Blake Hall
A group of 16 black female West Point cadets are under investigation after they took a potentially controversial group photo in uniform.
Taken outside a U.S. Military Academy barracks, the photo shows the cadets raising their fists. This gesture is commonly associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.
The story was broken by the Army Times, which received the photo from numerous readers. The publication confirmed that the photo was taken at West Point and does include real cadets.
“We can confirm that the cadets in this photo are members of the U.S. Military Academy’s Class of 2016,” said West Point’s director of public affairs Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker in an emailed statement. “Academy officials are conducting an inquiry into the matter.”
The details behind the photo remain murky. Raising a fist is a common signal of solidarity and support among activists for a variety of causes. However, if the West Point cadets took the photo with the intent of making a political statement, they could be violating DoD policy by displaying a partisan political belief on military property.
Here’s the exact language of DOD directive 1344.10:
-A member of the Armed Forces on active duty may:
-4.1.1.3. Join a partisan or nonpartisan political club and attend its meetings when NOT iN uniform, subject to the restrictions of subparagraph 4.1.2.4. (See DoD Instruction 1334.1 (Reference (c).)
-A member of the Armed forces shall not:
-4.1.2.12. Display a partisan political sign, poster, banner, or similar device visible to the public at one’s residence on a military installation, even if that residence is part of a privatized housing development.
Are these cadets breaking the rules? Sound off in the comments.