AMERICAN SAMOA — Tuesday’s virtual roll call vote at the Democratic National Convention was by many accounts a hit, with viewers catching quick glimpses of all 57 American states and territories that they would not have seen at an "ordinary" convention.
But American Samoa’s contribution to the evening is stirring controversy after two uniformed Army soldiers were seen flanking the territory’s delegates, Aliitama Sotoa and Patti Matila.
Defense Department policy says “all military members … are prohibited from wearing military uniforms at political campaign events.”
Military personnel are allowed to participate in political events and donate to candidates in their own time and out of uniform.
The Army announced Wednesday it will investigate the soldiers, who are assigned to the 9th Mission Support Command.
"Wearing a uniform to a partisan political event like this is prohibited," Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Emanuel Ortiz said in a statement. "The Army follows the Department of Defense's longstanding and well-defined policy regarding political campaigns and elections to avoid the perception of DoD sponsorship, approval or endorsement of any political candidate, campaign or cause."
Convention officials said the segment intended to "celebrate American Samoa’s legacy of military service,” the Military Times’ Leo Shane III reported. Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa, however, told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that including the soldiers in the shot “was an oversight.”