More than a dozen service members have been suspended or relieved of duties for social media activity related to conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death.
Earlier this month, after Kirk was shot and killed during a Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that any social media post celebrating or mocking the assassination of Kirk was “completely unacceptable” and would be addressed “immediately.”
Some social media accounts appearing to belong to service members have been identified online by other accounts for comments, including “racists should get shot” and reposts saying, “MAKE NAZIS DEAD AGAIN,” according to a review of X posts by Military Times.
Other service members have been targeted online for calling Kirk or his comments “racist” and “sexist” while also explicitly stating that they do not condone his killing. It is not clear whether any of these service members are under investigation.
An Army spokeswoman told Military Times on Wednesday that “approximately a dozen Soldiers have been suspended pending review of their social media account activity.”
“These numbers are subject to change as commands review social media activity and take appropriate action,” she added.
The Marine Corps confirmed to Military Times this week that the service branch has relieved a Marine from recruiting duties after “a social media post that does not align with our core values.” The matter is currently under investigation.
The Air Force said it was in the process of taking “necessary administrative and disciplinary actions to hold service members accountable” for inappropriate actions, but declined to say how many airmen were currently under investigation.
Similarly, the Navy said it was actively reviewing reports of social media activity that is “misaligned with the Department’s current social media guidance.”
“Service members are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice at all times, including behavior conducted in the digital space. Sailors are expected to uphold Navy core values on duty, off duty, and online,” a Navy spokesperson told Military Times.
The Coast Guard has also identified a Guard member who carried out “inappropriate personal social media activity” that a spokesperson said was contrary to Coast Guard values.
“With the support of DHS, we are actively investigating this activity and will take appropriate action to hold the individual accountable. We recognize the harm such behavior can cause and remain steadfast in ensuring that the conduct of our personnel reflects the trust and responsibility placed in us by the American people,” the spokesperson added.
The Uniform Code of Military Justice is a federal law that addresses consequences for violating several principles of the military, ranging from mutiny and disobeying lawful orders to drunk and disorderly conduct and adultery.
Prosecutors have previously tried to discipline service members for social media posts under Article 134 of the UCMJ, known as the “General Article,” which criminalizes conduct that is “prejudice[ial] to good order” and serves as a catch-all for a variety of offenses.
However, UCMJ violations for social media posts under Article 134 could prove challenging in a court-martial.
In 2008, an Army soldier was court-martialed for posting white supremacist views online. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces concluded that the soldier was not violating Article 134 of the UCMJ because speech cannot be in violation “solely because the speech would be offensive to many or most.”
“We conclude that a direct and palpable connection between speech and the military mission or military environment is also required for an Article 134, UCMJ, offense,” the court ruled.
“If such a … connection were not required, the entire universe of service member opinions, ideas, and speech would be held to the subjective standard of what some member of the public, or even many members of the public, would find offensive,” the court added.
The Pentagon could also discipline troops for social media posts by using nonjudicial means, such as letters of reprimand that could impact career advancement.
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