speech, it trains every day to ensure our nation has the ability to protect it at all cost,\u201d Lt. Col. Tonya Stokes said. \u201cThat being said, when our soldiers are in uniform, politics must be set aside. Our uniform represents every corner of our nation and it cannot be used to promote any single ideology.\u201d<\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\t