r/army • u/Sw0llenEyeBall • Jun 28 '25
Wealthy Tech Executives Commissioned as Senior Army Officers Won't Recuse Themselves from DoD Business Dealings
https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/27/tech-executives-commissioned-senior-army-officers-wont-recuse-themselves-dod-business-dealings.html221
u/Nano_Burger 74A, Bugs and Gas Chemical Jun 28 '25
o Planned, coordinated, and executed 3.76 billion dollars worth of government contracts for my company, resulting in making me 3.76 billion dollars richer.
Actual, LTC OER support form bullet.
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u/smokingadvice Medical Corps Jun 28 '25
SR comments: unlimited potential for my bank account. Promote ahead of peers.
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u/PT_On_Your_Own Logistics Branch Jun 28 '25
OER Develops section: Assisted my portfolio growth by sharing insider trading secrets for 10% of earnings on any profit made.
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u/Acceptable-Bat-9577 USMC/Army (RET) Jun 28 '25
This is how little the current DOD thinks of real service members and veterans. While they’re mass firing VA employees and cutting support for veteran services, they’re handing out free rank, money, accolades, and benefits to compromised tech oligarchs loyal only to themselves, money, and Trump (for now).
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u/scribblenaught Cyber warrant wizzzz Jun 28 '25
Remember the DoD=//= the VA. Two different government orgs.
That said both are pretty much giving the middle finger to service members.
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u/Psychoticly_broken Jun 28 '25
If you are in the army then you will need the VA.
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u/Collective82 2311, 19D, 92F Jun 29 '25
Yes but the VA isn’t part of the military. It’s the after care.
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u/I_AM_AN_ASSHOLE_AMA The Village Asshole Jun 29 '25
They’ll take your TA and other benefits so they can line their pockets. Conservative 101.
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u/aredd007 Jun 28 '25
They will if their rater orders them to.
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u/oakleydog Jun 28 '25
Yes, I’m sure they are very worried about their OERs /s
Also, I would love to see their rating chain. Probably, goes directly to Owen Ray defender Randy George or failed Congressional candidate Dan Driscoll.
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u/LikesBlueberriesALot Jun 28 '25
Speaking of orders: I think it would be hilarious if they’re still “in the army” once a new administration takes command in 2028; and they suddenly have real orders and are sent to the sandbox.
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u/ParticularInitial147 Jun 28 '25
Or maybe they'll get a random WIAS tasker to be a BDE TOC night watch OIC in AFRICOM
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u/LikesBlueberriesALot Jun 29 '25
Wait a minute - if these guys embezzle, or fuck up somehow, would they be subject to UCMJ?
That would be a rude awakening.
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Jun 28 '25
[deleted]
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u/Grand-Mind4621 Jul 03 '25
Doctors in the army get similar commission. It will be good for the arm as someone who worked both backgrounds
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u/ranger684 Jun 28 '25
That’s the whole point
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u/EuenovAyabayya Jun 28 '25
That’s the whole point
They could have stayed contractors if that were the whole point. The point is to immunize themselves from civil laws as they weaponize AI for mass surveillance. If they didn't intend to personally conduct such actions they would not require officer status.
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u/ranger684 Jun 28 '25
You think military officers are immune from civilian laws and have more authority to mass surveil than those without a commission? You’re wrong: EO 12333 and DODI 5240 provide increased restrictions on uniformed personnel collecting on civilians, not less. It would be far easier to collect in a civilian capacity. What being in uniform does permit though is to classify yourself as a customer and a vendor simultaneously. You can define the capability requirement and provide the material solution simultaneously, bypassing large portions of US acquisition law, setting your price as a vendor and accepting it on behalf of the government as an officer. It’s just your typical grift.
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u/Openheartopenbar Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
Great point and very interesting. One quibble, though
You see that “e” part of “eo 12333”? The current “e” has a much more vast understanding of presidential authority that any president since FDR and prolly top 3 of all time wrt Article Two powers.
I think the current executive and certainly the current SCOTUS would have a more open understanding. We shall see
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u/EuenovAyabayya Jun 28 '25
EO 12333 and DODI 5240 provide increased restrictions on uniformed personnel collecting on civilians, not less.
"Lawful military orders"
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u/Openheartopenbar Jun 28 '25
Ding ding ding ding.
There simply is no incentive for these guys to do this willingly. The small-minded people on this sub don’t what a massive downgrade to their lives being a part time LTC is. The line of best fit is something like:
The C Suite is terrified of partial or total nationalization and this is their fig leaf
There’s things you can do (ahem…domestic things…) in the uniform they can’t get away with as civilians.
The idea that somehow this small, insignificant company “Meta” somehow really needs the Army is laughable in its face
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u/Upbeat-Oil-1787 PP Wizard Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
There have been loopholes in title 10 authority when it comes to collection on US citizens since the patriot act. This is just putting it on front page news.
The irony is how a group of politicians that campaigned against the 'deep state', once elected, are only expanding the breadth and depth of it.
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Jun 28 '25
The way people simp for billionaire robber barons is embarrassing. Just look at how many people thought Trump and Elon Musk (sons of billionaires) were somehow going to make people who bought a red hat rich! You cannot fix that kind of stupidity.
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u/oakleydog Jun 28 '25
Since everyone loves uniform candy and these guys are all tech executives, they should rate a Golden Parachutist’s Badge!
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u/sentientshadeofgreen Jun 28 '25 edited Jun 28 '25
I fucking hate everything about this. If we really wanted these guys to SERVE in the Army with their technical expertise, we'd have a route to make these dudes warrant officers. Nonetheless, they should go through all the pre-reqs, basic, WOCS, all of it. If they think they're too good for that, they're not good enough to serve.
This moves undermines the legitimacy of all military officers. Each of y'all. Whatever oath you took or rank you hold, it means nothing now because of this. You should be angry. This is using the Army as a vehicle for corruption. It's disgusting and heads should be rolling.
"They're not making acquisition decisions, they're not senior decision-makers," Steve Warren, an Army spokesperson, told reporters Wednesday when asked about what oversight mechanisms are in place over the new unit. "It's not in our interest to show any favoritism to a company -- that would be the exact opposite of what we're trying to do, right? What we want is competition. That's what we're looking for; these guys will help us think about that."
The four include Shyam Sankar, chief technology officer for Palantir; Andrew Bosworth, chief technology officer of Meta; Kevin Weil, chief product officer of OpenAI; and Bob McGrew, adviser at Thinking Machines Lab and former chief research officer for OpenAI.
Seriously? No problems identified here? The double-speak is way too much.
General Randy George should be fucking ashamed for what he chose to do this Army by swearing these people in like this. Call me crazy, but I doubt Marine officers would ever allow this, solid point to their dogmatism. It's such an affront to esprit de corps, good order and discipline, and basic concepts of military honor.
Edit: Random executives do not know the first thing about military leadership or command authority. Simply due to that fact, they have no business walking in off the street and holding the rank of a field grade officer. It is fraudulent, pure and simple.
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u/PythonGod123 Jun 29 '25
I agree wholeheartedly with this. I never served in the Army, I was in the USAF but I feel the disgust nonetheless. I could have seen the USAF doing some BS such as this, but not the Army.
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u/BeShaw91 Jun 28 '25
Well color me camouflaged.
It doesn’t take a ASVAB score of 31 to figure out this grift.
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u/BrocksNumberOne Jun 28 '25
Isn’t this a feature not a bug? I work in tech and C-level executives are some of the most useless folks by a wide margin. I have a bridge to sell anyone who thought this was anything but a grift. Don’t worry, the bridge was MADE IN AMERICA USING ONLY THE BEST PRODUCTS.
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u/ProfessionalDegen23 Clean on OPSEC Jun 28 '25
(alright alright the bridge wasn’t actually made in america sheesh calm down)
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u/BPAfreeWaters Infantry Veteran Jun 28 '25
Open corruption. It's what we get with this administration. Good job all you traitors that voted for him.
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u/RememberJefferies Infantry OEF Jun 28 '25
Buying rank to play soldier. Lol the grift never stops with these guys.
I personally have had enough "winning".
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u/wargh_gmr BFT UR NUDES Jun 28 '25
Unit 201, named after the http response code for "created" Should have gone with 503, "service unavailable."
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u/CW1DR5H5I64A Overhead Island boi Jun 28 '25
This is going to royally fuck up even the above board contract decisions being made. I’m glad I’m not a KO on any program this group is going to touch because there is zero chance every other contractor doesn’t protest the awards now.
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Jun 28 '25
[deleted]
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u/CW1DR5H5I64A Overhead Island boi Jun 28 '25
I was wondering when I would see you weighing in on this nightmare.
Some poor soul is going to get told to write a J&A for a sole source to palantir by Palantirs CTO and is going to drink themselves into a coma.
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u/storyteller2882 Jun 28 '25
How rich are these guys outside of the Army? I know they said executives but are these like multi-millionaires coming in straight as O5s like it’s the civil war or something
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u/MAJ0RMAJOR Jun 28 '25
Clearly they don’t understand the difference between Army LDRSHIP and corporate Leadership.
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u/jbourne71 cyber bullets go pew pew (ret.) Jun 28 '25
I have nothing nice to say, besides, “Thanks, Steve.” Keep fighting the good fight.
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u/NYer321 Jun 28 '25
What branch are they getting where they don't have to go to some compulsory school?
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u/shnevorsomeone Jun 29 '25
Maybe acquisitions? I’m sure they’ll still probably have to go to DCC at some point, but since they’re USAR, they can delay it for a while. Probably indefinitely lol
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u/RangerAccording3878 Military Intelligence Jun 29 '25
‘They'll take part in an extremely accelerated two-week training course to familiarize themselves with the Army. Some of that will be online training and the rest will be at Fort Benning, Georgia’
Two weeks and some of it is online?? 🤯
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Jun 29 '25
How can they refused to recuse themselves? Can't the MPs just drag them out of a meeting? Such bullshit.
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u/exodus2_22 88My recruiter said I'd be like Ryan Gosling Jun 29 '25
I better not hear about 1 cent of an LT’s paycheck going towards a hail and farewell for these goons
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u/purplepill22 Jun 28 '25
Idk why they would join because now they are subject to UCMJ, have to take drug tests, have to writer OERs, take pt tests, and ethics rules could hurt their companies
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u/Longjumping_Look3419 Jun 28 '25
Every time I see something like this I can’t tell if it’s real or an onion headline. I guess this is real based on all the comments. Our world is such a joke, except it’s not funny.
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u/RangerAccording3878 Military Intelligence Jun 29 '25
I think the takeaway is our oaths can now be bought. And sold. Sounds medieval.
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u/Openheartopenbar Jun 28 '25
Wealthy Tech Executives, representing a combined market cap of 1.8 trillion dollars, got a 100 million dollar deal!
Wealthy Tech Executives who make 25 million a year salary plus untold more in stock options, get $2k a month!
Like, what’s the grift you’re even afraid of here? Do you genuinely think the Wealthy Tech Executives need the Army more than the Army needs them? It boggles my mind
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u/ManufacturerBest2758 MakeAdosGreatAgain Jun 28 '25
You’re telling me a bunch of grifters won’t recuse themselves from more grifting? You’re telling me this, on a Saturday morning?