Keeping it classy (Updated)
We posted a photo on our Facebook page yesterday of a young woman in an Air Force uniform tonguing the figure on a POW/MIA flag. It was pretty disgusting and I didn’t feel like putting the image on the blog. But, by the end of the day, the Air Force released a statement about the photo, according to Stars & Stripes. You can click over and see the picture, but I don’t believe it belongs here;
“I want to make it clear that this is not a reflection of Airmen who wear this uniform; it is a case of poor judgment of one Airman … to say we are disappointed would be an understatement. We are gathering all the details and will take appropriate action at the appropriate level. Our Airmen fully understand the significance of the POW/MIA flag and the sacrifice of the men and women it honors,” Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force James Cody said in a statement.
The woman in the picture has been identified as Staff Sgt. Cherish Byers, currently with the 92nd Security Forces Squadron at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington State. She has been promoted since the picture was taken and it went viral over the last 48 hours, so that may change.
I guess folks still haven’t learned to not take pictures of their bad behavior despite evidence of reasons they shouldn’t in the past decade or so.
ADDED: Obviously, she still doesn’t understand that what she did was wrong and why it was wrong;
Category: Shitbags
How did this “person” EVER become an NCO?
ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE and completely tasteless to boot!! I hope her Chain of Command throws the UCMJ book at her! If any Soldier under me ever did something like that, I’d push as hard as I could for a Field Grade Article 15 with maximum punishment. As i see it, what she did is just as inexcusable as desecrating the United States Flag! I also wonder how soon she’ll call on liberal celebrities and professional race pimps to play the skin color card?
If she was in my command, we would have already had Captain’s Mast and I would have maxed her out. Take as many stripes, money, and time from her as I could. I would then explore an admin discharge.
@1 She fogged the mirror? Oh, THAT’S the test for O-3! My bad!
Two thoughts: 1. There is a saying in the Air Force that Security Forces “eats their own”. They traditionally lay the hammer harder than other AFSCs when it comes to folks screwing up. 2. Even before this she was probably one of the thousands of Airmen (including me)facing a RIF board this summer. Bottom line: put a fork in her, she’s done.
*facepalm*
It’s bad enough with all these phonies scurrying around like roaches after the light is turned on. But we also have to contend with idiots like this. As a former Air Force NCO, this is embarassing. Hopefully her Squadron Commander throws several books at her.
Mustang, Ditto, what a goof!
Flush!
Cherish Byers struck back on Facebook. It’s not her fault, she didn’t know better, take care of your own, yada yada yada.
https://www.facebook.com/girls4gunslingers/photos/a.300286756733040.66584.274105099351206/585409991554047/?type=1
@9: Yeah, she claims she “was a young airman” when that picture was taken 3 years ago. However, if you look at the picture, she’s rocking E-4 stripes on that uniform, so that throws out her argument about being a “young airman”.
She’s a stupid bitch that deserves the ridicule she’s earned.
The fact that it’s all our fault proves that she still doesn’t know that what she did was wrong.
Yeah, nice apology from her. I bet Bowe Bergdahl was moved to tears.
“Sorry” seems to be the hardest word.
All she did was make an excuse and the word “sorry” never came to mind….as my Drill Sergeants used to say, the “maximum effective range of an excuse is zero”
Since when has she tried to “make up” for her mistake? She doesn’t deserve to wear that uniform….
Yeah, this would have been a case of say nothing, take the hit that comes from the Chain of Command, and drive on. But no, SHE had to try to defend the indefensible. Enjoy your moment in the sun Cherish; you still don’t get it.
@2 Proud Infidel I so agree. It is ABSOLUTELY INEXCUSABLE. Her Facebook defense does not sound like the apology of a person with a contrite attitude towards what they did. If fact it sounds rather off hand and accusatory toward anyone who would question her. Well my dear SSgt Byers, the USAF may want a bit more of an explanation and I hope they take your Facebook statement into account as well as a second thought about that recent stripe your received. You are “sorry” only that you were caught, that is the tone of your words. A person of such high caliber, as you describe yourself, would not have done that, not three years ago, not ever! So I will drift on over to your Facebook now and leave you my thoughts.
It’s always a sign of a good NCO when one makes a lame excuse for something instead of owning up to it and offering a solution to make it right.
As much as I’d love to see this… this… Individual slam dunked, what exactly would the charge be? Unfortunately, there’s nothing in the UCMJ covering criminal stupidity or felonious douchebaggery. There’s almost always something under art. 134 that fits idiocy.
Worthless dumbass.
@18 – yeah, you can punish just about anything under 134 so long as it either prejudices good order and discipline, or is of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces. I’d say she definitely discredited her uniform, and herself, by doing this.
Regarding her “apology”, she could have apologized unreservedly while still making some of the same points, i.e., that she has matured and done many good things since then. But, she took an arrogant posture, in a situation where a posture of humility was called for.
Too bad that during her road to sainthood she never completed an English class.
I call bullshit Airman..No One in the Military would ever make a “mistake” of disrespecting our POW/MIA Memorial Flag..which is exactly what you did…there is no excuse for that kind of behavior..all the more worse is you did it in uniform and brought shame to your Branch of Service…So grow up and take yuor lumps and don’t lash out like a child because you pissed off a great many people with that photo. While I don’t wish to see your career ruined, I do believe a lowering in rank and a very public written and verbal apology is needed…safe your COC more embarrassment and voluntarily do it.
**Should of read save your COC***
@18… I’ve had a few cases somewhat like this. In those cases, they got a GOMAR, which is probably appropriate here so long as it goes in her permanent file. This Facebook “apology” may very well be the difference between local file and permanent, so good job airman.
Further Airman Byers~
In this day and age where everything is instantaneous on the interwebs, you absolutely did know that there was a very strong possibility of this photo coming to light…At your age, you have grown up with Social Media and the internet and know exactly how it works…so take your insincere apology and shove it…Pray that your COC doesn’t throw the book at you in a Captain’s Mast, which you so richly deserve.
@24 JAGC since you seem to be well versed in the all matters UCMJ, I have a question? Isn’t simple “conduct unbecoming” still covered as a punishable offense? Or is conduct unbecoming, just an Article 15 Commander’s Non Judicial Punishment offense? Thank you in advance for your answer.
Sparks… I’m not familiar with charging an enlisted person for conduct unbecoming by itself. These offenses standing alone are usually handled administratively ie reprimand, separation, rank reduction, etc. Someone smarter than me could conceivably get creative with a dereliction of duty (article 92) or provoking words (117), but unlikely with this photo being the sole offense. I would actually caution the command about an article 15, because she can refuse and ask for a court martial, although the NJP could be part of some deal to avoid a separation board. But if they give her a GOMAR in her permanent file, she’s done. In practice, thats how stuff like this is handled when there is no criminal activity depicted in the photo.
Hell, tell the truth, airman. You was simply practicing your french kissing technique for that late date after you got offa your shift. :0
Play stupid games…….well you know the rest.
No surprise here.
Fuck this bitch.
Shameful. I don’t know what they’re doing in basic now days but there seems to be a ton of airheads coming through these days. When I came in in 2004 we had a POW/MIA flag hanging by the bay doors, every time you left you were required to look at it and say “thank you”.
Need to find her photographer.
“One mistake can erase a lifetime of good deeds”. Guess her leadership never made her aware of this.
Photo is 3 years old? Question for our Air Force folks, how long does it normally take to go from E-4 to E-5?
@27 JAGC Thank you sir. That helped.
Every day I thank Al Gore for creating inter tubes. I have been out ten years, and was unfamiliar with GOMAR. I did know a few Gomers in the Marine Corps though.
http://www.justanswer.com/topics-gomor/
The Internet, it’s not just for porn, anymore.
@35 Hack.Stone thanks, GOMAR kinda threw me too.
AverageNCO: Toss up between CE and SFS when it comes to eating their own. Alot of SFS unit usually like to cover up their own mess at times. I seen CE bury their airman alive for mistakes. I don’t know how hardcore, SFS OIC in Fairchild is. But usually the OICs are hardasses who like to throw down punish if they dont like the person. If she is liked, they mey just sweep it under the rug.
This girl is a problem with the new air force. Most airman, young ones are just clueless and disrespect. Most are often lazy and degenerates anyways. There is a reason why she does not have a clue. My friend stationed out in Fairchild, gonna have to ask around about how tore up she is.
That POW/MIA patch was created by someone back in the 1980s to remind people that there were still people missing, and presumed still held by the Viet Cong/Vietnamese government in POW camps, long after that war was over and done with. Most of the police stations and other government facilities fly it below the American flag.
It isn’t a cartoon and being a prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton was cerainly no vacation trip for the people held there and interrogated, nor was it just another fun day in the sunshine for WWII and Korean War POWs, many of whom never made it home.
There is, however, a disconnect in the brains of people in this overgrown infant’s generation that says ‘everything is a joke, everyone can be bullied’ and there are no consequences to doing something like this.
She may not have violated any actual regulation, but that does not excuse her atrocious behavior and her self-centered response which, by the way, is not an apology. It’s denial that she did anything wrong.
Well, she did. She broke the rules of common decency and she should be taught what they mean.
Marine_7002: Nowadays, does not take much to make E5. I do not think she is being truthful on that picture. If she was Airman of the quarter or month after this. She should have her shit together to make Staff.
if she is Security Forces. Their test scores are some of the lowest in the air force. Cutoff scores I use to see for them was like 40 each in PFE and SKT. PFE is book on your customs, curteosy, military history, structure, etc. And SKT is based on your job.
Then again, Security Forces had some dumb folks. Saw a guy make staff after 9 years. Also Seen someone make it on their final try, 10th try before HYT.
Her facebook statement is suspect.
EX-Ph2: She should have been taught this well before getting NCO. She probably skated through basic and did nothing to learn PFE or customs/courtesies. All that studying in the PFE (Air Force educational book for testing) did her no good, apparently.
Reminds me of this stupid bitch’s show of disrespect. Remember Lindsey Stone?
http://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=32934
Only difference: Lindsey was a plain simple stoopid civilian. SSgt Byers, after being in the Air Force for years, should have known better.
Otherwise, it’s the same type and degree of utter stupidity. Fuck both of them.
Yeah thats the first thing I thought when I saw this. I gotta ask my boy at Fairchild about this girl. I know he was honor guard there.
Oh yeah and forgot to add, if you got got EPRs, you should make Staff in 2 years or so after being promoted SrA. According to regs, average time you should pin on SSgt is 5-6 years, cant remember it.
@38 Ex well said and to the point. Along with the posts after yours I agree, she has no self respect obviously so why would she have and show respect for anything else.
@40 MrC2Show, I think she has really done nothing special in her service. In my time in, I appreciated those who served in the Security Police, that is what they were called when I was in, but they were not the sharpest tools in the shed. The PFE was common to all AFSCs and not hard to grasp, the SKT varied by job but the one for Security Police could not have been that hard to master. A person in SPs who was sharp and showed initiative could rise fast, at least in my day.
So she’s trying the “Let he who is without sin” defense.
That shit doesn’t fly, Airman. Might want to work on your humility and contrition. It could save you.
looks about par the course for most of the chairforce shits, I’ve met, I guess I have to admit that I’ve known 2 good ones, out of 15 or so that I’ve met over the years
Well, since this bratchik is mostly brain-dead anyway, and refuses to admit that she doesn’t have an ounce of common sense, I’d say that her days in the the USAF are numbered.
@46 Ex, Please let us hope so. We need a lot of folks to make the military go round and round. But we don’t need her!
I did dumb shit as youngster, there are two major differences 1. I didn’t make disrespectful or sexual gestures towards flags or Monuments. 2. I didnt take pictures while I was doing something dumb that could get my ass hammered.
She says the picture is three years old. At no time in those three years did she perhaps think to clean up her Facebook?