Wisconsin NG soldier suspended
USAToday reports that Specialist Terry Harrison was suspended from her duties at the Wisconsin National Guard for her antics earlier this week, posting disrespectful comments to her Instagram photos in regards to a funeral detail;
“The specialist involved has been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation,” he said. Harrison, a full-time member of the National Guard, has been suspended from Wisconsin’s honor guard and assigned to other duties while an investigation is ongoing.
“She has received death threats to her and her family,” Rickert said. Wisconsin officials also have notified the National Guard Bureau because the other soldiers in the photograph were from other units.
The National Guard Bureau did not immediately return a message left for comment.
Maj. Gen. Donald Dunbar, Wisconsin’s adjutant general, issued a written statement about the “controversial and distasteful” photos Tuesday.
“We expect all of our soldiers and airmen to live by a core set of values, in word and deed,” Dunbar said. “I was appalled by the offensive photos and comments that appeared on this soldier’s social media site regarding her duties as a funeral honor guard member.”
Our buddy, Denise Williams at Chicago Now, who also happens to be a Gold Star Mother, writes an open letter to Specialist Harrison and her defenders;
I am a Gold Star Mother. I received one of those folded flags in a deeply moving and solemn ceremony. The idea that the members of that squad, though displaying exemplary behavior at the services, also may have at any time displayed the type of behavior you did offends me on levels I can scarcely describe. I would never have believed those who had the honor of performing this sacred duty would hold such a cavalier attitude.
Because of you I find myself thinking back, trying to remember and picture the faces I barely registered at the time. Did someone roll their eyes before they got out of the vehicle to line up next to my son’s casket? Surely, those attending the services of a soldier Killed In Action would not even be aware of their own physical discomfort at such a moment? Because of you, these thoughts entered my head.
I don’t intend to fixate on this story, as long as Harrison is punished for her bad behavior, I’ll be happy, and it looks like that will happen. And don’t kid yourselves, your opinion in this discussion counts. Journalists know that TAH is the place to come to see an unvarnished account of what veterans are thinking.
In The Great Scheme of Things, this story is a popcorn fart. But, apparently Ms. Harrison and some others haven’t run into the boundaries of decent behavior, and that leaves it up to we veterans to demonstrate to her, her friends, and the rest of the military what is unacceptable behavior. Quite obviously, they didn’t get that from their families, or from their leadership, so it’s left up to us, the Old Guard of the military to establish those boundaries.
As someone mentioned in the comments yesterday, combat patches are few and far between in those pictures, and this generation of troops, the ones who don’t know war, don’t fully understand the impact of war on our jobs. They’ve inherited the good will that generations of warriors before them have built for them, and obviously, they interpreted that inheritance as some sort of armor to protect them from the ill-will that they can generate with their bad behavior. But it’s up to each new generation to reinforce that good will, that professional image that Americans have of the folks who sacrifice for them.
The media would like to present the military as a bunch of out-of-control borderline criminals, and this blog is the voice of the majority of veterans who won’t tolerate that image. For every troop that misbehaves in public, there are thousands who wouldn’t even contemplate that behavior. And that’s why this blog exists – to give those thousands a public voice.
Category: Who knows
Jonn, what amazes me is that after being caught in what is obviously a compromising photo, done in poor taste and at the least disrespectful to the memory of our fallen, Specialist Harrison doubles down and tries to defend the actions of that mob.
And to somehow blame those that are offended. Please give me a break. Oh, and please use the “everyone who is offended is a jerk” defense at your court martial or NJP there Specialist. See how that works out for ya!!!
Don’t worry it’s not just the “Old Guard” that’s offended. Plenty of us “New School” NCOs would like to wring their necks as well. Keep up the good work as always TAH
To Denise Williams, Gold Star Mother,
I have had the solemn duty of serving on an Honor Guard as a pallbearer on a number of occasions. I can say, with absolute certainty, that the type of behavior witnessed in that photo has NEVER occurred in any funeral I’ve ever been a part of nor have I ever even heard of it happening. Please know that the overwhelming majority of Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, and Marines take that responsibility VERY seriously.
I am relieved to hear there are consequences for the Soldier who posted the photo. However, there are 13 other Soldiers in uniform in that photo. And what about the one who took the photo? All of them participated in that grotesque mockery of what should be a solemn duty and honor (I don’t care if it was training or not!) As a civilian, a troop supporter, and the daughter and niece of WWII and Korean War Vets, I think all of them should face the consequences!
Just so everyone knows.
The Guard’s Funeral Honors Teams are made up of part timers who are on extended active duty orders (1+ years)
So those are highly coveted jobs in the Guard. And as you would expect they are made up primarily of young folks.
It is real easy to lose that job. Unlike guys in the active Army…for Guard people on extended active duty orders…those orders can be immediately revoked and “You’re fired”. Which is what will happen in this case.
The team that works in the Armory that I am in does anywhere from 15-20 funerals a week all around the state. And we have 3 teams in the state. I’d estimate right now that these teams from the Guard are probably conducting 80+% of the military funerals done in the country. So I would caution everyone from painting the whole program with the same brush based on this one instance of ass hattery.
Back when I was a Lieutenant I was the Funeral Honors OIC for Fort Drum for 9 months. We had 3 teams at Drum at the time and did funerals from Buffalo to Boston up to Maine.
At First I wasn’t required to go unless the team was burying an Officer. Until one day the team from the Cav decided it was a good idea to practice in a school parking lot, while school was in session, including the rifle volley with blank rounds. After that the CG made sure I was with every team.
A good story though….
The team from my Battalion had the practice casket, draped in the flag, sitting in the Battery area where we had the arms vault and equipment cages off the back of the Battery HQs.
I was newly married and had to grab something from the office one day. I had the wife in tow.
We walk in the back and there sits the casket. Of course I thought nothing of it.
The wife’s eyes got wide as she saw it and she ask what it was.
I told her it was a guy that passed last week and we were waiting on the family to come get him.
Cruel..I know.
I didn’t let her keep thinking that very long.
@1…it’s the new generation! No one is responsible for their own actions. It’s always someone else’s fault, and if you call attention to their faults, well, it’s YOUR fault for noticing!
I did four months of Elite Honor Guard here on JBMDL not too long ago. We had a few who acted like that and they were immediately reprimanded before immediately reporting back to there Squadron. It’s definitely something not to take lightly. When we weren’t training and given some time to just loosen up, we made sure it wasn’t anywhere near the training rooms or equipment.
I cussed out another NCO at a detail for rushing the detail and then immediately and politely asked for the flag back to properly fold it. She wasn’t allowed near the flag after that.
This on top of the SrA “making out” with the POW/MIA mural just goes to show, to me, that we are giving children responsibility and not showing them to respect any and everything. Let’s go back to the old school basic training of tearing them apart and then building them back up instead of the nurturing and coddling.
Open message to any younger soldiers who visit TAH.
“The camera is not your friend. Put the damn thing away while you’re working. If you take any photos, make sure you wouldn’t mind them showing up on the front page of your local newspaper as well as being shown to your mom and your Pastor. And for God’s sake, don’t photograph yourself doing dumb stuff.”
For examples why – see what happened after Abu Ghraib, the USMC urination video, and this incident.
What gets me is how most these young troops now a days care more about how fashionable and cool they can look rather than portraying a professional and positive image of the branch they serve. Heaven forbid if a hair is out of place, a nail broken or friends think they’re not cool.
I work around and with young troops from all branches and I do see a major difference in their attitudes and selfishness from when I served.
I was, by no means, perfect during my 20 years, but once that uniform was on it was all business.
Soon-to-be Private Harrison needs some remedial training. I would normally recommend a few months working at a Decedent Affairs position in an MTF, but she’s not deserving of that privilege. She seems more suited for something in the sanitation services field.
I’m just another NG E5, But I’ve done my time overseas as well as a few Funeral Details. That’s Why I say GIVE ME THOSE YOUNG CLOWNS for a few weeks of training, I’d LOVE to see just how quickly I could make them run crying to their mommies and/or the IG, and as soon as I got them back again, GAME ON!!!
@5: At Ft Campbell the honor guard rotates between Battalions. In the 90s I had the honor to be part of one for a CSM that is in the Ranger hall of fame. We did the 21 gun salute and one of the Ranger Battalions sent people to be the pall bearers and to fold the flag.
As much as I want to blame the attitudes of the current generation for their misdeeds and stupidity, I wonder if it isn’t deeper than that. Look at the clowns we bust out here for being posers. A lot of these folks are ancient like me. Like the younger ones who are posting the stupid crap that they do, the older ones also apparently have no respect for other servicemembers and see nothing wrong with stealing the hard work and sacrifices of others. It almost seems to be a cultural thing within this country that it’s okay to do absolutely stupid, ignorant and unethical things since no one was “physically” hurt. Sorry for psycho-analizing things here, but dammit….
There are certain things in the military that should be treated with respect and honor – one of them is being on a funeral detail. If the group needed to “let off some steam” you don’t do it around a casket draped with an American Flag on it, and take pictures, then go posting it all over Facebook, Twitter or some other social media site, and then expect nothing to come of it.
For SPC Harrison – you were trained to render honors for a brother or sister servicemember that wore the uniform and left us for a better place. You didn’t take the duty seriously, you didn’t have the courage to speak up and say “This isn’t a good idea” when you and your “buddies” posed for the picture. Then, you got really stupid and posted it on social media for the world to see. And that was OK and you expected nothing to happen?
Harrison is learning a lesson that her family should have taught her long ago – “play stupid games, win stupid prizes”.
Someone needs to remind this special little snowflake that actions do indeed have consequences, and if you screw up, you should accept counseling as given and not try to justify your bad acts or attitude.
While I don’t support anyone threatening her, personally, she deserves all misery which is about to befall her. YMMV.
The behavior these children (no, they are not adults) displayed is aimed at getting attention, nothing else.
The best cure for it is ostracism. The pariah is part of the group or unit, but is ignored, not spoken to unless absolutely necessary, and then only to give instructions, and if he/she gets into some sort of trouble that requires getting help, his/her cries go unheeded until the very last moment.
While most of you would prefer the ‘in your face’, smack her until your arm hurts, that might mitigate your anger but it’s frequently less effective than being treated like what she is – a pariah, an unacceptable member of decent society.
I was asked to assist with a funeral once while I was still an enlisted Soldier. We trained on a basketball court with the empty casket and the flag. The funeral was for an old timer and hardly anyone showed up. It also was pouring rain, muddy, and downright freezing. But I could’t even imagine thinking about complaining, and certainly none of the other Soldiers on the detail acted anything but professional. In fact, my only thought was not to mess anything up because this detail meant something, and was important. Why this specialist would double down is beyond me. If she’s not admin separated from the Guard, her judgment and lack of understanding should very much prohibit her from advancing to NCO.
I must be getting really old – I just don’t get it. I did the funeral detail in the southern tier of NY for several years – not once do I remember anyone clowning around like this. I did notice that the female soldier in the lower right of the pic had what looks to be a 42D ID patch on – I’m sure someone in the NY TAG’s office will be curious…
Fuck her. Make her a civilian.
I don’t what this person in *my* military.
See You Next Tuesday.
Like I said before, it goes back to how they were raised. Far to many parents these days don’t teach manners, etiquette, or respect, probably because it wasn’t taught to them and our culture no longer enforces it.
That is NOT true for our family. My children and my daughter’s husband would NEVER think to behave that way. They were all appalled at these photos and wished far harsher punishments on them than almost anyone else.
They all reported behavior that disgusted them at basic training as well as tech school/AIT. Why some people join the military is a mystery to me, they clearly don’t want to be there or do their duty. And basic training isn’t tough enough or long enough these days to train behavior basics into them.
My kids take their Guard service very seriously. Fortunately, those they serve with at Buckley AFB do as well.
The Honor Guard here is a coveted position they would dearly love to have. They both volunteer for every duty that they can, all of them do. There are waiting lists for deployments and for helping with natural disasters.
When I spent a family day with my daughter and met people in her unit (and my son’s), I found it a respectful, family-oriented environment. Both of my kids love serving there.
#18 I was at a funeral at a VA Center once where the only people present were the detail, the funeral director and the head administrator for the center. We presented the flag to the admin – pretty sad burial, but at least someone acknowledged the poor guy’s death.
Some of the “insights”:
Attitudes of the current generation, lack of combat patches,a hard job, gallows humor, situational awareness etc…
They all might play a bit…and ONLY a bit. It is POOR LEADERSHIP-PERIOD!
“As someone mentioned in the comments yesterday, combat patches are few and far between in those pictures, and this generation of troops, the ones who don’t know war, don’t fully understand the impact of war on our jobs.”
I don’t have a combat patch, however, I did serve during conflict and I did know a couple guys that perished in that conflict. I have attended funerals of the fallen, my dad was combat wounded in Vietnam, and I know exactly what the price paid is. There are many from my generation that wouldn’t show their ass like these twerps did, even though we, mostly, don’t have the combat patch.
I hope they are punished and required to each write three (3) letters of apology to families of the fallen in their state or region.
And if JPJ has an issue with this, then he can lend a hand.
I posted this yesterday and it still stands. Seeing those photos yesterday I WENT FULL TILT WEAPONS GRADE PISSED OFF! I posted messages all over them. As well as at the 11B Facebook Page. I also sent the photos and my thoughts in an email to General Dempsey. In one of the exchanges I read the comments of the little darling who took and posted the photos (Twitter name twaarr). Also their NCO, one, LUIS JIMENEZ, who came to there defense, if that is possible, “as blowing off steam and meaning nothing”. I left Jimenez a nice message on her Facebook page, stating in short that as their NCO, she is responsible for their training AND behavior. And if that was the best she had done then maybe she should rethink her status as an NCO supervising troops and especially the Funeral Honor Guard. I told her that “gallows humor” may be okay in the civilian funeral business but NOT EVER in regards to a fallen serviceman or servicewoman. From the look of the photos of “twaarr” as well as the NCO, Jimenez and the group they are all the typical “POW/MIA sign licker types. No regards except for themselves. Millinials who have no sense of common decency, much less military honor and integrity. Honor and integrity for the Army, the uniform they wear, their country and especially for a fallen comrade. None of them have been deployed. But even still the recent funeral I attended had an Honor Guard made up of non deployed soldiers. They were so very respectful of their duty and by their conduct they considered it a privilege and honor to be there. Each one told me they were “proud and honored to be there and do what they were doing”. Top drawer troops all of them. I was RED HOT when I saw those photos. Having just recently attended that funeral of a young man I knew, killed in Afghanistan. I watched closely as the Honor Guard in steady 25 MPH winds, gusting to 35 never flinch. Never blink. They were in a world… Read more »
Disband 100% the unit’s personnel and start all over with new SOLDIERS. That is a start.
Seeing a flag-draped coffin should bring tears to your eyes for your fellow soldiers…..not smiles! Every single “soldier” in that photo doesn’t deserve to wear the fucking uniform.
@28: Couldn’t agree more.
The supervisory NCO’s that knew about this and did nothing should also be punished. It shows a very basic lack of understanding of what an NCO is.
Right now it’s just an additional duty.
That will change when they conduct one for someone they know.
Nothing can ever cover the disrespect these idiots did to not only the fallen, but the rest of the troops that serve quietly every day and do not need to act like a fool because their job is hard…
All should be tossed out of the military and the NCO should spend a couple years in jail for the idiocy and the fact that she tried to cover for them…
It is an honor and a privilege to be at a funeral in uniform. I couldn’t imagine acting like they did.
This whole ordeal has been hard to watch. It has been hard to watch because the deeper and more I have read about this story, the more infuriated I become. Being former Army and a Gold Star Sibling, the actions of this group of soldiers has been sickening and repugnant. My hope is that this issue, including all involved, is resolved quickly and the consequences are on par with this act of blatant disrespect.
Harrison’s antics are a symptom of the “Hey, look at me” narcissism that today’s social media promotes and abets. I’m sure most of us have seen “Gardens of Stone.” The troopers there had their little saying prior to every burial they performed. They were smart enough, and professional enough, to do that amongst themselves and away from outsiders. These boneheads embarassed themselves and the Army and should feel some UCMJ pain for that.
As someone that has saluted a few of my friends flag draped coffin, this pisses me off to no end.
Mr. and Mrs. Admins
May we please have a shaming thread for these assholes and the other one that dishonoured the POW/MIA flag please? I don’t think its enough to just post on the articles..I think they need to realize just what kind of hell happens to special little snowflakes when the heat hits..
In the photo, the two on the top left do not look content or happy.
But that is where personal courage comes in.
Should have stepped up or “out” of the picture.
The Selfie Generation.
My last company commander, who is younger than me, sagely said that social media, exists to feed narcissism, argue with strangers, and to get our LET US BE OUTRAGED feels on.
Then, when something like this comes along, which truly does merit outrage, people truly don’t understand why we come down so hard on these poor kids.
But I discerned a sea change even across the last two decades. I have a couple of pictures from the 1990s in the Army. A few from Ft. Campbell, a few from Great Britain, a few from deployments, a few from Alaska. All in all pictures number well under 20 for an epoch in my life. Contrast this from everything post-9/11 forward – the ubiquity of digital photography melds now with instant communication.
Whither the leadership? Has it been so neutered that it is reluctant to enforce discipline. I would have been terrified to behave this way, let alone pose for a photograph. And my privates would have been too terrified of me to commit such a dimwitted move.
I don’t know what to make of any of this stuff. For the younger soldiers, company grade article 15s would make me happy, but I’d like to see something more significant for anyone over 2 years in uniform.
@38. In 1998, when I got nuked by my BN CSM and the BN CDR for bringing my guys in on a Saturday morning to redo a TA-50 inspection that we horribly failed, I knew it was time to go. I was called in because one of the babies cried that they had to work for an hour on Saturday. As I stood in front of his desk, with the fat-fuk CSM behind me, the BN CDR told me to my face that there was no room in his Battalion for my old Army way of thinking. I was an ancient 35 years old at the time. I have since wondered how many troops in Iraq and AStan may have benefited from some “old Army” ways of thinking….I guess in 1998 I was witnessing the first of the NCO Neutering which we are enjoying now.
@39 nbcguy54
Naw…it started 93-94ish time frame with the introduction of BOSS…it was full tilt by 98
Old 54B and 74A myself
@39: Really? My gawd! We didn’t do things by the day of the week. If it was Saturday and there was something that needed to be done; you fucking did it! If you screwed the pooch and needed to get squared away, it didn’t matter what day of the fucking week it was, you got squared away, period. Top would do a victory lap through the barracks whenever he felt like it (which was usually the weekend) and my Platoon Sergeant was always dropping in too. If your shit was weak, they didn’t hesitate to jack you up right then and there. It was expected of the NCOs in our unit to be proactive.
@40. I concur. When the drawdown started after the USSR quit playing ball with us, things really got interesting. Remember the catch-phrase “No more Task Force Smiths”. That didn’t work out too well. I really hope that the same crap doesn’t happen with the current drawdown.
A 54B and a 74A (and willing to admit it too – lol). They couldn’t wait to get rid of us either, could they?
@41. Shortly after hitting Ft. Hood in 1994, a new policy kicked in prohibiting field training during weekends. We had to bring the Soldiers back in Friday night and went back out Monday morning. Of course that didn’t happen if you were the one who got to babysit the FTX site while everyone else was gone. Another one that used to really piss me off – I’ve got a deadlined vehicle in the M/P. Part comes in at 1630; final formation at 1700. Did I get to keep my guys at the M/P to put the part on? Nope. Needed permission from the first O5 in the chain to stay past 1730the first O6 to stay past 1830. edless to say, the truck didn’t get fixed. Any other Ft Hood guys remember that crap??
Just got this off the TAH Facebook. This story is about the NCO I sent a message to on his Facebook page about trying to “defend” the actions of his subordinates. I am SO glad they got him too! Article follows:
MILWAUKEE (AP) — A second Wisconsin National Guard member has been suspended in an investigation stemming from a photograph showing soldiers clowning around by an empty flag-draped casket.
Guard spokesman Maj. Paul Rickert said Wednesday that Sgt. Luis Jimenez was suspended because of comments he posted on social media defending the photo.
Jimenez’ comments have since been taken down, but in a screen shot confirmed by Rickert he defended the woman who originally posted the photo.
Jimenez writes that Spc. Terry Harrison wasn’t disrespecting anyone, and that it’s “good to let loose a little” after long practice sessions.
Jimenez was Harrison’s task leader, or supervisor. Harrison also has been suspended.
Question for anyone who knows about National Guard stuff.
What does “suspended” mean in this case or any type of case? Suspended from overall duties, the duty of the Funeral detail or from the NG itself?
Thanks in advance for any help in understanding.
@43: You have got to be f-ing kidding me!?!?!
I worked well past evening chow, some times, to complete the tasks. It’s just what you did, part of the job.
@46: That’s the way I was “brought up” also in my assignments leading up to that one. Once the Cold War ended, I guess the urgency and readiness levels dropped since folks assumed that we weren’t going to have WWIII anytime soon. I did a get a chuckle however, while still assigned to that particular unit, in Oct 94 we got a “wheels up in 18 hours” deployment to Camp Doha Kuwait. Talk about doing some scrambling to get our shit together. We made it out on time but had to borrow a ton of serviceable equipment from sister units…
[…] » Wisconsin NG soldier suspended […]
Repost of my previous question. Still need a little info here fellas.
“Question for anyone who knows about National Guard stuff.
What does “suspended” mean in this case or any type of case? Suspended from overall duties, the duty of the Funeral detail or from the NG itself?”
Thanks in advance for any help in understanding.
@43: When I got back to Ft Campbell from MFO we had the same policy. We got block leave and when we got back we went to the field Mon-Fri from February to October. It was more of a pain in the ass than doing lengthy field problems. Half of your weekend was spent cleaning your gear getting ready for Monday.