Military prosecutor Maj. Ben Richard argued Topp’s actions came “very close to the legal definition of mutiny,” and could have triggered protests reminiscent of the attack on the United States Capitol in January 2021.
That’s pretty hard to believe. He publicly disagreed with the military? Heavens!
He accused the former soldier of trying to undermine the federal government when he made the videos in February 2022, and asked the military judge for “a robust sentence” of a severe reprimand and a $5,200 fine.
Oh yeah that’s exactly like the Jan 6 folks. A severe reprimand? Holy smokes/good golly!
As he is still serving the military by working for them, these charges actually make sense. He is publicly criticizing the organization for which he works which has had a history of requiring vaccinations for their soldiers (and himself by the way as he works for them still) since before WW2.
The alternative was to be discharged which would cost him his job, essentially being fired as he would have been at any private business for speaking out publicly against their policies. But this is preferable to him as well as he needs the job
Let’s not forget that this is a guilty plea. Even WO Topp believes himself guilty.
Still feels like a tempest in a teapot, and I would argue that a guilty plea means less when it is incentivized like that.
If the tempest started anywhere, it was WO Topp in his public speaking, social media presence, and led ‘protest marches’ in opposition to the policy.