Military

He fought with Russian-backed militants in Ukraine. Now he’s a U.S. soldier.

A prominent militant who fought with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine and participated in far-right European politics recently completed U.SArmy training and is serving in an American infantry division in Hawaii, according to Army and other records.

Guillaume Cuvelier, 29, shipped for basic training in January and graduated as an infantryman at Fort Benning, Ga., the records show. In a short exchange with The Washington Post, Cuvelier confirmed that he was actively serving in the U.S. Army.

With his well-documented history of espousing extreme right-wing views and his role in an armed group backed by a U.S. adversary, Cuvelier’s ability to join the Army raises questions about the recruitment process and whether applicants are thoroughly screened before they are able to enlist.

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A prominent militant who fought with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine and participated in far-right European politics recently completed U.SArmy training and is serving in an American infantry division in Hawaii, according to Army and other records.

Guillaume Cuvelier, 29, shipped for basic training in January and graduated as an infantryman at Fort Benning, Ga., the records show. In a short exchange with The Washington Post, Cuvelier confirmed that he was actively serving in the U.S. Army.

With his well-documented history of espousing extreme right-wing views and his role in an armed group backed by a U.S. adversary, Cuvelier’s ability to join the Army raises questions about the recruitment process and whether applicants are thoroughly screened before they are able to enlist.

Born and raised in France as a dual French and American citizen, Cuvelier spent his formative years alongside French ultranationalists before picking up a Kalashnikov in eastern Ukraine in 2014, according to social media posts, a documentary in which he was featured, and accounts from people who knew him. A year later he fought with the Kurdish peshmerga in northern Iraq before coming back to the United States.

Francis Cuvelier on patrol on the southern front lines of Kirkuk, Kurdistan.

Read the whole story from The Washington Post.

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The SOFREP News Team is a collective of professional military journalists. Brandon Tyler Webb is the SOFREP News Team's Editor-in-Chief. Guy D. McCardle is the SOFREP News Team's Managing Editor. Brandon and Guy both manage the SOFREP News Team.

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