A US Marine will be administratively separated after pleading guilty at a court-martial stemming from the Marines United Facebook scandal, the USMC announced on Monday.
Pleading guilty on June 29, the unnamed Marine was sentenced to 10 days of confinement, 3-rank reductions, loss of 2/3 of a month’s pay and proceedings to separate from the US Marine Corps for sharing explicit photos without consent.
“Summary-court martial proceedings are considered administrative in nature, and so the identity of the Marine is not releasable per the Privacy Act,” Corps spokesman Major Brian Block told Marine Corps Times in an interview.
Since the nude-photo sharing scandal, which involved female servicemembers and civilians alike, two other Marines have been separated, seven received non-judicial punishment (NJP) and twenty-two were given adverse administrative action.
“These cases span beyond the Marines United Facebook page and include a spectrum of behavior,” a USMC news release noted. “While many cases involve photos, clothed or explicit, some involve verbal remarks without images. “
However, not everyone is happy with the current level of punishment coming down the pipe in the wake of the Marines United Scandal. One such individual is New York Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
You know which photos are posted; you know where they came from; there are evidentiary trails to be made,” Gillibrand said at a June 15 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. “So I wouldn’t say that it’s likely that these are cases where they couldn’t prove their case. I think it sends the wrong message. If you’re not taking these crimes seriously as an enormous disruption of good order and discipline, I fear that it’s not going to change behavior.”
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ITS 2017…Social Media Freenzy! Have you all looked at the FEMALE Military members posting pictures on Instagram? I mean they at one time took or authorized the photos so are they being disciplined as well! Social media is exactly that. I mean I know DOD has had the classes and classes and classes on this but it will not stop! This is SILLY and the ones involved “That shared” the photos should have learned their lessons by now……… This is a waste of space and probably a lot of Great Marines and Service Members!
Whew! Glad I served back before digital camera and Facebook days.