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As the Department of Defense continues to ignore the plight of many service members injured in the line of duty, the House Armed Services Committee shamefully ignores repeated calls for accountability and compliance with federal law.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Major (ret.) Jeremy “Weed” Sorenson, a former F-16 and A-10 fighter pilot who was deployed to combat on multiple occasions throughout his career. Today, Sorenson serves as Director of Guard and Reserve Affairs for Uniformed Services Justice & Advocacy Group (USJAG).
He shared that a whistleblower complaint was received on January 31, 2023, by the House of Representatives Committee on Government Oversight and Accountability regarding “widespread, systemic mistreatment of injured U.S. military Service Members.” Extensive information and evidence of widespread misconduct was provided to the author.
After reviewing the documentation, it was confirmed that the complaint identified specific widespread violations of law and regulations against service members, primarily the intentional denial of military pay, medical care, and disability benefits for service members who are injured in the line of duty (LOD).
Allegations included the following:
Additionally, allegations were made that a key National Guard Bureau (NGB) official involved in unlawfully denying benefits, was simultaneously serving on active duty while also employed as a Department of Defense (DOD) contractor.
Sorenson said the Oversight Committee did not address the complaint but referred it to the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) in April 2023. “On April 24, 2023,” he said, “[A HASC staffer] reached out to the whistleblower for information, and the whistleblower learned that the Oversight Committee had failed to forward any information on the complaint to the HASC.”
After the whistleblower provided HASC “extensive information on the widespread misconduct and unlawful activity within the DOD,” Sorenson pointed out, “five more whistleblowers also came forward and provided extensive personal information and compounding evidence to HASC.”
Six months later, he noted the whistleblowers had not been called by any HASC official or staffer. “They never even spoke with the five whistleblowers,” he added. During this time, the Chairman of the HASC Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) was also contacted multiple times, but the calls for help were ignored.
On December 1, 2023, Sorenson said, HASC staff informed three of the whistleblowers that the matters were “outside of our jurisdiction” and closed their complaints despite HASC leadership being provided specific details and evidence of alleged misconduct.
Due to the lack of attention by the staffers, HASC and Senate Committee on Armed Services (SASC) chairmen and ranking members were contacted by USJAG on December 1, 2023. One week later, USJAG received a response from a HASC research assistant. She said, “The Committee…will consider the individual cases closed.”
Another HASC staffer then followed up to state: “I wanted to foot stomp some of the points…Specifically, that we reviewed and analyzed each individual case that was brought before us, found that there was no systemic link between the cases, and therefore was not in HASC jurisdictions…”
For the USJAG Director of Guard and Reserve Affairs, White’s tone was clear. “HASC didn’t care and blatantly refused to address the matter any further,” he explained.
And according to Sorenson, “It was clear the HASC had not thoroughly investigated the matter, but had instead just provided the ultimate congressional cover-up for the DOD’s misconduct.” Interestingly, he disclosed that “at the same time HASC was finalizing their cover-up, the Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Air Force, Lt. Gen. Stephen Davis, directed SAF/IGS (the senior investigative element in the USAF) to conduct a major inquiry into the numerous allegations of systemic misconduct.”
“More than a dozen whistleblowers came forward, and the IG inquiry now has the direct attention of the senior leadership of the USAF and DOD,” Sorenson said, adding that “except for Lt. Gen Davis, however, the senior leadership of the U.S. Air Force and National Guard have refused to respond to any communications from individual service members and advocates. “It is clear the Air Force and National Guard leadership’s only goal is to cover up the egregious, systemic misconduct within their ranks,” according to Sorenson.
Six months after the HASC closed all of the complaints, on May 5, 2024, HASC staffers sent additional closure letters to five of the six original whistleblowers, tacitly admitting they had previously provided false information about thoroughly investigating and finding “no systemic link between the cases.” Interestingly, they are now stating, “We are actively seeking, through legislative means, a way to increase transparency and efficiency surrounding this area.”
“Unfortunately, it appears that NGB and DOD leadership had misled HASC, and as a result, HASC ignored the matter,” according to Sorenson. “But HASC should and does know better,” he argued. “Just like the DOD IG, it appears HASC is just another fox watching the henhouse, an organization that selectively disregards their oversight responsibilities.”
In response to an inquiry from the author, a HASC spokesperson said:
The House Armed Services Committee worked closely with individuals who sought help from the Committee with challenges they were experiencing with the National Guard. While assisting these individuals, the Committee identified extreme delays in military records processing. As the Committee looked closer at the issue, the Committee found that the office within the National Guard Bureau that handles FOIA requests is understaffed, resulting in extended wait times to fulfill FOIA requests. To address the issues the committee found and restore public confidence in the National Guard Bureau’s FOIA process, the FY25 NDAA will require the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study on the staffing needs of the National Guard Bureau to administer its responsibilities related to FOIA requests so that Congress can address these issues in the near future. In addition, the committee staff informed impacted individuals of their options to appeal, as well as encouraged them to engage with their congressional representatives.
To that, Sorenson argued that the HASC response is “a bold face lie and simply more deflection away from the actual complaints brought forward.” He noted, “The HASC didn’t even speak to the whistleblowers, let alone work closely with them.” For this reason, he said, “This misleading response addresses FOIA, not the actual complaints of mistreated injured service members and the rampant violations of law.” He called it “disgusting, but not surprising.”
For Nic Gray, USJAG CEO and Army veteran, “This is all another example of politicians doing just enough to make it look like they care about a problem.” According to him, “It’s a stall tactic, buying them time and finding a way to bury the problem rather than addressing and solving it.” He considers HASC and SASC to be “compromised,” explaining, “they don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them, aka defense contractors.” He proposed, “Follow the money and you’ll find the motive.”
USJAG continues to represent many injured service members, like Army Master Sergeant James Buckley, for example, who was abandoned by the Air Force after being injured in the line of duty.
The post House Armed Services Committee Ignores Whistleblowers – Refuses to Stop the Mistreatment of Injured U.S. Service Members appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
For service members whose careers survived the now-rescinded COVID-19 military “vaccine” mandate, many are becoming increasingly concerned about all vaccines, which include the flu vaccine.
Objections, including those based on religious grounds, about the safety, efficacy, testing, and research of the injections they once agreed to receive are on the rise.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Daniel Schmid, Liberty Counsel’s Associate Vice President of Legal Affairs. “Many military members have sincere religious objections to certain immunizations, either because of their connections to aborted fetal cells or because they just have other religious convictions,” Mr. Schmid said. “There’s a federal statute called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), as well as the First Amendment, which entitles them to protection for those religious beliefs,” he explained.
Upon the 2021 implementation and enforcement of COVID immunizations, thousands of service members were reluctant to take the vaccine—and many sought religious accommodation. According to Mr. Schmid, these requests should have been reviewed by a chaplain and then sent up the chain of command for serious individual consideration. However, he said, most requests for religious accommodation were “denied in mass.” The appeals of service members were also overwhelmingly denied.
Members of the military who refused to comply with the now-rescinded COVID-19 vaccine mandate faced a variety of punitive actions, including letters of reprimand, dishonorable discharges, and more. At the same time, COVID-19 injections were being “billed as 100 percent safe and effective, and they clearly are not.”
As service members began to learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine, he said, the conversations often steered toward the use of aborted fetal cells in vaccine testing and research, as well as the toxicity of the “gene altering” injection and its associated adverse health effects. According to a 2020 Moderna, Inc. report by the Securities and Exchange Commission, “mRNA is considered a gene therapy product by the FDA.” The Gateway Pundit has widely reported the vaccine’s adverse health effects.
“As the knowledge base increased [among service members] as to what is in certain immunizations, what they’re connected to, and how they’re developed, tested, and manufactured,” Mr. Schmid said, “it began to crystallize a more informed knowledge base that was previously lacking.’ And for him, “the more education, the better for it is for individuals, especially when you’re talking about putting something into their body.”
As knowledge continued to grow, Mr. Schmid said many service members also began to learn that requests for religious accommodation were an option they could pursue in the military when objecting to a given vaccine on the grounds of religion. “Most signed up as pincushions, getting jabbed with everything, not knowing it was an option to assert their religious beliefs,” he explained.
“Shouldn’t we protect the ones who swore an oath to defend the Constitution of all people?” he said, pointing out that “it seems patently obvious that they’re entitled to the same protections for religious freedom found within the document that we all are.” Moving forward, Mr. Schmid expects the number of requests for religious accommodation to increase because of a more informed military population.
Evidence of Hypocrisy
Many service members have now raised objections to the annual flu shots among the many vaccinations that service members have been required to take in recent years. The Gateway Pundit spoke to Captain Joshua “Hippity” Hoppe, an MV-22B Osprey pilot who is now an instructor in the T-6B aircraft, training the next generation of aviators for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Not only did he defend religious and medical freedoms during the unlawful COVID mandates, he also requested a religious accommodation for the flu shot in December 2022. He cited his family’s approach to living a healthy lifestyle, the fact that he’s not in a high-risk category for severe cases of influenza, the DoD Immunization Program allows for medical and religious exemptions to the flu shot, and the fact that he believes the Lord is leading his family to no longer receive the flu shot annually.
Capt. Hoppe’s request was denied in February 2023. While the Marine Corps Headquarters agreed that he “may be healthier than the average citizen,” they claimed that the seasonal flu is “a highly contagious disease that has the potential to significantly and negatively impact” him and the safety of his unit.
The Marine Corps further claimed that reducing this risk was a “compelling government interest” and the “seasonal influenza vaccine is the most effective and readily available tool the Marine Corps has to keep [him and his] fellow Marines healthy and safe.”
Capt. Hoppe appealed this decision in June 2023 after obtaining the endorsements of his request through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. In his appeal, he cited the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) website on Seasonal Flu Vaccine Effectiveness that illustrates the average flu vaccine effectiveness from 2009-2023 varying from as low as 19 percent to as high as 60 percent.
Capt. Hoppe also stated in his appeal “that a continued disregard for service members’ religious and medical freedoms that were given by God and protected by our Constitution will continue to negatively impact recruitment and retention if not corrected.”
His appeal was denied in February by Gen. G. P. Olson, Director, Marine Corps Staff. Although Gen. Olson affirmed his request was based on “sincerely held religious faith and beliefs,” he stated that Capt. Hoppe must remain “world-wide deployable” and surmised that “because there are no less restrictive means to ensure these compelling government interests, I deny your appeal.”
This final denial led Capt. Hoppe to conduct a survey among DOD service members who have also requested exemptions from the annual flu shots. Between March and April, Capt. Hoppe conducted an independent survey to collect data on the influenza vaccine religious accommodation and medical exemption process in the DOD. The results were compiled into a report titled DOD Flu Exemption Survey Results and included as an attachment in an Inspector General Complaint that he submitted alleging the final decision was a discrimination of his Constitutionally-protected religious freedoms.
The survey’s 143 respondents represented all branches of U.S. Armed Forces. Ninety-one respondents indicated they had requested religious accommodation for the flu vaccine. Fourteen others indicated they had requested medical exemption. According to survey, the DOD does have the ability to approve exemptions as seen by the 13 service members that were approved (to include longstanding 10+ year approvals) where service members have been able to remain “world-wide deployable” while remaining exempt from the annual flu shot.
As in Capt. Hoppe’s example, Mr. Schmid said, “the DOD will often argue that they’re weighing a military member’s religious beliefs against the government’s compelling interest in military readiness and in the health and safety of the force.”
“If you scratch their rationale a little bit below the surface,” Mr. Schmid said, “you’ll find that this isn’t entirely true.” On the one hand, he agreed that the Marine Corps might have a legitimate interest in preventing illness. But on the other hand, he said, “what they consider fully vaccinated among the force is generally about 90 to 93 percent of the force.” To that end, DOD Instruction 6205.02 (p. 3, paragraph 1.2.c.) confirms “a goal of 90 percent immunized by January 15th of each year.”
“Considering this, it’s obvious that they’ve baked into it a number of service members who don’t get the shot, whether for medical reasons or some other reason. He questioned, “Why can’t the DOD acknowledge that the First Amendment should be extended to the small percentage of those who would fall within your window of those unvaccinated?”
For Mr. Schmid, “the notion that forcing Capt. Hoppe to get the flu vaccine means that the United States military is now ready at a moment’s notice to go and defend the nation is just comical and patently absurd to me.”
“Does the DOD really have a compelling interest in making sure Capt. Hoppe is vaccinated versus a larger pool of people who have no religious objection or medical problem with the vaccine?” he asked, disclosing, “he [doesn’t] buy their rational and [thinks] they’re actually hiding behind it, just like they did while pushing the COVID injection.”
Interestingly, Capt. Hoppe and the author have reviewed some of the Navy’s approved religious accommodation requests (RARs) that cite the “current disease environment” as a reason they could approve an exemption from the flu shots—or all shots for that matter.
For Capt. Hoppe, “It seems hypocritical that the DOD can approve some requests due to the current disease environment, but deny others for individuals who aren’t even attached to a deployable unit.”
In January, he and 230 other service members signed the Declaration of Military, pledging to hold leadership accountable for the COVID mandate which unlawfully separated roughly 8,600 service members. Any American can join them in this pledge by adding their name at MilitaryAccountability.net.
Capt. Hoppe emphasized that his views don’t reflect those of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the United States Marine Corps.
The post The Department of Defense Continues to Hypocritically Deny Military Service Members Medical and Religious Exemptions for Vaccines appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Ironically, a growing number of soldiers once trained in Afghanistan to fight against the Taliban alongside U.S. forces are now teaming up with Russia to defeat Ukraine—not through Wagner Group, but simply through the Russian embassy in Iran.
Ahmad Ehsan (a pseudonym) is one of more than tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and others who fought alongside U.S. forces and were left behind to be hunted by the Taliban after the U.S. withdrawal from the country in August 2021. With the fear of torture or death, if he’s found, Ehsan used a pseudonym and an encrypted messaging service to communicate with the author.
Prior to U.S. withdrawal from the country, he said an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Afghan special forces fought alongside the Americans. While it’s unclear how many members of the Afghan commandos fled to Iran after the fall of Kabul, in 2022, Wagner Group was widely recognized as the leader of efforts to recruit the highly skilled soldiers to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. More recent news reports suggest the mercenary group has rebranded itself as the Africa Corps—or the Russian “Expeditionary Corps.”
That hasn’t stopped the flow of Afghan soldiers from Iran to Russia. In fact, according to Ehsan, it’s more widespread. Although they’re still prioritizing special forces soldiers, he claims that former Afghan commanders are working directly with diplomats at the Russian embassy in Iran. Having served under their command at times, these past military leaders are responsible for finding and reaching out to former Afghan soldiers within the country who were once trained by U.S. forces and NATO.
Although he’s still hiding from the Taliban in Afghanistan, Ehsan provided the form being given to former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). Written in the Persian language, the form requests an applicant’s name, rank, duration of service, last responsibility and duty, date of entry into Iran, place of birth, district name, religion, ethnicity, national registration number, passport number, and more.
“They’re filling out these contracts and they’re being sent directly to the Russian embassy in Iran for processing,” Ehsan said, explaining, “They’ll evacuate these people to Russia, and I’m one hundred percent sure they’ll use these soldiers in the Ukraine war.” Completed forms are often collected by former Afghan commanders through WhatsApp and other private messaging services. The applications of commandos, ANSF, and other security elements are then delivered to the Russian embassy in Tehran.
Once a Partner, Now a Problem
Sources tell Ehsan that the Russian government is promising money and citizenship to the former soldiers in return, providing the largest rewards to former Afghan commandos trained by the United States.
Many of those who are accepting the offer either need the money or they are acting out of spite, according to Ehsan. “For those who once fought alongside Americans, but now feel betrayed by the U.S. government [for withdrawing from Afghanistan], they are willing to fight for Russian interests,” he explained. He confirmed, they are now enemies to the United States.
On April 24, President Joe Biden signed over $61 billion dollars as part of an aid package to assist Ukraine in their fight against Russia. The package includes air defense capabilities, artillery rounds, armored vehicles, and other weapons to shore up Ukrainian forces.
While the White House has denied it has any evidence to support the claim that Russia may be asking the Taliban to help replenish its weapons cache and more, it must not be forgotten that more than $7 billion worth of American military equipment, including aircraft, vehicles, munitions, guns, communication equipment, and other gear, was left behind in Afghanistan after U.S. withdrawal.
One can only speculate if Russia is using American military equipment in their fight against Ukraine, while evidence clearly indicates they are using an undisclosed number of former Afghan soldiers previously trained by U.S. forces in the war. Whether one or both assertions are true, the fact of the matter is U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan was an abject failure. Outside of the death of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, for some service members like Connor Izunya (a pseudonym), it was a waste of 20 years for those involved in America’s longest war.
Izunya spoke to The Gateway Pundit on the condition of anonymity, fearing reprisals from the U.S. government. With over 20 years of service in the Army and three deployments to Afghanistan, and while serving in the Special Forces, the Sergeant First Class helped train soldiers of the Afghan National Army (ANA) Special Operations Command. Some of these may be the same soldiers being solicited in Iran for Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Interestingly, he recalls an agreement that Afghan special operators signed to not engage U.S. Armed Forces in the combat in the future, but questions how that might unfold in Ukraine, particularly if U.S. troops were ever engaged in combat against Russia.
On the one hand, Izunya applauded the courage of the Afghan soldiers he worked with, calling it “something they’re born with.” For him, “it takes a special kind of courage to fight for something [like democracy] that doesn’t exist, knowing that you could be killed in combat for it.” He added that “it’s boundless and borderless,” and something considers “an embodiment of the warrior race.”
But on the other hand, he understands the betrayal felt by Afghan soldiers and interpreters as the U.S. withdrew all forces from the region. “Many were promised to be relocated to America, but tens of thousands were not,” he said. “Many were good people and deserved to have more opportunity, but they were lied to.”
In Izunya’s opinion, “America overpromised and underdelivered.” He’s not surprised they’re looking for opportunity in Iran or Russia. “A return to Afghanistan would result in death [at the hands of the Taliban], so why wouldn’t they use the skills they’ve learned for combat to make a living?” he asked. “Why wouldn’t they also be vindictive, considering how the U.S. used them?” The U.S. government can be blamed for any disdain they might have toward American interests, he added.
The post While America Props Up Ukraine, Former Afghan Soldiers Trained by U.S. Forces Are Coming to the Aid of Russia—And It’s Through Their Embassy in Iran appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Panama could play an integral part in slowing the flow of illegal migrants enroute to the southern border of the United States.
Earlier this week, the Central American country’s newly elected president Jose Mulino, promised to halt the flow of illegal migrants passing through his country. On X, Congressional candidate Mara Macie called out “our own uniparty representatives and government” for failing to express the same interest in the U.S. southern border as Mulina has his border. She credits Michael Yon and others for drawing attention to the problem “weaponized migration” and its global implications.
Whether Mulino follows through on this promise is TBD. However, I’m disappointed that he is far more interested in this problem than our own uniparty representatives and government.
Instead, the heat on this topic was brought by @Michael_Yon, @annvandersteel, @Oscarelblue,… pic.twitter.com/l0e3HYY3Wj— Mara Macie (@MaraMacie) May 9, 2024
The Gateway Pundit spoke to Macie, who is vying for a Republican seat in Florida’s 5th Congressional District. Interestingly, Mulino promised to shut down the Darien Gap. But what does that mean for a bridge under construction across the region’s most dangerous stretch of jungle?
Macie questioned whether the promise by Mulino to stop illegal immigration would end construction of the bridge between Colombia and Panama. While she admitted there are likely many legitimate reasons to maintain a highway through the Darien Gap, Macie hopes the endless flow of migration can still be stopped through the area.
Macie said Mulino’s stance against illegal migration is “absolutely necessary.” And while she is hopeful, she won’t believe it until she sees it.
More concerning than the bridge is the number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) functioning in the country, said Macie. Some of these have been responsible for providing to maps for safe travel to the United States. Some have also provided financial assistance for the journey. “Stopping illegal immigration is feasible, but [Mulino] will have to get directly involved in the NGOs and shut many of them down from operating [in the region],” she argued.
“I am hopeful that [Mulino] appoints a security minister with the best interest of his country in mind,” she said. With the massive influx of over a half million migrants traveling through the area, she pointed out that parts of Panama have been “destroyed.” For example, incredible amounts of trash now litter the jungle. Many waterways have also been polluted and are now deemed unsafe.
Another potential problem Mulino must consider are the “false economies” developed through recent years of migrant flow. When the number of people passing through Panama dwindles, locals will not be able to sustain the economies that have been created as a result of sheer number of people who have needs as the travel. “Migration has changed their way of life [through trade and business], and it’s going to be hard to go back to the way they’ve lived for hundreds of years prior.”
While Panama engages in an uncertain future, Macie expressed some of the positives for America’s future if migration stops. “Of course, the number of illegals crossing the southern border [of the United States] will decrease,” she said. But one of her primary concerns, human trafficking, will also decrease. For that, she is thankful.
“The wide-open door through Panama has made things more difficult [for the United States at the southern border], so having Mulino shut down illegal immigration can only help,” Macie said. “But we still have other borders, [like] the Canadian border and people flying directly into the United States.”
“Even if it’s not through Panama, people are going to find other ways,” Macie warned. “It’s not just immigrants we have to worry about, but it’s the criminals, terrorists, and other nefarious actors that are intentionally plotting and trying to destroy our country.”
“If Panama comes through and stops illegal immigration through their country,” she said, “it will play a large role in at least pulling back some of the people coming through Mexico.” Nonetheless, she said, “at some point, we’re going to have to stop all of this at our own borders.”
To take on President Joe Biden’s open border policies and more, Macie is running for U.S. Congress.
The post Panama Might Help Shut Down the Invasion of Illegals, As the U.S. Government Continues to Show Little Interest in the Problem appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
On May 2-3, the Defense Advisory Committee on Diversity and Inclusion (DACODAI) hosted one of its bi-annual meetings in Arlington, Virginia.
Charted by the Congressional Black Caucus in the fiscal year 2009 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), DACODAI’s forefather, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) issued its final report in 2011. Subsequently, DEI ideology and training was set into motion to spread like cancer throughout the military.
Former president Donald Trump issued an executive order in September 2020, directing the cessation of all critical race theory and DEI training in the military. In January 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the order. With that, DACODAI was accepted as the successor to the MLDC just months later.
Interestingly, earlier this year, DACODAI invited members of Stand Together Against Racism and Radicalism in the Services (STARRS) and other organizations to put together an in-person panel of experts to have a dialogue on DEI in the military. Although there was a great response from like-minded leaders and organizations, the proposed panel was almost immediately cancelled as “too hard to do.”
Lt. Gen. Rod Bishop (ret.), STARRS chairman of the board, requested an informal video panel with DACODAI be held so concerns about the negative impact of DEI on the military could be shared, but a response was never received from Gen. (ret.) Lester Lyles—the DACODAI Chairman—or his office.
In an effort to be heard, Bishop and others—including nine former senior DOD and civilian leaders—recorded five-minute statements about the harm DEI was causing and forwarded them to DACODAI. These statements also went unanswered.
In response, 17 members of the public, including presidents of 10 veteran-led or military-concerned organizations planned to attend the semi-annual DACODAI in person. On April 29, just days before the meeting was to occur, all public attendees were notified by DACODAI that the Department of Defense “for unforeseen reasons” was cancelling any in person attendance.
Next came guidance—as people were required to register beforehand—from DACODAI’s Federal Officer that “no public statements would be allowed.”
One can rightly question whether these decisions could be attributed to the realization that the many people outside the network of DACODAI would have boldly spoken against DEI ideology in the military? DACODAI did not reply to requests for comment by The Gateway Pundit to defend their reason for the abrupt cancellation or change of plans.
While Bishop was “greatly disappointed,” he was not entirely surprised, considering DACODAI’s unwavering support of all things Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In a recent a clip shared on Fox & Friends, Bishop explained, “[DEI is] unadulterated, undeniable, easily proven Marxist-based ideology that’s being forced down the throats of our servicemen.”
In a recent a clip shared on Fox & Friends, Bishop explained, “[DEI is] unadulterated, undeniable, easily proven Marxist-based ideology that’s being forced down the throats of our servicemen.”
“The leaders of today, unfortunately, just don’t seem to have the morale courage to stand up against this,” Bishop continued.
Fox News Channel’s Pete Hegseth said, “They closed the actual meeting because they were afraid of the pushback.” Speaking about the video, Bishop told The Gateway Pundit, “Pete and the cohosts really got passionate about this. America has to get this passionate about what’s happening to our military, too.” For him, “people can’t keep their heads buried in the sand.”
To that end, Bishop said was shocked to learn that DACODAI has been “flying underneath the radar” on Capitol Hill. According to him, with all that is on their plate, politicians and others are largely unaware that DACODAI is advising the Secretary of Defense on matters of diversity and inclusion.
He told the Gateway Pundit that “although the shoddy treatment of members of the public may be a harbinger of societal failure and the ‘cancel culture’ being alive and well in our country, the focus should be—and always remain—on the divisiveness, the discrimination, the lowering of standards that is part and parcel of the Marxist-based DEI movement in our military.”
“By setting up barriers where skin color, ethnic background, and racial diversity becomes all the focus,” Bishop warned, “they’ve created something which is poisonous to the military.” He explained, “Diversity is not the military’s greatest strength; rather, it is unity and cohesiveness.”
“We all bleed red, and the only other colors that matter besides red are white and blue,” Bishop shared. He desires for Congress to fully understand that the “injection of a Marxist ideology into the military” could end in the destruction of the military as the country knows it.
“Why are we lowering standards? Why are we promoting the less qualified? Why are we allowing DEI to divide, demoralize, and demean our military?” he asked.
With host Frank Gaffney, founder of the Center for Security Policy, testimonies of some of the members of the members of the Military Readiness and Merit Coalition who had planned to attend the DACODAI event met virtually on May 2. This panel focused on the importance of merit-based readiness, rather than divisive and demoralizing “woke” identity politics.
Panelists included former Lt. Col. Matt Lohmeier, Col. Brandi King, former Army officer Kendall Qualls, former Army officer Scott McQuarrie, Brig. Gen. (ret.) Christopher Walker, and Lt. Gen. (ret.) Rod Bishop.
The post Showing Its True Colors, Diversity of Thought is Clearly Not Included in the DOD’s Inclusivity Agenda appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
House Armed Service Committee (HASC) Republicans announced on X this morning that service members and military families will be prioritized in the FY2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The FY25 #NDAA will put our servicemembers and military families FIRST
— Armed Services GOP (@HASCRepublicans) May 6, 2024
For many, last year’s NDAA was an abject disappointment, failing to recognize Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s 2021 shot mandate was unlawful. It remains to be seen whether this year’s version will call a spade a spade or hide behind similar weak language.
One thing is certain: Thousands of service members, veterans, and their supporters will be watching, laser-focused on the statement made by HASC. Earlier this year, 231 active service members and veterans signed the Declaration of Military Accountability (DMA)—an open letter seeking accountability over the harm caused by the implementation and enforcement of the now-rescinded COVID-19 shot mandate. Nearly 34,000 others, including civilians, have pledged their support alongside the original signatories of the letter.
Brad Miller, a former U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who previously served as a battalion commander in the 101st Airborne Division, is one of the original signatories of the DMA and a voice for accountability. In October 2021, after nearly 19 years of honorable service, he was unjustly relieved of command for refusing the jab.
For service members like Miller, Congress, and DOD must acknowledge the unlawfulness and harmful effects of the once-mandated COVID-19 injection.
Neither Congress nor @DeptofDefense are putting *our servicemembers and military families FIRST” until they acknowledge the covid-19 shot mandate was unlawful and harmful to the health & readiness of the force. https://t.co/ngIeHG3uyL
— Brad Miller (@BradMiller1010) May 6, 2024
“The mandate has disillusioned untold numbers of American service members and their families,” Miller told The Gateway Pundit. “Many have come to feel alienated from their former comrades-in-arms.”
“Service members suffered coercion and the deprivation of rights all because they refused to subject themselves to a shot that many believed was potentially harmful,” Miller explained.
“The impacts of the mandate have been far-reaching and continue to plague our force,” he said. For Dr. Crisanna Shackelford, “the mandate for COVID-19 injections represented a forced toxic exposure with catastrophic implications for our national security and defense readiness.”
Miller wholeheartedly agrees with her conclusion, also adding that “aside from the myriad physical problems that have resulted from this toxic exposure, many troops and veterans now also endure lingering moral injuries.”
“In other words,” he said, “they witnessed military leaders act in direct opposition to the exact values the military purports to hold in the highest regard: honor, integrity, courage, and more.”
He also pointed out that “Service members witnessed their superiors and/or peers violate their oaths to the Constitution.” Interestingly, he added, “Some service members even feel conflicted about their own role perhaps in ensuring that others complied with the mandate.”
For this reason, Miller said, “They may now feel they operated in ways that violated not just the law but their own sense of morality.” And according to him, “These feelings, which can lead to a sense of guilt, shame, or even disgust towards oneself or others, are often the result of moral injury.”
“It is no wonder that our ability to both retain quality troops and recruit more to join the ranks has suffered,” he said. “These retention and recruitment problems are likely to continue until the military can successfully account for these severe and widespread injustices and right itself moving forward.”
For the tens of thousands of service members and veterans watching, it remains to be seen if the FY2025 NDAA will offer the appropriate language to right these wrongs. Will the Armed Services GOP really “put our servicemembers and military families FIRST?”
The post Service Members Are Waiting For Congress and Department of Defense to Acknowledge That the COVID-19 Shot Mandate Was Unlawful and Harmful appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
As it stands, liberal Arizona voting laws have paved the way for non-citizens, whether they are legal or not, to register for and cast a ballot in the 2024 presidential election.
The Gateway Pundit spoke to retired U.S. Air Force master sergeant Nick Kupper, who is one of several state legislature candidates vying for a seat in the Arizona House of Representatives’ District 25. While the voting laws do not affect his run for office, he is gravely concerned about the upcoming presidential race.
“In Arizona,” Kupper said, “even if the state can’t verify whether you’re a citizen, people can still assert that they are citizens.” While these individuals are not allowed to vote in Arizona elections, they can still vote in the federal election. “They can still vote for the president,” he explained.
In an April 16 post on X, Kupper pointed out that “In 2020 Biden got 73% of the federal only votes & Trump lost AZ by 10K votes. There are now over 32K federal only voters in AZ which would give Biden 15K more votes than Trump in 2024.”
In AZ you don’t have to be a citizen to vote for president. In 2020 Biden got 73% of the federal only votes & Trump lost AZ by 10K votes.
There are now over 32K federal only voters in AZ which would give Biden 15K more votes than Trump in 2024.
We need to follow… https://t.co/UBVkbgnlFu
— Nick Kupper (@kupper4arizona) April 16, 2024
“I think it’s pretty telling that the current president is allowing, enabling, and encouraging people to come across the border, as I’m sure he and his administration know that these kinds of rules are on the books in Arizona,” he said. “This has to change, because Arizona is a huge player in the federal election.”
In addition, Kupper said, “When censuses are being done, they’re not only counting the citizens of Arizona but also counting noncitizens and illegals.” He explained that anyone who lives in a home is included in the census. “This not only shapes voting districts in Arizona, but it can also count towards how many electoral votes can get apportioned to the state,” he pointed out. “And Democrat strongholds are the ones that tend to benefit the most from this.”
With that, Kupper said he considers any talk about illegal border crossings to be “multifaceted.” On the one hand, he recognizes a growing humanitarian concern for migrants who are risking their lives to “reach the land of opportunity.” Many are being exposed to dangerous cartels, smugglers, and traffickers in their quest to reach America.
And on the other hand, Kupper also recognizes there are thousands of bad actors and many deceived immigrants trying to do the same. These include drug smugglers, sex traffickers, terrorists, and more.
Whether they are legitimately seeking a new home or they are here for nefarious reasons, Kupper said, “Arizona has had enough illegal immigrants come across the border to equal eight percent of the state’s population.”
For Kupper, “this is an invasion.” He also pointed out that the Biden administration has done nothing to curb the massive flow of illegal immigration into the country. What’s more, many may be receiving flyers from a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Mexico, instructing them to vote for Joe Biden in the upcoming U.S. election. Meanwhile, other NGOs are providing the path to get here.
Here’s the translation of the last two sentences:
“Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States.
We need another four years of his mandate to stay.” https://t.co/rHNECRO5Un
— Nick Kupper (@kupper4arizona) April 16, 2024
“Encouraging them to come across the border to vote for Joe Biden isn’t all sunshine and roses,” he said. “It’s illegal in most circumstances, and many can’t find legitimate employment once they’re here, because they’re illegal,” he explained. “They’re being sold a bad bill of goods.”
And according to him, “Conservatives are getting the short end of the stick, [because] “Democrat policies are overtly hurting Republicans more than they are Democrats.” He explained, “statistically, people paying the most into the tax system for all the programs that enable illegal immigrants are Republicans.”
The post In the Race to the White House, Illegals Will Be Casting Votes in the Crucial Swing State of Arizona appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Through the lens of tens of thousands of service members and veterans affected by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s 2021 COVID-19 military shot mandate, an important question arises: Did the Department of Defense, specifically the Secretary of Defense, mandate a “toxic exposure risk activity” (TERA)?
It’s a question being asked increasingly more often by people like whistleblower Trey Fleming and Dr. Crisanna Shackelford. Previously speaking under a pseudonym, the whistleblower’s name is Sonny Fleeman III, a combat veteran and Rating Veteran Services Representative for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Fleeman revealed himself on a video podcast with Feds for Freedom.
Like Fleeman, Dr. Crisanna “Shack” Shackelford is a veteran. She is also founder and CEO of realreactions.org. They are working to expose that the COVID-19 shots contain toxins that can be claimed as a toxic exposure risk under the 2022 Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act.
Fleeman told The Gateway Pundit that exposure to burn pits, toxins in improvised explosive devices (IED), chlorine bombs in Iraq and Afghanistan, burning oil wells, and Agent Orange used during the Vietnam war topped the list of widely recognized cases of toxic substances within the PACT Act.
But what does the PACT Act say about those who have clearly been injured by the so-called COVID-19 vaccine, he and Dr. Shackleford questioned, also pointing out what has recorded by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) concerning the Moderna injection. “Currently, mRNA is considered a gene therapy product by the FDA,” the report states. And according to Dr. Robert Malone, the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein used within COVID-19 “vaccines” is a toxin.
SARS-CoV-2 direct cardiac damage through spike-mediated cardiomyocyte fusion
More evidence of Spike as a toxin.https://t.co/ytUpbNRX3k
— Robert W Malone, MD (@RWMaloneMD) September 1, 2021
Interestingly, within the toxic Exposure Risk Activity (TERA) provisions for veterans to obtain a screening for their toxic exposures, the policy states, “Vaccines and medications in general are not considered participation in a TERA [under the PACT Act] because there is no scientific or medical evidence that supports the conclusion that vaccines and medications administered to Service Members have resulted in long-term adverse health effects.”
Dr. Shackelford said, “this is shocking given how much is known about the toxicity of the ‘gene therapy’ injection and known adverse health effects.” For her, “the fact that the VA would disenfranchise our service members who were mandated to take this injection raises critical questions.”
The policy being enforced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is easily debunked, according to Dr. Shackelford. Her straightforward, but oft-ignored, explanation should “raise the alarm bell” for those who continue to deny countless stories of the gene therapy’s toxic adverse side effects. According to her, it’s undeniable: “The spike protein that the body is forced to make from the injection—in and of itself—is toxic.”
Consider the plight of Army Corporal Karolina Stancik who has suffered more than one heart attack, a mini-stroke, and several neurological maladies after being forced roll up her sleeve and get the shot. Yet, in a case like hers, the VA would maintain that “…vaccines and medications, in general, are not considered participation in toxic exposure risk activity because there are no long-term adverse health effects supported by science.”
“This very issue of toxic exposure and the known mechanisms of injury such as Karolina’s must be acknowledged, and those responsible must ensure that disability compensation for this toxic exposure occurs,” she said.
In December 2023, Fleeman explained that “veterans with vaccine injuries are excluded from receiving a VA examination and medical nexus opinion under the PACT Act—and more specifically under the TERA provisions.” And according to Dr. Shackelford, the exclusion is “fraudulent” and the “willful ignorance” needs to be exposed.
From the start, it was illegal for the Pentagon’s policy to say that the Comirnaty and EUA Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines were interchangeable. “This cannot be refuted, “Dr. Shackelford said, adding that “it was undeniably an illegal mandate for this reason and more.” With that, the question remains: did the Department of Defense, specifically the Secretary of Defense, mandate a TERA?
According to Dr. Shackelford, “If the VA was forced to concede that the so-called vaccine, or gene therapy per the Moderna SEC filing, is toxic, all bets would be off for the Department of Defense.” This must be addressed by Congress at some point, she argued, adding that “the mandate for COVID-19 injections represented a forced toxic exposure with catastrophic implications for our national security and defense readiness.”
Because of concern about reprisals, Fleeman emphasized that his views don’t reflect those of the VA.
The post EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblower Who Exposed A Blatant Oversight in the VA’s Policy for Veterans With Vaccine-Related Injury Goes Public appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
Vaunce News 