Troops In Iraq Are Wearing Oath Keeper Tabs

[Sol Invictus]

The above photo was submitted by an active duty Oath Keeper in Mosul Iraq, sporting an Oath Keepers tab. As his other tab and patch make clear, he is also a “Three Percenter.” (see below)

The photo was also posted over at the Sipsey Street Irregulars blog with this message:

Just thought the WRSA [Western Rifle Shooters Association] and the Sipsey Street boys might like to see what we are wearing while over here in Iraq. We . . . know what the deal is, and when the time comes (which it will), we know where we stand and continue to make preparations for it.

Keep up the good work!

Regards from Mosul,
K7C


All I can say to that is Hooah! Thank you for your service, K7C, and for stepping up. Give our best regards to your brothers in arms, and let them know we have your six back home. If any of you need anything at all, from socks to helmets, to body armor, just ask and it will be provided. We need you to stay safe and come home healthy.

Oath Keepers here stateside, let your brothers on active duty in Iraq know how you feel. They do come here to read comments, count on that.

Note that the tab in the photo is not the same tab we sell here on our site (which is more of a police style tab). We are having military ACU style tabs with velcro made up, but they are not yet finished. That means the troops are having their own Oath Keeper tabs made up! And no, we did not put them up to it. They are doing this on their own initiative.

So take heart! The message of the oath and its obligations is spreading, and the Guardians of the Republic are listening and responding. And every time you act to spread the message, by whatever means, you cannot know what impact you will have, or how far it will reach. That’s why it’s so crucial that we each do what we can to reach, teach, and inspire as many active duty as possible about their obligation to defend the Constitution and their duty to refuse unlawful orders that would violate the rights of their fellow Americans.

Upcoming Outreach Effort to Put Tabs, DVD’s, and OK Handbooks in the Hands of Active Duty

Coincidentally, the tabs those troops are wearing are almost exactly like the tabs we are having made for our upcoming care package initiative, which will put an Oath Keeper tab, DVD, Oath Keepers handbook, copy of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, and other outreach materials, into the hands of active duty deployed worldwide. We plan on launching that effort on Veteran’s Day, November 11 and continuing right on through Bill of Rights Day, December 15, with the goal of delivering all the care packages by Christmas. Now imagine what that will be like! Tens of thousands of our troops reached with the message and a tab. I will post more details very soon.

What’s a Three Percenter?

Now, seeing the other tab and patch in the photo, you may ask “what is a three percenter?” The narrowest definition is that three percenters are hard-line gun owners who are done backing up and will not comply with more infringements of their right to bear arms. A broader definition would be that they are hard-line Americans who are done backing up and will not comply with further infringement of any of their rights. It also alludes to the three percent of the colonists who took to the field against the King during the Revolution, and the estimation that at least three percent of modern Americans will actively fight, if it comes to it, to preserve liberty. Read this essay for more explanation.

Oath Keepers and Three Percenters are separate groups, but it is not a surprise to see people who consider themselves both an Oath Keeper and a Three Percenter. If you read the supplied links you will see why.

While we Oath Keepers have a specialized mission of outreach to current serving, focused on the oath and on refusing to obey unlawful orders, there’s lots of common ground and shared commitment to the Republic among both groups. Go here to read what the Sipsey Street blog has to say about that.

Oath Keepers, expect to see more of these tabs popping up soon, even before we begin our care package initiative. You are making a real difference. Keep up the good work!

For the Republic,

Stewart Rhodes

http://oath-keepers.blogspot.com/

[Psychonaut]

My professional opinion is that the photo looks really fishy. I seriously doubt that any commander in the US Army would allow a soldier to get away with such a flagrant violation of AR 670-1. Also, the LBV (load bearing vest) this guy is wearing looks way out of date. We've not been issuing that kind of gear for a long time.

[Sol Invictus]

My professional opinion is that the photo looks really fishy. I seriously doubt that any commander in the US Army would allow a soldier to get away with such a flagrant violation of AR 670-1. Also, the LBV (load bearing vest) this guy is wearing looks way out of date. We've not been issuing that kind of gear for a long time.

Cool. I just sent an email to Lt. Colonel Steward Rhodes regarding this. Will Update ASAP.

Thank you Psychonaut.

[Sol Invictus]

From:
Sent: October 10, 2009 2:21:05 AM
To: stewart.rhodes@aya.yale.edu

Hello sir.

I have a question regarding this article: http://www.militiaradio.com/?p=948

A friend of mine in the Military brought this to my attention, and this is his exact quote. I ask you sir, if you would please address this.

My professional opinion is that the photo looks really fishy. I seriously doubt that any commander in the US Army would allow a soldier to get away with such a flagrant violation of AR 670-1. Also, the LBV (load bearing vest) this guy is wearing looks way out of date. We've not been issuing that kind of gear for a long time.

Respectfull submitted,

Jason ***********-*******

[Sol Invictus]

I just want to add my own speculation. This could very well be a 'poser', maybe a publicity stunt in a manner of speaking? But in terms of the patches, I think it would be entirely possible to swap them just for the photo shoot and then put back up the regular standard patches as issued in the army. But the matter of the LBV is something I would like to get to the bottom of myself. If infact it is legitimate, then this could be huge in terms of having our boys supporting us in the military and only gives us more credibility to our cause.

Although this Lieutenant Colonel Steward Rhodes is also probably a busy man, since he is also a Constititutional Lawyer/specialist who goes out on the road and does alot of rallies and tends to legal cases alot, I am not sure if he will respond as quickly as I would hope.

Psychonaut, is there anyway you can identify this LBV that he is wearing and maybe give us an image of what it is and possibly compare it to the ones that are in service today in Iraq? Also, would it be possible that there are equipment shortages in Iraq that they may be equipping front-line units with second-rate LBVs?

I want to get to the bottom of this because this could seriously effect my view of the credibility of the Oath Keepers, and I don't want to follow a group that uses publicity stunts to further their cause for the defense of the republic.

Thanks Psy.

[Psychonaut]

Psychonaut, is there anyway you can identify this LBV that he is wearing and maybe give us an image of what it is and possibly compare it to the ones that are in service today in Iraq? Also, would it be possible that there are equipment shortages in Iraq that they may be equipping front-line units with second-rate LBVs?

There were two things that struck me about this photo. First, this fellow isn't wearing an IBA. Although I've not deployed myself, one things that's been drilled into my head by all of my leaders that have is that there are two things you never go outside without: your IBA and your weapon. This fellow doesn't appear to have either.

Second, the fact that not only is he wearing an LBV, but also that it's a brown LBV is telltale. The way the new IBAs are is that they have a modular strap-based system that allows pouches that would normally be attached to an LBV harness to be strapped directly onto the IBA in any fashion the soldier needs. This makes it superior to the rigid LBV, cheaper, and less cumbersome. This has been standard equipment that every soldier gets for the last three years at least. I'm not even in a combat unit and I haven't seen a soul without one of these being issued to them in at least two years. This guy's LBV is very new looking and is brown. All Army gear has been switched over to the ACU pattern for a long time now. I would wager that this is a civilian piece that he purchased on his own.

[Sol Invictus]

I did come across this photo that has some similarities to the LBV that the guy above was wearing;



The issue is, is that the person wearing this is a British Soldier, not American..

This is rather suspect indeed.

[Sol Invictus]

I would wager that this is a civilian piece that he purchased on his own.

Ok so let's just assume that is true (which it seems most likely). Is there anything against servicemen purchasing their own LBVs, such as milsurp, or any other outside sources for active duty? I am starting to suspect that this is actually a militiaman posing as a soldier with tags of his own creation. I don't think this necessarily discredits Oath Keepers altogether, but if it infact fake, I wonder if it is not negligence on part of Lt. Col. Mr. Rhodes to see something as obvious as that, seeing as how he himself was a deployed member of the military.

In the meantime I have posted my question concerning this article on the comments section and hope to get some information on this. I will also pose these questions to people from the Military Photos forum, which is frequented by alot of active servicemen, and veterens.

Thanks for your input Psy.

[Psychonaut]

Ok so let's just assume that is true (which it seems most likely). Is there anything against servicemen purchasing their own LBVs, such as milsurp, or any other outside sources for active duty?

When you show up for a formation, you will be in the exact same uniform as every one else in that formation. You can buy and wear whatever you want in your personal time, but the amount of personal items you can bring to Iraq with you is limited and I seriously doubt that anyone would bring civilian (inferior) gear to Iraq and strut around in it in their off time. That just seems crazy. I have tons of personal gear, but I never use it during duty operations because that would not be allowed by my commander since I'd be different than everyone else. Uniformity is everything in the military.

[Sol Invictus]

I have sent the following email to the host of the blog of the Sipsey Street Irregulars where the source of the news came from.

From:
Sent: October 10 2009 5:35:43 PM
To: georgemason1776@aol.com

Regarding Iraqi Oath Keeper

Hello sir,

I have been contacting many people regarding some anomalies that I would like to have addressed and so far no one has addressed my questions. I am hoping, that you, being the host of the blog that carried the article that soldiers in Iraq are supporting the Oath Keepers, would help me in getting to the bottom of this.

A friend of mine in the military has told me that the picture of the Load Bearing Vest that the person in the picture is wearing does not match up with the typical LBVs that are issued to soldiers during active duty in a combat zone, which leads me to suspect that the article that you have carried is a hoax, and a publicity stunt used to drawn attention.

You must understand, sir, that I have also carried this story on a number of forums in the hopes of raising awareness of the Militia Movement and Oath Keepers, and many people have now become skeptical as to the credibility of your Militia Unit and Oathkeepers in general. You must also understand, sir, that I am in this fight with you. And I value the continued existance of the republic more than I value anything else, including my own life. But I refuse to follow and support a militia unit, and an organization that resorts to falsifying information that would otherwise give credence to our cause.

Would you please address my questions whenever you have the time. This is a very serious matter and I would hope you would take the time to help a fellow patriot get to the bottom of this.

In the meantime I have emailed Mr. Steward Rhodes regarding this exact thing, since he himself has endorsed it.

Long Live the Republic,
Death to the New World Order,

Jason.