Troops at Trump's Army speech were vetted for their looks: 'No fat soldiers
Internal 82nd Airborne Division communications obtained by Military.com show soldiers were handpicked for the president's televised remarks at Fort Bragg based on their political views and their physical appearance.
One unit-level message, for example, said there can be 'No fat soldiers.'
Another memo said that 'if soldiers have political views that are in opposition to the current administration and they don't want to be in the audience, then they need to speak with their leadership and get swapped out.'
The end result was a predominantly white, male crowd who booed as Trump hit out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for the fiery protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations as he vowed to 'liberate' the city.
They were also seen booing former President Joe Biden and the press - and roared with laughter at Trump's remarks berating his successor.
Such actions appear to be in violation of longstanding Department of Defense protocol, with even the Army's recently-published field manual touting the importance of a politically neutral force.
'Being nonpartisan means not favoring any specific political party or group,' it says, according to NBC News. 'Nonpartisanship assures the public that our Army will always serve the Constitution and our people loyally and responsively.'
It goes on to note that troops can participate in political functions - so long as they are not in uniform.
'As a private citizen, you are encouraged to participate in our democratic process, but as a soldier you must be mindful of how your actions may affect the reputation and perceived trustworthiness of our Army as an institution,' the field guide says.
At least one 82nd Airborne noncommissioned officer now says he does not see how the troops' reactions on Tuesday could be seen as anything other than 'expressing a political view while in uniform.'
He even suggested that none of the soldiers who were booing Newsom and Bass 'even knew the mayor's name or could identify them in a lineup.'
Department of Defense officials, though, have denied that the soldiers were in violation of its rules.
'Believe me, no one needs to be encouraged to boo the media,' Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman replied to Military.com.
'Look no further than this query, which is nothing more than a disgraceful attempt to ruin the lives of young soldiers.'
Even if the soldiers did violate Defense Department rules, multiple Army officials told Military.com they likely would not be held accountable because they were goaded by the commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, questions remain about how a pop-up shop operated by 365 Campaign - an Oklahoma-based retailer that sells pro-Trump memorabilia - was able to sell campaign-style merchandise on the Army property.
Soldiers were even seen purchasing clothing and other items, including Make America Great Again chain necklaces and faux credit cards labeled 'White Privilege Card: Trump's Everything.'
Col. Mary Ricks, a spokeswoman for Fort Bragg, now says the 'vendor's presence is under review to determine how it was permitted to prevent similar occurrences.'
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