Nat'l Guard Soldier Gets Death Threats for 'Funeral Fun' Pic

Newser ^ | 2/19/14 | Rob Quinn

[Impala64ssa]

Wisconsin soldier pulled from military funeral duties

A National Guard soldier has been suspended indefinitely from military funeral duties after a picture of her and other soldiers clowning around a training casket surfaced on social media. "We put the FUN in funeral," read the caption on the photo posted on the Instagram account of Spc. Terry Harrison, Fox 47 reports. The Wisconsin National Guard member has been shifted to other duties pending an investigation and the Guard says it has taken steps to ensure her safety after death threats, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Another photo to spark outrage shows Harrison in a car, with a comment complaining about the cold and saying, "Somebody's getting a jacked up flag." The photos and comments drew condemnation from the soldier's superiors all the way up to the Pentagon, where the chief of the National Guard Bureau called them "deplorable," Stars and Stripes reports. "These duties are sacred. America’s fallen deserve nothing less than our deepest respect," he said.

[snippy_about_it]

Ok. It was a training casket however, what message does it send when she posts that disrespectful attitude on her Facebook page? My husband was in the guard years after his service in Vietnam. Rest assured he took funeral duty very seriously. Perhaps these young people haven’t seen enough of what puts a soldier into those caskets to respect it or seen an old soldier die that they love.

You all that say it is no big deal probably haven’t buried your own. It’s shameful. As Americans we are prince to dark humor but with respect I think, not posting om Facebook. /rant

[colorado tanker]

Hi Snippy. It's been a while.

I personally did funeral duty and my guys never acted like this, at least not that I know of. And I have been to funerals of family where military honors were rendered. The ceremony is touching and very much appreciated by the families.

What I'm reacting to is the "get a rope" tenor of the posts. Soldiers doing something stupid is nothing new and something like this shouldn't result in her being kicked out. I saw plenty of dumb things in my day and we handled that stuff in the unit. It could be as simple as the commander telling them to knock it off up to formal Article 15 nonjudicial punishment, which can result in extra duty or restriction, or in serious cases forfeiture of pay and/or reduction in grade.

The main difference I can see between my era and the present is that soldiers have cell phone cameras and sometimes post their stupid stuff on Facebook. Once it's out on the Internet, you can't get it back.

[CorporateStepsister]

Messing around while supposedly training for a military position being involved in the burial of our heroes? It’s WAY beyond the pale and people are rightly enraged at this sick antic. It’s sick and not normal at all.

[CorporateStepsister]

He was right and so are you.

[CorporateStepsister]

Thing is, that women fought to be able to be part of our military and now this wench proves why (to critics of women in the military) women don’t belong.

[Talisker]

It's a stupid picture of people acting stupid, but nothing in any way dangerous or destructive.

I find you assessment of the power of morale disturbing.

Not to mention your inability to see extremes that indicate intent.

[OneWingedShark]

>> It's a stupid picture of people acting stupid, but nothing in any way dangerous or destructive.
>
> I find you assessment of the power of morale disturbing.

Counter-argument: they were keeping their own morale up.

Not to mention your inability to see extremes that indicate intent.

What extremes?
It's an empty coffin, they weren't actually on the detail (if they were, they'd be in dress uniforms).

There's far better things to be upset about than the posting of a meaningless picture of troops goofing around.

[OneWingedShark]

This picture, from another thread, is far less appropriate:

… and even it, by itself, shouldn't be grounds for DD or BCD as neither is criminal [in any sense] and neither is harming any actual person —— are they tasteless? Yes. Do they show a lack of composure? Yes. Are they [in isolation] worthy of sudden and intimidate termination [discharge]? No. Do either rise to the level of warranting death threats? No.

Hell, there are many, many issues that should be addressed before harping on lower-enlisted screwing around — like the mettle of the high-ranking officers and their [lack of] commitment to the Constitution.

[rabidralph]

The “big deal” is the callousness in their thinking process. Empty or not, just the thought of setting up a shot like that should disgust anyone in uniform.

[Jet Jaguar]

Active Duty ping.

[BerryDingle]

OOPS, it was the DANISH PM. I stand corrected.

I was going to say, Merkle has about as much respect for that idiot as we do.

[Talisker]

I made my point, you made yours. We differ on our evaluation of the extremity of what was done, and it’s intended effects.

Dramatically.