West Point and Annapolis officials probe possible ‘white power’ hand signs at Army-Navy game

PHILADELPHIA — The Army and Navy academies are looking into hand signs flashed by students that can be associated with “white power” and were televised during the Army-Navy football game on Saturday, school officials said.

Cadets at West Point and midshipmen at the Naval Academy in the stands both appeared to display the sign during the broadcast, officials with the two military academies told The Wall Street Journal. The gesture was seen during an ESPN broadcast segment.

RELATED

Coast Guard member reprimanded for flashing controversial gesture on MSNBC

He was upbraided in administrative letter of censure signed by Capt. John Reed, the head of Hurricane Florence response efforts in Charleston, S.C.

By Carl Prine and Jon Simkins

School officials are trying to determine what the hand signals were meant to convey, they said.

“We’re looking into it,” Lt. Col. Chris Ophardt, a spokesperson for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York, told the Journal. “I don’t know what their intention is.”

“We are aware and will be looking into it,” said Cmdr. Alana Garas, a spokesperson for the U.S. Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Pentagon didn’t immediately respond to the Journal’s request for comment.

The hand sign is similar to the one often used to indicate “OK,” but the Anti-Defamation League says it has lately been used as an extremist meme, in part because of its ambiguity.

U.S. Coast Guard leaders last year reprimanded an officer who used a similar hand sign during a television broadcast.

RELATED

White nationalism remains a problem for the military, poll suggests

A survey of Military Times readers last fall found that more than half of non-white troops have seen signs of white nationalism and racist ideology.

By Leo Shane III

In Other News

Feds allege online lender ‘overcharged and deceived’ troops, families

Troops had to agree to a monthly membership fee before they could get a loan, feds allege.

North Korea fires missiles after Harris leaves South Korea

North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea hours after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris flew home from a visit to South Korea.

Will vegan meals finally join the MRE lineup?

The Defense Logistics Agency is exploring plant-based MREs.

The Corps has new amphibious vehicles, needs maintainer training tools

126 amphibious combat vehicles have been sent to the fleet, all on the West Coast.

4 years after Hurricane Florence ravaged Lejeune, rebuilding continues

Several new buildings are scheduled to be completed as early as next spring.

Load More