A militant who fought with Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine and participated in farright European politics before joining the U.S. Army has been discharged from the military, an Army spokesman said.
Pfc. Guillaume Cuvelier, 29, spent time with French ultranationalist groups before helping create an anti-Western militant group in eastern Ukraine in 2014. After leaving Ukraine in 2015 and fighting alongside Kurdish peshmerga in Iraq, Cuvelier shipped to U.S. Army basic training in January.
Before his discharge last week, Cuvelier — a dual French and U.S. citizen — was serving as an infantryman in a Hawaii-based unit, according to records provided by the Army.
In April, Cuvelier confirmed his service in the Army and his time in Ukraine.
Lt. Col. Jennifer Johnson, an Army spokesman, would not give the reason Cuvelier was discharged, saying it was protected under the Privacy Act.
Cuvelier’s discharge was neither honorable nor dishonorable, Johnson said in an email.
“Soldiers who are in an entry-level status because they have served less than 180 days of continuous active duty are normally discharged with an uncharacterized description of service,” she said.
Cuvelier’s history of espousing extreme rightist views and his role in an armed group backed by a U.S. adversary was recorded on websites, social media groups and in an online documentary. With Cuvelier’s easily searchable history, his enlistment raises questions about the Army’s recruitment process and whether applicants are thoroughly vetted.
Kelli Bland, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Recruiting Command, said the military had “begun an inquiry to ensure the process used to enlist this individual followed all of the required standards and procedures.”
Cuvelier, when first confronted about his potentially problematic history in April, said that he had changed.
“The Army is my only chance of moving on and cutting with my past,” Cuvelier said in a text message. “I realized I like this country, its way of life and its Constitution enough to defend it.”