United States Armed Forces nude photo scandal

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In March 2017, a nude photo scandal in the United States Armed Forces was uncovered after it was reported by the Center for Investigative Reporting and The War Horse. [1] In early reporting, it was believed that the scandal was contained to only the Marine Corps, but was subsequently revealed to involve the rest of the military. [2]

Contents

Incident

In a closed Facebook group called "Marines United," which consisted of 30,000 active duty and retired members of the United States Armed Forces and British Royal Marines, hundreds of photos of female servicemembers from every branch of the military were distributed. [3] The page included links to Dropbox and Google Drive with even more images. [4] [5] After the Facebook group was shut down, members of the original group were redirected to other groups. In a post on the original group page, a member wrote, "It would be hilarious if one of these FBI or (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) fucks found their wife on here." In one instance, a group called "Marines United 2" was created and had 3,000 members. [6] [7] In the MU2 group, a user identified as Garret Bailey wrote, "If you add the fuck that snitches… I will blast you on every goddamn page from here to fucking the sandbox and back. Understand this: I will not accept a request until I can see that the person has served. If they haven’t, DON’T FUCKING ADD THEM!!! If you see someone and know they are a fucking snitch, let an admin know. This shit should have never made it to the national fucking news." [7]

Investigation

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service launched an investigation into the incident. [5]

Reactions

US Department of Defense

Jim Mattis, the Secretary of Defense, said, "The purported actions of civilian and military personnel on social media websites, including some associated with the Marines United group and possibly others, represent egregious violations of the fundamental values we uphold at the Department of Defense." [7] Robert Neller, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, said, "For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect." Ronald L. Green, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, said, "These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent." Marine Corps spokesman Ryan Alvis thanked Thomas Brennan uncovering the scandal, saying, "It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims." [5]

U.S. Congress

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called for a hearing on the incident. [8] Representative Adam Smith, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, called the online behavior "degrading, dangerous, and completely unacceptable." [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

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Military police Police organization part of the military of a state

Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear reconnaissance, logistic traffic management, counterinsurgency, and detainee handling.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice is the foundation of military law in the United States. It was established by the United States Congress in accordance with the authority given by the United States Constitution in Article I, Section 8, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power....To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval forces".

Presidential Service Badge Award

The Presidential Service Badge (PSB) is an identification badge of the United States Armed Forces which is awarded to members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard as well as other members of the Uniformed Services, such as the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, who serve as full-time military staff to the President of the United States.

United States Department of the Navy Military department within the Department of Defense of the United States of America

The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April 1798, at the urging of Secretary of War James McHenry, to provide a government organizational structure to the United States Navy (USN); since 1834, it has exercised jurisdiction over the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and, during wartime, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), though each remains an independent service branch. It is led by the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), a statutory civilian officer.

Royal Military Police Military police of the British Army

The Royal Military Police (RMP) is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of army service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK and while service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises. Members of the RMP are often known as 'Redcaps' because of the scarlet covers on their peaked caps and scarlet coloured berets.

Armed Forces Reserve Medal United States military service award

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Women in the military Women participating in military activities

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black beret</span> Military cap, worn by armored forces and other units

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Carol Mutter United States Marine Corps general

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References

  1. Brennan, Thomas James (March 4, 2017). "Hundreds of Marines investigated for sharing photos of naked colleagues". Revealnews.org. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  2. "US military nude photo sharing scandal widens beyond Marines". BBC. March 10, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  3. Szoldra, Paul (March 9, 2017). "The Marine Corps' nude-photo-sharing scandal is even worse than first realized". Business Insider. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  4. Chappell, Bill (March 6, 2017). "Sharing Of Nude Photos Of Female Marines Online Prompts Pentagon Investigation". NPR. Retrieved March 6, 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Nude Photo Posts of Female Marines Being Investigated by NCIS". NBC News. Washington: Associated Press. March 6, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  6. McLaughlin, Eliott C.; Stapleton, AnneClaire (March 9, 2017). "Secret Marines group is still sharing nude photos amid scandal". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 LaPorta, James; Laverty, Rory (March 10, 2017). "Marines Keep Sharing Women's Nude Photos in Secret Groups After Getting Busted". The Daily Beast. Retrieved March 10, 2017.
  8. Helsel, Phil (March 8, 2017). "Senator Calls for Hearing Over Marines Nude Photo Scandal". NBC News. Retrieved March 10, 2017.