walnutbreath
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https://thegrayzone.com/2025/06/18/palantir-execs-appointed-colonels/
Trump is now selling Lieutenant Colonel positions in the US Army to tech execs. Meanwhile, his window-licking, 20 IQ supporters will continue to claim last week's parade was about the Army and not a taxpayer-funded birthday parade for the greatest traitor in American history.
This is a slap in the face of every service member, past or present. People have spent decades to reach Major and this asshole is selling them off to foreign-born oligarchs.
RoamingEast
selling high ranking military positions to the wealthy is actually how the officer corps was SUPPOSED to operate. Thats been its tradition since....just before WW2. and a bit through that as well. They are literally still referred to as COMMISSIONED officers. Further, the constitution itself solely vest the President with the power to commission officers though that is seen as antiquated.
Jace99
Still coming up with new ways to embarrass America I see. Very soon embarrassing America will be impossible. It’s hard to embarrass anything at the bottom of a toilet.
FellaWithUmbrella
They fucking sang ’Happy Birthday’ to him at the parade!
OleOleBiscuitBarrel
There was some word that someone told me once that I forget the meaning of: f- something, rhymes with dragging. I seem to recall it meant giving a warm welcome to a new officer or something. I forget, army stuff is so hard to remember.
DidItForScience
I wonder how the soldiers who have worked their asses off for years and sacrificed their autonomy to stand there and watch this happen feel.
WhatNumberPlease
It would have made more sense to make the warrant officers. But Trump doesn’t know how the Army works.
PilgrimUK
Bit of a downgrade in salary when they are active serving. How will they survive. /s
DidItForScience
https://theweek.com/politics/army-recruit-tech-exec-meta-palantir-open-ai-c-suite More info.
VeinyFleshTrumpet
As a veteran, I want all veterans to see this. They need to see this. This is revolting.
tzahtman
Will this mean they're subject to the UCMJ?
zenoshogun
And will need to go serve in Iran?
duktayp
"He's a draft dodger, it's his first military thing he really gets to do. He likes Putin, he worships Kim Jung Un, he wants to be like them.” https://www.yahoo.com/news/hes-draft-dodger-former-marine-183023636.html
FlintNorth44
Idonotbelievewehavecompany
To this day I have no clue why military folks support this douchenozzle. Well, I can understand why the racist militry fucks support him, but other than that...wtf people
Hashbrown123
Just remember, "Frag the Lt" used to be an Army past time at one point.
woozle
Foehammer262
Umkontodon
Every other real Lieutenant Colonel that has been jumping walls, going under wires, swimming in mud, and spending 16-17 years in hell tip-toeing around their superiors before reaching the rank
circlebreaker
Foreigner here, at this point I'm honestly wondering if this will be the final line crossed that spurs a far more qualified servicemember to take a run at that ghoulish orange sack of shit.
Comet260
I HATE Trump supporters with everything I have. Fucking LOATHE them!
swedeonamoose
As a european i can confirm that giving high military ranks to rich kids or yes sayers is in no way a bad idea that would backfire horrible in a war.
NooPogodi
At least you're not German /s
fumptrucker
You are right that allowing civilians to buy field ranks is a demonstrably terrible idea. But these people are supposedly being brought in as technicians and instructors, not field officers. However, I suspect that the role of tech execs in the military will drive the US to get into wars that they will use to show off their shiny new tech toys including ever more intrusive and comprehensive surveillance, autonomous weapons, and deeper integration of battlefield AI. What could go wrong?
Multipew
As a Brit I can confirm that selling military ranks was how we could afford the Peninsular war
Firsthope
Can’t wait to see them command troops during the upcoming wars. Easy pickings.
bricePlanetDiver
Excellent; now send them to invade Iran, don.
You can parachute them over Tehran.
cuddleskunk
I do wonder if this is actually him shooting himself in the foot. More than his treating vets like crap or anything else...outright selling military ranks to people with no military experience might actually get more military opposition to join against him.
IronMagnus
I guess it's not stolen valor if you purchase it /s
PteradactylStevens
Are they now subject to the UCMJ?
PTKrieg
Per traditional fascist SOP, they are on-paper subject to UCMJ with the tacit understanding that it won't be enforced... until they do something to personally annoy Dear Leader, at which point the prospect of being hauled off to Fort Leavenworth will be used as a stick to get them back in line.
Stumpkiller
We saw how well that worked for the British in the 1700's & 1800's.
EaNasirsExcellentHighGradeCopper
isnt the gray zone a known propaganda outlet?
bippityboppitybuttsex
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-army-tech-executives/
Armyguy8382
He is doing everything he can to turn our military, arguably the most powerful the world has ever seen, into a wet paper tiger. Fucking cunt.
DidItForScience
Seems like he wants to turn it into a private army with like minded loyal people in control.
SunBrolem
Wonder why...
ArtobansGhost
Seems to be succeeding as well the bastard
donthaveonebrojustlurk
Did these guys even go to basic?
walnutbreath
Nope.
donthaveonebrojustlurk
Asking for a veterans advice - as a civilian I would feel like a jerk making fun of someone in a uniform. Is this an exception?
walnutbreath
Not a vet, but I'd say go ahead. These guys didn't earn an ounce of respect or deference.
VincitQuiSeVincit
The Gray Zone(.com) isn't a reputable source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grayzone
walnutbreath
Per a response to a similar comment earlier: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/us-army-tech-executives/
bourbonandbaddecisions
I was taught that you always salute the uniform not the person wearing it. But in this case I disagree. I would not salute some millionaire who bought the rank. Rich cosplayer fucks who don’t have to defend their oath with arms don’t deserve to wear the uniform let alone receive a salute.
Pally01
I've never served, but I have a sneaking suspicion that career military guys know a few ways to creatively misinterpret orders and generally just not do what a fake officer wants.
bourbonandbaddecisions
Malicious compliance is a thing.
yalczero
"Respect the position, not the person." Really fucking hard to do with the person in the position is such a piece of shit they're degrading the position to the point it will take decades to repair it.
ItWasMeIWasTheTurkeyAllAlong
He needs lackeys when he tries to declare martial law.
Pokegeologist
In their case, activate the program.
WorkerLurker
If he thinks rank and file will respect the butter leaf who bought his position there’s going to be a fun headline and a potential obituary for them.
Ekaris9
He doesn't need them. Why do you think he gave all those pardons? He was building an army of brownshirts.
Khanamana324
Donnie also already has ice.
Ekaris9
And a great deal of them ARE people he has pardoned. Like the Jan. 6 crowd.
Johnsky
To our American neighbours down there, I am writing to inquire upon WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
meganical
Racists and sexists put an incompetent dictator in a powerful position where he’s just doing whatever he wants and nobody is standing up to him or making him stop. Not sure what you want us to do and again, I’ll mention we couldn’t even get people to stop shooting children in schools so that is evidence that we won’t stop anything, no matter how many of us die.
Johnsky
Sounds like a nation that's been neglecting mental health.
Rovylern
‘Murica - The Land of Gun Care and Health Control.
We’re fucked. To the rest of the world, I am sorry.
It will be a bit, but once the bread and circuses run out and more people get to the point of nothing left to lose, then there will be an increase of necessary violence. Let’s see how many people die due to the heat of summer and then how many freeze and/or go hungry this winter… I feel like that will be the turning point.
bippityboppitybuttsex
So, this is a tradition that goes back centuries in the US... but let's just look at the recent past... The US Army (I assume the other branches do it too) need talented people in law, medicine, technology and will offer higher entry ranks for those positions.
Most famously is Doctors being automatically commissioned as Captains (O3) and attorneys as 1LT (O2)... but some more senior doctors (or a high-end specialty can be brought on as O4 or O5 (based on civilian experience).
ChrisCorona
Don't those doctors and lawyers still have some form of officers training school? I don't think they just walk off the street and are captains, or 1lts.
bippityboppitybuttsex
The doctors get a short course in officer 101... The attorneys get sent to UVA to take a military law class for a year
epicfail88
Normally, medical professionals go through a “gentleman’s course” but it’s still a version of Basic and AIT. You still have to learn to be a soldier and follow orders. Same with ROTC, you get a degree and a commission as an officer, but with civilian skills too. This is straight bullshit.
bippityboppitybuttsex
My Brother in Law went to Ranger school and ABN school in ROTC... he had a pretty impressive 201 file when he refused to commission....
bippityboppitybuttsex
During the Civil War, if you could raise a regiment of men to fight, you automatically got handed a Colonel's rank to lead that regiment.
However, I have no idea what the fuck this is.
maythegorknmorkbewithyou
Yeah, blurring the lines between the CTRs and the MILs is in no way gonna backfire /s
bippityboppitybuttsex
CTRs?
maythegorknmorkbewithyou
Contractors - Booz Allen Hamilton, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Leidos are the common ones, but Palantir and these others fall under the umbrella as well. They provide a massive workforce to the federal government, with highly specialized skills, but they don't make decisions - they legally cannot, though some individuals have pretensions that no important decisions are made without their input. In the DOD, only MILs and CIVs have discretionary authority to make decisions or represent the Fed.
bippityboppitybuttsex
Got it, never saw the 'CTR' abbreviation... I have been fed by KBR... but TBH, maintaining a lot of wartime need on active duty is a waste of money... when you can hire them out as needed... then again, now we are in a permanent state of war with Oceania, or is it Eastasia or Eurasia?
maythegorknmorkbewithyou
This allows the people who make money off the government to make decisions about what the government spends money on. That is a massive conflict of interest.