California National Guard head to retire after antisemitism allegations and other scandals
The head of the California National Guard will retire at the end of July, after the organisation has been rocked by a number of scandals over the last few years, including allegations of antisemitism.
Major General David Baldwin, has led the Guard, which is a branch of the California Military Department, since 2011 but was installed in his current position in 2019.
Following a number of other public scandals, it has been reported that officers in the Guard have made allegedly antisemitic remarks to their subordinates during Maj. Gen. Baldwin’s tenure.
Brigadier General David Hawkins has been accused of antisemitic slurs on a number occasions, including, according to the LA Times, openly claiming that Jews are “unrepentant sinners”.
In another instance, a captain reportedly asked a Jewish soldier if cigar ashes were his “relatives”, presumably a reference to the practice of cremating the bodies of murdered victims in Nazi death camps.
Campaign Against Antisemitism reports on news and incidents relating to antisemitism throughout the United States.