Guam National Guard troops marched to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's office in the U.S. Capitol after she suggested last month that Guam is a foreign country.
Guam National Guard troops marched to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's office in the U.S. Capitol after she suggested last month that Guam is a foreign country.
Michael F.Q. San Nicolas, a Democrat who serves as Guam's only delegate to the House of Representatives, led about three dozen troops to Greene's office Monday to deliver cookies and posted a video of it to Twitter. The congresswoman's staff told him she was not in her office.
It is unclear whether any military rules were broken, and it does not appear that any of the soldiers involved will face disciplinary action. Maj. Gen. Esther J.C. Aguigui, adjutant general of the Guam National Guard, said she appreciated Nicolas' efforts to represent Guam's culture on Capitol Hill.
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"We thank Congresswoman Greene for ultimately helping raise awareness of Guamanians as citizens of the United States, and our rich tradition of service and sacrifice to our nation," Aguigui said in a statement. "As a non-partisan entity, the Guam National Guard is here to continue this legacy of supporting and defending the Constitution of the United States and the freedoms it provides."
During a speech last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Greene appeared not to know that Guam is a U.S. territory or where it is located.
"We love our country. We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America, not for what? China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam, whatever, wherever," Greene said.
Last month, the House took the extraordinary step of stripping Greene of her committee assignments in light of incendiary statements such as endorsing the assassination of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and peddling conspiracy theories, including that a plane never struck the Pentagon during 9/11 and that school shootings were staged.
Defense Department Directive 1344.10 forbids troops from participating in any partisan political activities while in uniform. Service members are allowed to engage in virtually any political activity out of uniform, but the activity cannot be perceived as being endorsed by the military.
It is unclear whether Monday's event violated any of those rules. No soldier in the video advocated for any political action, and simply meeting with a member of Congress in uniform is not against any military policy.
But Greene perceived the move as overtly partisan.
"It's time for our great men and women of the National Guard to go home and be with their families," she said in a statement. "The Democrats need to stop using them as political theatre and drama on Capitol Hill. Shame on Democrats for disrespecting our military."
Last year, the Pentagon investigated two junior enlisted troops in the Army Reserve for appearing in uniform during the state roll call at the Democratic National Convention. The soldiers, from the 9th Mission Support Command, appeared as backdrops behind two American Samoa delegates.
The incident drew immediate bipartisan scorn from lawmakers and veteran advocates. Army officials said the troops themselves weren't at fault, and a supervisor was disciplined.
The event at Greene's office comes after senior military leaders criticized Fox News host Tucker Carlson for comments saying maternity uniforms and updated hair regulations "made a mockery of the U.S. military."
Some rightwing pundits and conservative lawmakers such as Sen. Ted Cruz clapped back, saying that Defense Department officials wielding their influence by going after Carlson and defending female service members constituted partisan attacks.
-- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon.
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