Marine Corps fires two commanders in regards to nude photo scandal
Stars & Stripes reports that two commanders have been fired as a result of the investigation into the the Facebook nude photo scandal. The official reason is “due to a loss of trust and confidence in their ability to lead their units” because of their troops’ behavior towards women in general.
“They didn’t have the correct command climate in what they did,” said [General Glenn] Walters, the Marines’ assistant commandant. “…If the commander wasn’t behaving right or holding his people accountable, then he was relieved of command. Simple as that.”
It was the first time that the Marine Corps had acknowledged punishing commanders for problems related to the so-called Marines United scandal, in which some male Marines were accused in March of sharing revealing and often explicit photographs of female Marines through a private Facebook group.
The names of the commanders weren’t released. Two Marines have been discharged, another one jailed, and 30 others were disciplined in some way.
Twenty-three received an adverse administrative action, typically a letter of reprimand in their official record, and seven have received some form of non-judicial punishment, which can include a reduction in rank or temporary dock in pay, Pedden said.
One Marine got a court martial and spent ten days in the brig along with his reduction of three ranks and forfeiture of pay.
Category: Marine Corps
But i thought sending nude selfies was GRRRRLLL power…. I’m so confused…
I recognize the sarcasm in your post.
However, as I understand the situation, it went way beyond one consenting adult sharing a nude picture of their-self with another consenting adult. The receiving parties were sharing the sending parties pictures out with anyone and everyone. A totally reprehensible act, and breach of trust.
I mean come on now … if a lady that I liked decided to privately send me a nude picture how could I ever share that with other people. Maybe I’m just old school and have to much integrity.
I agree with you completely Gravel, I should have included the /sarc tag. Everyone involved was an idiot as far as I’m concerned, I was just trying to point out (not very successfully apparently) the stupidity of the belief that sending nudes pics of yourself is somehow empowering, or that there is no potential risk i doing so
Weren’t some of those pictures photoshops of some women’s heads onto nude full body photos that weren’t theirs?
Personally, I think these guys should have had the crap beaten out of them, and been made to clean women’s bathrooms for several months, in addition to writing hundreds of times daily “I’m an asshole” where people can see it publicly.
No, Gravel, if you’re Old School, then so am I. Those images should never have been passed to others. It IS a breach of trust.
Well, on the other side of the coin, if some chickie has the lack of judgement to do such a dumbass thing, they should also be hammered. Some of these nudies were just that, an exhibitionist troop shotgunning their wares out onto the intarwebz. They best be getting NJP’ed as well in this bullshitfest.
Oh come on, I want to see the evidence? Were they really that good looking or were they dogs? Inquiring minds want to know??
Idiots.
All of them.
Odd feeling though that the Commanders are being scapegoated.
If they took the pictures, were in the pictures or looked at the pictures (privately), then they are idiots as well.
It seems these days you cannot teach common sense.
Note: DO NOT TAKE PHOTOS OR LET YOURSELF BE PHOTOGRAPHED NUDE!
Problem solved.
GT, Bernath photoshopped my head onto Audie Murphy’s MOH portrait and posted on his website. He also put it on a military website but they took it down. It isn’t even about ‘no skin shots of yourself’.
There are people who have no common sense or decency. You’re very right about that.
GT, It seems that these days common sense is a SUPER POWER!
Torn on this one. On one hand, this seems like it’s placating the SJW howler monkeys.
On the other, the “wink and a nod, boys will be boys” attitude has been shitcanned pretty much since Tailhook. If in fact the chain of command knew of this and did nothing, then they shouldn’t be surprised when this is the end result.
Bottom line, nobody wins here.
Well put.
Yep
WTF is going on in my Marine Corps these days?
No nude photo was posted in that group that did not come from a post the woman herself did not post some other place.
The pictures that were taken without the woman’s knowledge were not naked pictures. They were taken in public spaces.
The Group that posted them was a private group, the general public did not have access to them.
This is all about the comments that were made about the pictures.
No Command Officer was a member of or posted in that group.
So, we have dozens of Marines that have had their career ended because they or some Lance Corporal in their command commented on pictures of some woman.
The reaction from HQMC has made my Corps weaker, less lethal and has had an adverse effect on Marines everywhere.
I took great pride in the pictures I posted on the HOG Board back in the day. HQMC is still infested with PC REMF’s.
This is what happens when my Corps has been at war for decades and the Commandant and SgtMaj of the MC does not have one valor award between them.
Shame on their ass.
I remember our Hog Board in boot camp (’86). Besides my girl, I posted a pic of my ’81 HD. Senior DI said I was a sick pup because it went up before my girl’s photo..
Have some female friends who were DIs. You ought to hear what comes out of their mouths, but I guess only us guys act that way.
well it was a Hog Board. Unless maybe your ’81 was a Sporty?
It was, but then, how many “bikers” were riding motorcycles back then, let alone Harleys?
And I still have never owned a black leather vest or wore a “dew-rag”.
And, yes, that’s why I posted it on the “hog” board.
Oh, poor Dave Hardin. He needs a hug and a cookie, and probably needs his ass kicked, too, to feel better about himself.
These “Marines” violated the trust they had with these women. And this was not a “private” forum. It was open to ANY Marine in ANY allied country.
That does not meet ANY definition of private.
It is not all about the comments. Sharing the photos was a violation of the privacy and trust of these female service members. Which speaks to integrity and lack of honor.
And when you say the Marine Corps is weaker and less lethal you are disparaging all Marines serving today.
You are a pussy, but I still think you have sexy eyes. You have always been a pussy. You will never measure up to what daddy expected of you.
It was a Private Group…so says Facebook. It was not “Open” to anyone. You had to request membership, you for example could not have been a member because not only are you a pussy, you are not a Marine.
Nobody was “violated” and suggesting any woman was is an insult to women who actually have been.
Not one NJP of the Women Marines who posted naked pictures online or txted them to other Marines.
So Women Marines can flash their ass where ever and when ever they want…gods forbid anyone else picks up their photo along the way.
Oh, mommy still loves you sweetie.
Yeah, because Facebook categories reflect reality.
Just like all of our Facebook contacts are “friends”.
You are full of shit on this whole issue.
There were 30,000 “Marines” on this group. Thirty fucking thousand.
Get your head around that number, Gunny.
That is not private. And there were dozens of members that could authorize access. With no real mechanism to verify the person was a Marine.
And every explicit picture was downloaded and posted on OTHER porn sites. By some of the 30,000 “Marines” that had access to the pictures.
If a woman shares an intimate photo of herself and it was explicitly or even implicitly not meant to be shared with others sharing it is a crime under the UCMJ. And a crime in 38 states and the District of Columbia.
Participating in a crime is a violation of the UCMJ. Watching a crime occur and not reporting it is a violation of the UCMJ.
The fact that these were “Marines” violating the trust of fellow “Marines” or service members just makes it worse.
Do I think punishment should be severe? In the vast majority of cases, “no”. And it is not so far. But in a few cases they sure as shit deserve more than a slap on the wrist.
And there were 1200 US service members involved in this
Of that 1200 only a few are few dozen are facing penalties.
I trust that these few dozen did something to merit more action that the rest of the 1200.
And I am sure these two commanders are more at fault than the commanders of the rest of the 1200.
The vast majority of Marines in that group were just like me…no longer on active duty or any other status.
So, the vast majority of us just told DOD to fuck off. I did.
Trust this; nobody had their trust violated my anyone until HQMC turned on their own.
This whole thing had NOTHING to do with the pictures. It was completely based on what people commented about them.
This has been elevated to some kind of Social Justice crescendo by misinformation. People are lead to believe secret pictures were taken of these women while they had some expectation of privacy. That did not happen.
Use of words like “violated” are a hysterical exaggeration. Women who have actually been “violated” deserve better than to have their experience cheapened by the likes of you.
Looking at and/or commenting about women is not conduct unbecoming a Marine. I think you are hot peaches, nothing wrong with that.
Neller will be gone in months, and so will this kind of persecution of Marines that like pussy.
If people don’t like what is being posted in a PRIVATE group…stay out of it.
Commissar Shit-for-brains wouldn’t know the meaning of the term ‘violation’, Dave Hardin. He violates air and space all the time, but refuses to acknowledge it because we’re all just dirt under his pussified feet.
Do you want chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin nut cookies? Wait, you still have your own supply of nuts, so that’s a moot point. I’ll send you a teddy bear to squeeze, too.
People like him throw around words like violated, rape, sexist, racist, etc so much they don’t even have any real meaning anymore.
They disrespect women more by the use of their hysterical banter than anyone did by posting a picture of anyone.
People who stepped forward and were willing to put their life on the line to kill our enemy have lost their careers.
Neller and Green are an embarrassment. Why have none of the women who posted naked pictures been held accountable?
Equality my ass. If I post a dick pic it would be on CNN in the morning.
Neller is history and an paper hanging SOB Obama wannabe that stands beside him will be gone too.
I am making fresh French Bread and French Onion Soup with Marsala. Not sure but probably a Bruschetta with avocado as a side.
Dave if you posted a dick pic it wouldnt be on CNN,
It would be on Comedy Central….
maybe he already did in the space above.
“Why have none of the women who posted naked pictures been held accountable?”
Silly! It’s not their fault! They didn’t think anyone would see it! They’ve been victimized!
They don’t have the common sense Zeus gave the goose. They are just about as stupid as Commissar Shit-for-brains.
That’s what it boils down to.
I’m fixing chicken with wild rice and fresh veggies for supper.
The Marines in question made comments to a private board in secret without anyone in their commanding knowing due to privacy rights. The commanders were not aware that comments were made to this private board because they couldn’t have known due to privacy rights. However, because they didn’t violate the privacy rights of their Marines (which would have gotten them fired), they were fired because they should have violated the privacy rights of their Marines.
Are you sure the Corps isn’t being run by an Air Force REMF?
The hardest aspect of command in the modern era is the proliferation of tools ready made for bad decisions and there is simply no way for the leadership to really have any idea in many cases what is really going on.
We are a long way from Maria Whittaker posters in the barracks these days and it is only going to get harder for leaders to control.
While I do not disagree that Commanders and NCOs are uniquely responsible for behaviors of those they command, I also know first hand how hard it is to even know something is going on.
The aspect of not being able to “see” certain online behaviors is a major function of this type of thing, and they (the troops) know it.
The only thing I can see as a solution is more, harder training, less time off and free time, and more focus on unit activities.
All I can say to those still serving is this; “good luck with that”.
All I’m sayin’ is that this kind of stuff makes me really ready to retire. 1 Feb 2019 sometimes can’t get here soon enough and other times seems rushing toward me like a freight train. The Obama years and their aftereffects have really made more ready than not to get out. Then I can be an Angry Internet Veteran and comment about “back in my Corps”!!
[Just kidding about that last part!!]
http://terminallance.com/2011/10/07/terminal-lance-153-old-corps/
http://terminallance.com/2017/06/09/terminal-lance-478-new-corps-iii/
One more:
http://terminallance.com/2016/01/08/terminal-lance-new-corps/
Glad I am out in many ways.
We had a bunch of sexual harassment incidents in the CDN military….their solution
Operation Honour= Op Honour
Which sounds hilariously like Hop On ‘er. Especially when the briefing ia conducted by a Quebecois NCO. Just about everyone in the Wing Theatre got a case of the giggles, even the Base CWO!
Personally, I always thought pictures of hot babes flashing a little skin was a reminder of what you were supposed to be fighting for. It’s also hard to imagine if World War II happened today. The nose art on B-17s would probably be limited to Rosie O’Donnell with a stern warning about “inappropriate touching.”
That bomber would be nose heavy
True story:
I was sitting in a hooch in Viet Nam one day, flipping through a copy of Playboy somebody had left around. It so happened that the magazine had run a spread on “Hippie Chicks of San Francisco” or something, and one of the photos was of a couple of ladies who had sat behind me in a high school English class.
I held up the magazine and said: “Check it out. I know these two.”
If memory serves, the responses were:
“Bullshit”
“Bullshit”
“Incredible bullshit”
And…
“You lie like a big dog.”
LMAO! Nose Heavy. BWAHAHAHAHA!
Well, they did name one of the atomic bombs “Fat Man” so it’s only fair Rosie gets equal time
The PC police have struck again… How in the heck do you hold a commander responsible for troops posting on or trolling (usually anonymously) goofy a** face book sites, dating or swinger sites on any other “unacceptable” site?
They “didn’t have the command climate in what they did.” Really?
I guess they should have issued a policy and announced in formation that:
No nefarious debauchery or postings on the interweb are permitted and that those perps we think we can identify will be prosecuted.
and
NCOs and other “concerned” personnel that scold the troops online or in person, and/or report suspected perps (even if they don’t have a clue who’s participating) will be awarded an accommodation medal during a visibility ceremony at the Pentagon with national news media in attendance…
That is all!
“High Visibility”
Someone fetch Sexual Harassment Panda! And fast!!!
I’m still waiting for E-8 Moerk to show up and give us her thoughts, because, no, wait.
Still don’t give a shit what she thinks.
She’s quiet because she’s pissed and butt hurt that no one used even a Photoshop picture of her fugly mug.
Fire 2 commanders, BS, if you want to go to the top with responsibility, then the assistant and Commadant should resign.
Pretty big gap in culpability between the two commanders and the Commandant.
There’s a pretty big gap between you and most of the folks on this board…I don’t know why you bother unless it’s boredom and/or ego…to borrow the phrase, you don’t seem to be “winning hearts and minds”. Maybe give that some thought if you really are trying to contribute, and not just extract.
He’s just here to piss people off by flaunting his inflated egocentricity and rank at us because we are all dirt under his feet, 1610desig.
I do not bring up my rank.
In fact I do not think I have EVER brought it up.
It was discovered by others and posted by them, and the person that brings it up most is you.
Major, with all due respect, kindly go fuck yourself, Sir. You bore me.
I accept that I bore you.
What I find confusing it that you clearly just arrived on the board. Sought out several of my most recent posts.
And then commented on them with snarky one liners.
I guess you must be “bored”.
He’s been here longer than you, dipshit. He’s just reached his limit of your misspelled, sanctimonious bullshit.
I mean arrived today.
I don’t mean the first time he ever posted in his life.
And I am not sure he has been on this board longer.
I am not sure I care either.
My point is he says he is bored with me but sought out my posts.
Not a consistent set of events.
He has been. I remember when your silly ass showed up. You used to post under your own name and now get pissed when someone mentions it. Live by the sword, die by the sword.
You do understand the difference between my posting my own name on my own posts, and OTHER people using my name in their posts. Especially when they often attribute beliefs I do not hold to me.
You understand the different right?
I posted my own name as a gesture of courtesy and respect to this board since I thought disagreeing anonymously would just be regarded as trolling.
I should have spend more time on this board and recognized the kind of vindictive and petty people that frequent it.
I served with a lot of people. And there are very few people I ever served with that would not respect someone’s request that they not use their name in their posts.
The fact that so many on this board lack the character to do that says quite a lot about them. Especially when they hid behind anonymity.
It means they are the the same kind of people as those rare few I served with that were low character pieces of shit.
The fact that a number of regulars on this board did not recognize how it was wrong for those Marines to be sharing private intimate photographs of fellow service members on a board with 30,000 people from countries all over the world says a great deal about the character of several regulars.
So hate me all you want. I do not think some of you have sufficient character for me to care about your judgement of me.
By the way. I have discovered the real names of a few members of this board. I do not post them. Because I am not an asshole.
“By the way. I have discovered the real names of a few members ” – Commissar
Oh, here we go. Is this a threat? Is he saying he’s stalking people online? Is he going to pull a Lena Dunham-at-the-airport and report us to the Thought Police? Are those poor souls he has ‘discovered’ going to be his sacrificial goats?
Stay tuned. The pawing and snorting is getting louder.
“By the way. I have discovered the real names of a few members of this board. I do not post them. Because I am not an asshole.”
Lars, you ARE an asshole (and many here feel that way about you). Start IDing people here in public and I’m going to guess that will be the biggest mistake in your life.
“I have discovered the real names….”
It really does sound like a threat of some sort to me, a rather weak one, at that.
It’s not as effective as my putting a notice in my bedroom window “I know who you are. I have your image in a photo” to scare off my Peeping Tom neighbor, may he itch eternally in a strange, unreachable spot. That stopped him.
What’s next? Trash mail in the mailbox?
Shut the FUCK junior! Yes I was promoted 4 times to your 3. The more I try to read WOTs. Why does Lt. FUZZ of Beetle Bailey cartoons come to mind ? Joe
Pretty big gap in culpability between some terminal LCPL and a LTC Battalion Commander.
So suck on that one for a while at the local strip bar.
Of course, you being in Bezerkeley, throwing dollar bills at those 300 lb. lesbian strippers is as close as you’ll ever get to “cow tipping.”
I agree, actually.
These two folks are being scapegoated.
There are 5 commanders relieved recently. 4 from the same camp.
Since we do not know the fact it is hard to know if they are being scapegoated.
Their names are released. I looked into one of the commanders and the people who served with him say he was an outstanding officer. They do not know the circumstances but they think it was a huge loss to the Corps.
You know, no one here is saying that the individuals involved in this scandal were in the right. Your comments to me saying that anyone here approves of that are bullshit. I try to avoid your fucked up state, but the day will come when I will need to go there for work. Pray I don’t seek you out.
I did not say they said they were in the right.
I said several did not recognize they were wrong.
Some are saying the prosecution of this issue is a SJW thing. Implying it is not a “legitimate” issue.
Look at Dave’s posts. He clearly does not agree they even did anything wrong.
I don’t pray.
Just screenshotted the post so I will have a rock solid self-defense case.
See you when I see you.
Person who makes threats anonymously. AKA “coward”.
I seem to remember in a post from the past where you were asking people to please come meet you so you could punch them in the face. Well at least you used your name when you did it. See? Violence can solve everything, right?
Ok…I will apologize for taking things too far. I am not going to plead provocation or anything like that. I took a political disagreement too far and I sincerely apologize for that.
No problem. Politics is an incendiary topic and it causes people to get heated.
Which I guess is why people with better manners than me know not to talk politics .
So you are prior Air Force. Just joined the Army a few years ago.
Are in you late 30s or early 40s which means you likely did not join the regular army.
Besides, there are very few regular Army posts in California.
My bet, you are AGR. And since you say you will “need” to go to California for work my bet is you are in the 63rd RRC.
Yep, you’re right.
One only has to do some time in the Crotch to know they are being screwed, if not for this then for some other perceived misdeed. That is how the Crotch operates.
The law of unintended consequences. Some female gets nekkid for the cameras, and next thing you know, good people who might save someone’s life are getting fucked over. Marvelous. And the women who took or allowed these photos to be taken are every bit as GUILTY as anyone else, and should be hammered just as hard. You gonna have justice, you gonna have equal justice.
NO it isn’t. Do you grasp the concept of chain of command and leadership? Officers and NCO’s are responsible for EVERYTHING that happens or fails to happen in their purview. Thus anytime someone fucks up in the Corps, the commandant is responsible for it. Until this bullshitfest broke out into the light of public attention, those officers most likely had no idea of it. And that is why the Crotch fucked them the way it did. They have no recourse. If they were charged under the UCMJ for something, they could have said fuck you I will take the court martial, and written their congresscritters. The Crotch is deathly afraid of them.
The ONLY REASON this shit is happening is that someone talked, and it got out, and embarrassed the Crotch. Period.
This reminds me of Col North’s statement once when asked if he missed the Marine Corps. He said NO. I do miss the Marines though. I can get down with that.
I wonder if the fact that 4 of the 5 commanders fired were at Camp Lejuene is merely a coincidence or related to a larger connected issue.
That is usually a case of over zealous prosecution, as in everyone whose name is even remotely mentioned in the course of the investigation takes a fall; the Marine Corps claims they are now clean and pure again, and its hopefully soon forgotten.
Its why you see strings of prosecutions from one place (PI is the most recent). The Corps has always been like that and they have always embraced that the skipper goes down with the ship.