Second Lieutenant Spencer Rapone is a 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division soldier. He tweeted photos wearing communist symbols and messages while in uniform.

In one photo, he is wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt under his uniform. In another, he's sporting a message that reads, "communism will win."

“If he did it on his own time, that’s something different,” said Watertown resident Mark Hatcher.

Some North Country residents say soldiers should have the right to say what they want when they want. But Fort Drum officials say the expressed beliefs aren’t the problem. It’s that they were expressed while in uniform.

“When he wears that uniform, everything he feels or thinks is out of the window,” said Hatcher.

Hatcher is a military veteran. He attends Vets Peer to Peer. He says Rapone’s actions compromise his ability to do his job.

“I cannot turn around and say 'I believe in this' and then turn around and support the country that fights against that. That doesn’t make any sense,” said Hatcher.

Although Elizabeth Fulk is the daughter of a veteran, she says she doesn’t think the photos are a problem.

“I think it’s OK for him to have his uniform on. I don’t see anything wrong with that,” said Fulk.

Rapone graduated from West Point in May. Fort Drum officials say Rapone’s current chain of command is looking into the matter. They say the goal is to determine if Rapone’s views prevent him from fulfilling his duty.