The Marine Corps has disciplined two Marines for making derogatory remarks on Facebook about a female Marine.
Investigators determined that both Marines had posted the remarks denigrating Marine Corps leaders and the female service member on the Facebook page “United States Grunt Corps,” reports Stars and Stripes. Due to their actions on social media, the junior enlisted Marine and non-commissioned officer both lost a rank Wednesday and were assigned with 45 days of additional duties as a punishment, Stars and Stripes reports.
“The Marines and sailors of 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines do not tolerate personal attacks on their Marines — online or elsewhere,” Marine Corps Lt. Col. Warren Cook, commander of the unit, said regarding the discipline. “This kind of behavior flies in the face of our service’s core values and this organization refuses to condone it.”
The Marine Corps declined to name the disciplined Marines. Both are assigned to 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment at Camp Pendleton in California.
Also on Friday, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said it had discovered 15 active-duty service members who seem to be sharing nude photos without consent. These service members could face felony criminal charges. While the initial investigation focused on the private Facebook group Marines United, the investigation has expanded to more than 75 websites and 150,000 images.
Marine Gen. Glenn Walters, the assistant commandant for the Corps, said Friday that the service intends to integrate social media training at the two recruit depots.
The Daily Caller News Foundation reported in late March that the nude photo scandal will affect every Marine’s permanent record, as the formal counseling that every Marine will receive on the new social media guidance will appear on military personnel records.
Additionally, Walters said that male and female recruits should spend more time together. As of now, the Marine Corps is the only service to segregate boot camps by gender.
“Online harassment of female Marines is symptomatic of a larger issue the task force is directly addressing,” he told Stars and Stripes. “We are trying to change the culture of the Marines Corps, and hopefully when we change the culture of the Marines Corps then the behaviors that beget it maybe will correct themselves.”
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