Air Force demotes NCO accused of ties to white supremacist group
"Our core values demand that airmen treat others with genuine dignity, fairness, and respect at all times whether their actions are in person or on social media. When airmen fall short of this expectation, they are held accountable. Each case is evaluated based on the facts presented."
An airman accused of being linked to a white supremacist group has been demoted but will remaining in the Air Force, a spokeswoman confirmed.
Tech Sgt. Cory Reeves was busted down from master sergeant following a command investigation into April allegations that he was a member of white supremacist organization Identity Evropa and had allegedly distributed white supremacist propaganda in Colorado.
Prior to the investigation, Reeves was an operations superintendent with 2nd Space Operations Squadron, according to Air Force Times. Air Force Times was first to report Tuesday that Reeves would stay in the Air Force at a lower rank.
Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed that Reeves is still in the Air Force and he has been serving at his current rank since September. His current job title is “technician.”
Stefanek was unable to discuss the findings of the command investigation into Reeves, which are not releasable under the Privacy Act.
“Our core values demand that airmen treat others with genuine dignity, fairness, and respect at all times whether their actions are in person or on social media,” Stefanek said on Thursday. “When airmen fall short of this expectation, they are held accountable. Each case is evaluated based on the facts presented.”
Reeves, who is assigned to Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, declined to comment on Thursday, a spokesman for the 50th Space Wing told Task & Purpose.
The U.S. military as a whole has attempted in recent years to come to grips with the participation of U.S. service members in hate groups.
Most recently, an by the video network Newsy and investigative website Bellingcat found that eight service members posted on the now defunct Iron Message boards while they were on active duty.
Iron March, which was a haven for white supremacists, was deactivated in 2017. Newsy is not identifying any of the service members, a spokesperson for the outlet told Task & Purpose.
Newsweek reporters James LaPorta and Asher Stockler were able to independently verify that one of the service members who made racist posts on the message boards was an active-duty Marine: Lance Corporal Liam J. Collins, a rifleman assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
“We intend to fully investigate this allegation,” 1st Lt. Joe Wright, a spokesman for the 2nd Marine Division, said on Nov. 8. “If substantiated, the subject Marine will be held fully accountable.”
