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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Aug 3

It was my pleasure to let trans troops speak about their experiences of being discharged in their own words.

Out In National Security @outinnationalsecurity.org · Jul 31

Great work by @militarydotcom.bsky.social ‘s @ktoropin.bsky.social “Having this code, as best I understand, was last used for discharging homosexuals during the Lavender Scare in the McCarthy era"

www.military.com/daily-news/i...

'Open Cruelty': Transgender Troops Describe Indignities as They're Kicked Out of the Military

Leaders in the Trump administration have minced few words in articulating how they feel about transgender troops.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Jun 13

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to take steps to encourage troops to consider being part of the agencies that handle immigration enforcement and border security though a new policy unveiled Thursday.

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program

Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize and broadly advertise" opportunities troops who are nearing separation or retirement from the military have with either Customs and Border Protection or Imm...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Kathleen Bush-Joseph @kathleenbush.bsky.social · Jun 13

"Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program

In a memo made public Thursday, Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize & broadly advertise" opportunities [for] troops who are nearing separation or retirement"

From @ktoropin.bsky.social

Pentagon Encourages Troops to Join Immigration Enforcement, Border Security Job Training Program

Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to "prioritize and broadly advertise" opportunities troops who are nearing separation or retirement from the military have with either Customs and Border Protection or Imm...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Patricia Kime @patriciakime.bsky.social · Jun 11

Fort Bragg soldiers who cheered Trump’s political attacks (and jeered the press) were checked for allegiance, appearance via @stevenbeynon.bsky.social @ktoropin.bsky.social @militarydotcom.bsky.social www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Bragg Soldiers Who Cheered Trump's Political Attacks While in Uniform Were Checked for Allegiance, Appearance

As President Donald Trump viciously attacked his perceived political foes, he whipped up boos from the gathered troops directed at California leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom.

www.military.com

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Jun 11

Thanks David!!

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Jun 9

A battalion of active-duty Marines -- around 700 troops -- based out of Twentynine Palms, California, received deployment orders to Los Angeles on Monday.

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social, @stevenbeynon.bsky.social and @dflawrence.bsky.social

Trump Deploys Hundreds of Marines to LA in Growing Military Response to Immigration Raid Protests

The deployment marks a sharp escalation in the military's role in domestic unrest in the city caused by immigration raids by the Trump administration.

www.military.com

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Jun 4

It’s a very much…”a choice”

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Jun 4

Much appreciated!

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Jun 3

The ship is named after a gay rights icon.

One official told me that the timing of the decision - amid Pride Month - is not an accident.

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Jun 3

The USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed on the orders of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship, one that bears the name of a gay rights icon, documents and sources show.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Jun 3

The USNS Harvey Milk will be renamed on the orders of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship, one that bears the name of a gay rights icon, documents and sources show.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · May 22

In a move that pushes the boundaries of Constitutional prohibition against a state religion, Hegseth hosted an evangelical prayer service in the middle of the day at the Pentagon in which a pastor praised President Donald Trump as "sovereignly appointed."

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social

Hegseth Starts Evangelical Prayer Services at Pentagon with His Tennessee Church Pastor

The defense secretary's personal pastor from a Tennessee church whose leaders have a documented history of advocating for male-led Christian authority over society.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Thomas Novelly @tomnovelly.bsky.social · May 9

ICYMI: A Congressional probe into the safety of the V-22 Osprey following multiple deadly crashes has stalled for nearly a year. A Gold Star widow tells @militarydotcom.bsky.social she is “beyond disappointed” by this.

More from me and @ktoropin.bsky.social here:
www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Osprey Safety Investigation Stalls in Congress, Angering Gold Star Families

Congress' probe into the safety of the military's V-22 Osprey last summer following multiple deadly crashes has been stalled for nearly a year, angering Gold Star family members who lost loved ones ab...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

SlamDunkRicky @slamdunkricky.bsky.social · Apr 18

Excellent points by @ktoropin.bsky.social!
“More than a month after announcing a… bombing campaign against Houthi… in Yemen, (DOD) has offered little information and… refusing to answer even basic questions on what U.S. forces have accomplished … or whether troops have been under fire or injured.”

Jason "Red5" Lyall @jaylyall.bsky.social · Apr 18

That because there's no strategy, no theory of victory, no metrics for success --- just vibes ("it's been a bad three weeks for the Houthis and it's about to get a lot worse").

Just bombing for the sake of "doing something"

Military Refuses to Provide Details About Ongoing Bombing Campaign in Yemen

While some level of secrecy or information delay has always been part of military operations, the shift to actively refusing to provide even the most basic details about what service members are doing...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Apr 11

Big one for military folks ...

Hegseth's Pentagon looking to hand on-base grocery stores and shops designed to save service members and their families money to the private sector.

Story by @ktoropin.bsky.social + @tomnovelly.bsky.social

Privatized Commissaries? Pentagon Looking to Turn Over Retail, Recreation Services to Companies

The Pentagon’s newest push to trim its workforce and spending could mean that on-base grocery stores and shops designed to save service members and their families money could ultimately be sold off to...

www.military.com

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Mar 30

It was a treat to join @wardcarroll.bsky.social and chat about the Navy’s latest efforts to cut costs while battling drones in the Red Sea

Ward Carroll @wardcarroll.bsky.social · Mar 30

New episode just posted (featuring @ktoropin.bsky.social):

Deep Intel on the Navy's New Houthi Drone Killers

YouTube video by Ward Carroll

youtu.be

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Travis J. Tritten @travistritten.bsky.social · Mar 26

"How are soldiers supposed to interpret this?" an Army brigade commander said. "It's a cartoonish lapse in security."

Story by @stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @ktoropin.bsky.social, @dflawrence.bsky.social + @kheel.bsky.social

'Different Spanks for Different Ranks': Hegseth's Signal Scandal Would Put Regular Troops in the Brig

Despite what amounts to among the most startling security snafus in recent memory -- one that would almost certainly trigger severe disciplinary action for lower-level personnel -- Hegseth and others ...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Luke Baumgartner @lbaum94.bsky.social · Mar 7

Had the pleasure of speaking with @ktoropin.bsky.social for this latest @militarydotcom.bsky.social article on Kingsley Wilson.

BLUF: she’s a white nationalist.

Military.com @militarydotcom.bsky.social · Mar 6

Pentagon's No. 2 Spokesperson Has Long History of Antisemitic, Bigoted Social Media Posts

Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon's new deputy press secretary, has a yearslong history of making social media posts that traffic in a variety of extremist rhetoric, ranging from antisemitic conspiracy…

buff.ly

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Thomas Novelly @tomnovelly.bsky.social · Feb 28

NEW from me and @ktoropin.bsky.social: Ethics experts raise concerns about Trump’s pick to lead the Joint Chiefs given his role with a Kushner investment firm. Also, the officer’s VMI classmates worry that Trump may try and put the general in a precarious position.
www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Dan Caine's Nomination: Trump Family Business Connection, Fellow Classmates' Concerns

President Donald Trump's choice last week to nominate Lt. Gen. Dan "Razin" Caine as his pick to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff marks uncharted territory for the military.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Zachary Fryer-Biggs @zachfb.bsky.social · Feb 27

In the last month the Defense Secretary has fired the only two female four-stars, the top rank for military officers. @ktoropin.bsky.social and @stevenbeynon.bsky.social on how women in uniform are reacting to the loss of women at the top.

No More Female 4-Stars: Franchetti Firing Leaves Top Ranks Filled by Men

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first female chief, last week without any clear explanation -- part of a purge of top uniformed leadership that included the Joint...

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Zachary Fryer-Biggs @zachfb.bsky.social · Feb 22

The firing of Brown is going to get most of the attention, but the firings of the JAGs might be more significant in some ways. They're responsible for ensuring the military follows the law. - @ktoropin.bsky.social and @tomnovelly.bsky.social with the news www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Fired: Joint Chiefs Chairman, Top Navy Leader, Air Force Vice Chief, Service Judge Advocates General

In a historic and unprecedented move, the Trump administration on Friday night fired the Joint Chiefs chairman, the Navy's top officer, the Air Force vice chief of staff, and the judge advocates gener...

www.military.com

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Feb 19

It was a pleasure to chat with @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social on our newsroom’s reporting over the impact of Trump’s DEI bans on the military!

The Brian Lehrer Show @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social · Feb 19

ICYMI: @robertpjones.bsky.social, @ryanburge.bsky.social and @ktoropin.bsky.social on Trump's anti-Christian bias taskforce and anti-DEI policies:
www.wnyc.org/story/trump-...

Trump Policies on Religion and Identity | The Brian Lehrer Show | WNYC

Robert P. Jones, Ryan Burge, and Konstantin Toropin discuss the overlap and contradictions in the Trump administrations policies toward identity and religious affiliation.

www.wnyc.org

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Feb 17

The Secretary of Defense appears to have posted a document on X that shows he owes more than $33,000 in taxes following an audit.

Aside from his calls to defy the IRS, this raises a myriad of questions from the quality of the vetting that was done to his vulnerability to bribes.

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Feb 14

NEW from @militarydotcom.bsky.social -
We spent all week trying to figure out what's going on with Sec Hegseth and his $137K house repairs

Seems the DoD doesn't want to offer details

They did confirm he'll pay rent

w/@stevenbeynon.bsky.social, @kheel.bsky.social

www.military.com/daily-news/2...

Pentagon Offers Few Details on Hegseth's $137,000 Housing Upgrades, But Secretary Will Pay Rent

Hegseth is eyeing a move into military family housing at Fort McNair, a historic Army installation tucked away in southwest D.C., where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

www.military.com

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Reposted by Konstantin Toropin

Zachary Fryer-Biggs @zachfb.bsky.social · Feb 14

We're going to keep asking until we get some actual answers. - @ktoropin.bsky.social @stevenbeynon.bsky.social @kheel.bsky.social

Pentagon Offers Few Details on Hegseth's $137,000 Housing Upgrades, But Secretary Will Pay Rent

Hegseth is eyeing a move into military family housing at Fort McNair, a historic Army installation tucked away in southwest D.C., where the Anacostia and Potomac rivers meet.

www.military.com

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Konstantin Toropin @ktoropin.bsky.social · Feb 10

Jack McCain, one of the board members (Naval Academy) impacted reacts to his seeming ouster on Twitter/X -

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