On the day of the Capitol riot, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment provided backup to the police at the behest of the Pentagon. Since then, one of its officers has come forward to relay his firsthand experience of the event and claims to have been subjected to career reprisals as a result.
Lt. Colonel Timothy Byrne was a commander of the 3rd Regiment, and was tasked with some of the toughest crowd control duties — that is, ensuring that the people from inside the Capitol building were safely evacuated amidst the chaos outside.
Byrne claims that the response by the various military units, including his own 3rd regiment, was much better managed than the response from Capitol police: the troops worked in close coordination with both local and federal officers, and brought the crowd under control in a matter of hours.
However, according to Byrne, the Army quickly began to sour on his account, because it contained critical details of the operations. Shortly after, he was replaced from his deployment post and faced a series of investigations, probing into even seemingly minor sides of his opinions.
It is clear that Byrne’s credibility was the issue. Furthermore, the way in which he was replaced reeks of retaliation against a whistleblower. This is a much bigger narrative than simply the handling of rioters.
The lack of due process for Lt. Colonel Byrne speaks volumes. The Army’s reprisal against this officer is not only an affront to the democratic values he was sent to protect. It should also deal a permanent blow to the morale of any soldier that needs to protect basic civil rights during future conflicts.
Moreover, it also undermines any element of trust towards the ruling military elite — and this could prove to be damaging further down the line. It is essential that the proper authorities investigate the events behind the alleged reprisal, to understand exactly why Byrne received the reprimand he did.
In any case, it serves as an important reminder to the public. Within the American military, there must always be a space for honest and unfiltered accounts, free from fear of reprisal or censure.
On the day of the Capitol riot, the U.S. Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment provided backup to the police at the behest of the Pentagon. Since then, one of its officers has come forward to relay his firsthand experience of the event and claims to have been subjected to career reprisals as a result.
Lt. Colonel Timothy Byrne was a commander of the 3rd Regiment, and was tasked with some of the toughest crowd control duties — that is, ensuring that the people from inside the Capitol building were safely evacuated amidst the chaos outside.
Byrne claims that the response by the various military units, including his own 3rd regiment, was much better managed than the response from Capitol police: the troops worked in close coordination with both local and federal officers, and brought the crowd under control in a matter of hours.
However, according to Byrne, the Army quickly began to sour on his account, because it contained critical details of the operations. Shortly after, he was replaced from his deployment post and faced a series of investigations, probing into even seemingly minor sides of his opinions.
It is clear that Byrne’s credibility was the issue. Furthermore, the way in which he was replaced reeks of retaliation against a whistleblower. This is a much bigger narrative than simply the handling of rioters.
The lack of due process for Lt. Colonel Byrne speaks volumes. The Army’s reprisal against this officer is not only an affront to the democratic values he was sent to protect. It should also deal a permanent blow to the morale of any soldier that needs to protect basic civil rights during future conflicts.
Moreover, it also undermines any element of trust towards the ruling military elite — and this could prove to be damaging further down the line. It is essential that the proper authorities investigate the events behind the alleged reprisal, to understand exactly why Byrne received the reprimand he did.
In any case, it serves as an important reminder to the public. Within the American military, there must always be a space for honest and unfiltered accounts, free from fear of reprisal or censure.
