Tag: army

Trump pardons Mark Bashaw, former Army officer who defied covid protocols

President Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned a former Army officer who was found guilty in 2022 by a military judge of violating coronavirus prevention protocols, a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to The Washington Post.

Former 1st Lt. Mark Bashaw was convicted and sentenced to no punishment for his refusal to obey orders meant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. According to the military news publication Stars and Stripes, Bashaw did not comply with orders to telework, submit a negative coronavirus test before reporting to work or wear a mask indoors.

Bashaw, who was an entomologist at the Army Public Health Center in Maryland, said he was facing discrimination because of his religious beliefs. He said he was discharged in 2023.

After receiving the pardon on Wednesday, Bashaw said on social media that he was “humbled, grateful, and ready to continue fighting for truth and justice.” The post also included an image that referenced the “plandemic,” a debunked conspiracy theory about COVID-19.

Within weeks of being sworn in for his second presidential term, Trump issued an executive action directing the defense secretary and the secretary of homeland security to reinstate members of the military who were discharged for their refusal to receive the coronavirus vaccine.

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Expect Trump’s Military Parade to Cost More Than the Army Says

President Donald Trump boasted on Monday that his hosting of a military parade in Washington, D.C., next month to honor the Army’s 250th anniversary — coincidentally the same date as his 79th birthday — was an act of divine intervention.

“We’re going to have a big, big celebration, as you know, 250 years,” he said during a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery. “Can you imagine? I missed that four years, and now look what I have, I have everything. Amazing the way things work out. God did that.”

The massive military parade and related festivities planned for June 14 will cost an estimated $25 to $45 million, according to the Army. This is likely a significant underestimate due to many expenses that are unaccounted for – or will be billed later, such as damages to local infrastructure caused by armored vehicles. Members of Congress are already expressing outrage at what they see as a gross misuse of funds.

“Trump squandering $45 million in taxpayer dollars on a military parade for his birthday is the epitome of government waste,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. “If the Trump Administration truly cared about celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Army, they would honor past and present soldiers and reinstate the thousands of veterans who they fired from the federal workforce — not throw away millions on an extravagant parade.”

The purpose of the parade is also seemingly up for interpretation. The White House now says the parade is a celebration of the Army’s semiquincentennial after, last month, denying reports that a parade would be held on the president’s birthday. Trump, for his part, has offered shifting explanations, stating that the parade is a celebration of Flag Day, the military writ large, or tanks and other weaponry.

The current plan, nonetheless, involves a martial spectacle reminiscent of the Soviet Union or North Korea in the heart of America’s capital, with armored vehicles rolling down Constitution Avenue. It is slated to involve more than 100 vehicles, including 28 M1A1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored personnel carriers, 28 Bradley Fighting Vehicles, four M109 Paladin self-propelled howitzers, as well as military relics like World War II-era Sherman tanks, a B-25 bomber, and a P-51 Mustang single-seat fighter plane, according to Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith. She added that the parade will also feature 34 horses, two mules, one wagon, and one dog.

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Army Suspends Top Commander After Shocking Insult to Trump, Vance and Hegseth

A garrison commander at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin has been suspended following an incident where photos of President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were missing from the base’s chain-of-command board.

This marked yet another instance of apparent insubordination within military ranks.

Colonel Sheyla Baez Ramirez, who has served as garrison commander since July 2024, was removed from her position as the Pentagon continues to address what appears to be a pattern of discipline issues across military installations. 

As garrison commander, Ramirez was said to be responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the Wisconsin base.

The controversy began when social media posts circulated showing empty black frames where the photos of the three top officials should have been displayed.

This prompted immediate backlash online and triggered a Department of Defense investigation into the matter. 

Task & Purpose reported that the images quickly spread across various platforms, drawing attention to what some critics have called a sign of resistance within military leadership.

While speculation has swirled that Ramirez deliberately omitted the photos, military officials have not confirmed this theory. 

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Three of four missing US Army soldiers found dead in Lithuania

Three of the four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing in Lithuania last week when their vehicle sunk in a peat bog have been found dead at the site, while the search for the remaining soldier is ongoing, U.S. and Lithuanian officials said on Monday.

Lithuania had said earlier on Monday that rescuers had recovered the armoured vehicle of the missing soldiers in a military training area in the Baltic country.

“It is with deep sadness and sorrow that I received the news of the tragic loss of three U.S. soldiers,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on social media platform X.

“Lithuania mourns together with the American nation,” he said.

U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said the search for the fourth soldier would continue.

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Horror as four American soldiers ‘are found dead’ after vanishing during training exercise in Lithuania

Four US Army soldiers have reportedly been found dead the day after they were reported missing during a training exercise in Lithuania. 

The four servicemen, who have not been identified by authorities, were with the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. 

Early reports indicate that the soldiers may have been traveling in an M88 recovery vehicle, one of the largest armored vehicles used by the US military, which may have fallen into a body of water. 

The soldiers had been reported missing at around 4:45pm Tuesday following a training exercise near Pabrade, Lithuania, sparking a widespread search conducted by the US Army and Lithuanian authorities. 

The soldiers were reportedly carrying out a tactical training routine at the General Silvestras Žukauskas training ground in Pabradė, which is less than six miles from the border with Belarus. 

The Lithuanian Armed Forces said Wednesday that they had identified a ‘possible location’ of the missing soldiers and their vehicle. 

The military said in a statement that ‘a search and rescue operation is underway, led by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, with additional capabilities from the Fire Protection and Rescue Department and other institutions.’ 

Officials have not offered any details regarding how the soldiers or their vehicle went missing nor the manner of their reported deaths.  

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Humvees, Machine Gun Hardware, Bayonets Stolen From Military Storage Warehouse Near Los Angeles

Suspects broke into a U.S. Army warehouse near Los Angeles this week and made off with Humvees, machine gun hardware, bayonets, and other gear, according to authorities.

The incident unfolded sometime before midnight on Wednesday in Tustin, a city in Orange County.

Suspects managed to gain entry to a warehouse at the Army Reserve Center and raid multiple storage lockers.

They also tried unsuccessfully to access a uniform storage area.

The suspects then cut through fencing and entered a parking lot before driving off in three Humvees, one of which was armored.

The Tustin Police Department (TPD) itemized additional stolen gear as follows:

  • 8 machine gun vehicle mounts
  • 7 free-standing machine gun tripods
  • 40 pairs of binoculars
  • 18 bayonets
  • Medical equipment

“The Army has informed us there is no known loss of weapons or ammunition other than what is listed in the above flyer,” TPD stated in a press release.

“If you see these vehicles, please contact Tustin PD dispatch immediately at 714-573-3225 or your local law enforcement agency.”

It is currently unclear if the brazen burglary is connected to lawlessness and chaos breaking out amid historic fires in the Los Angeles area.

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U.S. Army Soldier Arrested for Allegedly Hacking Trump and Kamala Harris’s Phones, Selling “Confidential Phone Records” Online

U.S. Army soldier Cameron John Wagenius, 20, has been arrested and charged with unlawfully transferring confidential phone records.

Federal authorities accuse the young soldier of participating in a cybercriminal ring that sold sensitive data, including alleged phone records of President-elect Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, on the black market.

The indictment, unsealed this week, reveals two counts of unlawful transfer of confidential phone records filed against Wagenius, according to KrebsonSecurity.

The charges follow a December 20 arrest near Fort Hood, Texas, a base associated with Fort Cavazos where Wagenius was stationed.

Wagenius, described by his mother as a tech-savvy soldier, worked on network communications at an Army base in South Korea before returning stateside.

His mother, Alicia Roen, told cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, “I never was aware he was into hacking. It was definitely a shock to me when we found this stuff out.”

In a comment to Krebs website, Mrs. Roen wrote, “I am his mother and I am not an open book, I was asked general questions about my sons age and if he was a solider! That is all I said and Krebs already had this information. I never knew my son was involved in any of this or involved with others until I read Krebs 1st article following my sons arrest, which was all new news to me! Do you really think a child would ever tell his parents he was involved in criminal activity?”

Operating under the online alias “Kiberphant0m,” Wagenius is accused of participating in multiple high-profile data breaches. He allegedly sold confidential phone records on online forums in November, claiming to have hacked 15 telecommunications firms, including AT&T and Verizon.

In November, “Kiberphant0m” posted what were purported to be AT&T call logs for President-elect Trump and Vice President Harris, though the authenticity of these records has not been confirmed.

The arrest follows an investigation into a series of data breaches affecting numerous organizations. Wagenius’s alleged accomplices include Canadian national Connor Riley Moucka, known online as “Judische,” who was arrested in late October, and John Binns, currently detained in Turkey.

These individuals are suspected of involvement in the theft and extortion of data from customers of the cloud service Snowflake, among other targets.

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Suspects in Vegas explosion, New Orleans attack served at same Army base, sources say

The Colorado Springs resident suspected of detonating a Tesla Cybertruck in front of a Las Vegas hotel and the Texas man accused of driving a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans served at the same military base, sources told Scripps News Denver.

Although sources said officials were investigating the link as a possible connection between the two New Year’s Day attacks, the FBI’s Christopher Raia told reporters that it could not establish a link between the two incidents.

Matthew Livelsberger is accused of renting a Cybertruck in Colorado Springs, driving it to Nevada and packing it with firework mortars and gas cans before exploding it in front of the Trump International Hotel in Vegas Wednesday morning, killing himself and injuring seven others. Shamsud-Din Jabbar is suspected of plowing through a crowd of New Year’s revelers in the French Quarter hours earlier, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more in an attack that sent shockwaves through a famous New Year’s destination the morning of a scheduled College Football Playoff game.

Both men were confirmed to be Army veterans in the aftermath of the attacks – both of which were being investigated as possible acts of terrorism.

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Army Updates Drug Policy To Explicitly Ban Delta-8 THC Hemp Products And Warn Soldiers Against Eating Poppyseed Bagels

The U.S. Army has updated its drug policy to clarify that soldiers are prohibited from using intoxicating hemp cannabinoid products like delta-8 THC. It is further cautioning servicemembers against eating foods containing poppyseeds, which can produce false positives when testing for opioids.

The update to the Army’s substance misuse guidance took effect on October 4. And with respect to the delta-8 THC components, it represents one of the latest examples of how government and private institutions are attempting to navigate the legal grey area that’s emerged since hemp and its derivatives were legalized under the 2018 Farm Bill.

The military branch’s prior policy enacted in 2020 made clear that the “use of products made or derived from hemp,” even if it’s legal for civilians, is prohibited for soldiers. But that guidance came before delta-8 and other intoxicating cannabinoids became a mainstream feature of the largely unregulated cannabis market.

Instead, the Army at the time focused on non-intoxicating CBD, which servicemembers are also barred from using. It remains the rule that prohibited cannabis products include those that are “injected, inhaled, or otherwise introduced into the human body; food products; transdermal patches, topical lotions and oils; soaps and shampoos; and other cosmetic products that are applied directly to the skin.”

“This provision is punitive, and violations may be subject to punishment,” it says.

Congress and state legislatures have been paying closer attention to the intoxicating cannabinoid market in recent years, with various proposals to regulate or outright ban such products. The language of the earlier Army guidance would seem to apply to delta-8, even if it’s not explicitly mentioned, but now the branch is putting the policy more clearly into writing.

The new regulations, first reported by Task & Purpose, specify that soldiers are banned from using controlled substance analogues, which include “synthetic cannabis and other tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) substitutes that have no known application other than mimicking the effects of THC in the human body.”

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The Intelligence Support Activity – one of America’s most secretive special operations units

Established in 1981, the U.S. Army Intelligence Support Activity was created in the wake of the failed attempt to rescue the American hostages from Tehran. Very likely, this is the first time you hear about this unit – and for good reason.

A combination of a special operations and an intelligence-gathering outfit, Intelligence Support Activity operates in the shadows. For over 40 years, the unit has been paving the way for other secretive special missions units, such as the Army Delta Force and Navy’s SEAL Team 6. ISA is one of JSOC’s Tier 1 units, along with Delta Force, SEAL Team 6, and the Air Force’s 24th Special Tactics Squadron.

As to how the unit came to be, much like the rest of the U.S. special operations community, it arose from disaster and the ashes of defeat.

This is how an emergency created one of the military’s most secretive units.

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