Airmen fired, demoted over dinosaur puppet video

[Julian Englis]

Source: CNN

The US Air Force is making it clear that dinosaur puppets have no place in its "time-honored" military traditions -- levying tough punishments against three members of the Tennessee Air National Guard involved in a viral video depicting a reenlistment ceremony.

All three of the individuals involved in the viral video -- which showed a female non-commissioned officer taking the reenlistment oath with a dinosaur puppet on her right hand -- were removed from their posts, according to an announcement posted on Facebook on Wednesday by Maj Gen. Terry M. Haston, the adjutant general for the Tennessee Guard.

The colonel shown administering the oath "was immediately retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel" and the senior NCO who recorded the event was "removed from his position as a unit First Sergeant" but will be retained in the Air National Guard, the statement said.

The senior NCO featured in the video wearing the puppet was removed from her full-time position with the Tennessee Joint Public Affairs Office and other administrative actions are underway," Haston's statement noted.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/18/politics/tennessee-air-national-guard-puppet-video/index.html

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The military takes it seriously when a dinosaur puppet is used to take an oath but when folks fly a tRump flag--and actually violate the oath--no one got fired.

[brucefan]

1. What am i missing here?

I read the CNN article,but don't understand what this dinosaur puppet is.

[Julian Englis]

2. She wore a dinosaur pupper on her raised right hand when she took the oath & the puppet mouthed it.

Look on her right hand. Here a link to a story that shows the video
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/2018/04/18/dinosaur-hand-puppet-video-tennessee-air-national-guard/530569002/

[left-of-center2012]

3. I thought this would be about 'creationism'

[FailureToCommunicate]

16. Riding bareback on a velociraptor - in sandals no less! That is one tough hombre.

And freebird, in a bathrobe as well. Jeebus!

[mark67]

4. Inexcusable...

But the simple truth of the matter is that sometimes people forget themselves and do stupid things, even our fine folks in uniform. But this stuff usually falls on the Commander. That's the climate he set in that unit, and I think, the one administering the oath in the video.

[sarge43]

5. Inexcusable and stupid

1. There's a time and place to snark off about institutional foolishness. The oath isn't it; it's kinda serious shit.

2. One has to wonder how a commissioned officer/commanding officer and a senior noncom would react if a two striper pulled a stunt like that. Further, you two made that far up the greasy pole and you haven't figured out yet the troops take their lead from command? If you haven't, then your unit is most likely a clown show.

3. You do not record a snark off, especially one that could get out to civie world. Them What Be In Charge are rather touchy about that.

All in all, a special kind of stupid.

[rpannier]

9. Not as big a deal IMO (after reading military.com)

According to the Air Force amn/nco/snco page, some individuals -- who identified themselves to be with the Tennessee Military Department -- said the videotaped ceremony was not an official reenlistment. Instead, they said, Brown was just trying to create a memory for her children.

Critics also scrutinized the colonel in the video, who had to read off of a piece of paper instead of having the oath memorized.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/04/18/airmen-dino-puppet-reenlistment-video-fired-reprimanded.html

[Julian Englis]

12. This!

[sarge43]

13. Ah. So just embarrassing, not official.

Still foolish.

[rpannier]

14. I agree

It wasn't bright
She should have just shown the video at home to her child
I was in the service (long time ago), I do remember being told, "Never do anything stupid while in uniform that anyone can find out about."

[sarge43]

15. Yup.

Anyone being civie world. To paraphrase Mr Holmes, generates an unnatural excitement among the tax payers. Worse, embarrass us.

As for in house, one of the reasons the Good Conduct Medal is informally known as the You didn't get caught Slick award.

[Boomer]

6. How odd

Beyond the issue of disrespect or the degree of punishment they received.... who even THINKS of doing this? What a very odd notion. "Oh, I know, let's have a puppet show!" Wut?

[rpannier]

11. From military.com

According to the Air Force amn/nco/snco page, some individuals -- who identified themselves to be with the Tennessee Military Department -- said the videotaped ceremony was not an official reenlistment. Instead, they said, Brown was just trying to create a memory for her children.

Critics also scrutinized the colonel in the video, who had to read off of a piece of paper instead of having the oath memorized.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/04/18/airmen-dino-puppet-reenlistment-video-fired-reprimanded.html

[mark67]

18. Thanks for that...

...so the stupidity was in posting the video...

[dembotoz]

7. Perhaps there is more to the story

[ArizonaLib]

8. Hmmmm!

Too bad other sorts of misconduct aren't dealt with so quickly and harshly. How does the song go? - "Only in America".

[sarge43]

10. That wasn't harsh.

Colonel retired with full benefits. MSgt was relieved of duty, BFD. She'll do the senior noncom equivalent of painting rocks until she puts in her retirement which she should do ASAP. That was an UCMJ violation "conduct unbecoming". He could have gotten an Article 15, heavy hit for an officer; she could have scored a summary court martial.

[Gore1FL]

17. They don't care about illegal orders.

Just don't fuck with ceremonies...