Soldier Flag Salute: An Instagram Photo Stirs Online Outrage

Yet another Instagram photo has a U.S. military soldier under public scrutiny. Just last Wednesday February 19, a Madison, Wisconsin-based soldier from the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment poste...
Soldier Flag Salute: An Instagram Photo Stirs Online Outrage
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  • Yet another Instagram photo has a U.S. military soldier under public scrutiny.

    Just last Wednesday February 19, a Madison, Wisconsin-based soldier from the 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment posted a rather disrespectful photo to her Instagram.

    The ‘comical’ photo, which was found on private Terry Harrison’s Instagram, was clearly taken at a “mock” funeral.

    The picture shows an empty flag-draped casket surrounded by a group of soldiers smiling and making playful gestures.

    The caption reads:

    “We put the FUN in funeral — your fearless honor guard from various states.”

    Following a stream of backlashes and threats, Harrison and several other National Guard members were suspended.

    Now, in recent news, another soldier from the 59th Quartermaster Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, at Fort Carson, Colo., posted a controversy photo on Wednesday under the handle name “sheffeynation.”  (image)

    Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey shared a “selfie” of her posted up in her vehicle and the caption indicated that the soldier was hiding from a routine flag salutation:

    This is me laying back in my car hiding so I don’t have to salute the 1700 flag, KEEP ALL YOUR ‘THATS SO DISRESPECTFUL/HOWRUDE/ETC.’ COMMENTS TO YOURSELF cuz, right now, IDGAFFFF.

    Angry servicemen and family members initially sent the photo to Army Times.

    According to the news company, the “online outrage has quickly turned to hate, with a torrent of abusive comments, racial slurs and threats being made against the young soldier.”

    On Tuesday, spokesman Dee McNutt of Fort Carson said that Sheffey is under investigation

    However, it appears that the original account was disabled and replaced with another one under the handle “teriqkasheffey.”

    The photo has already received over 300 comments to date.

    Recently, a commentator responded: “Hey miss, why not leave America and stand against if you really hate it that much? Why are you still in USA? And why join the force and stand with us instead of going in front of us and against us?”

    While another said: “As much as I can’t stand any disrespect towards our country, black, white, purple, orange…it doesn’t matter, but this account doesn’t seem legit to me. All these pictures got posted in a matter of 1 or 2 days. It seems that someone is taking this to a whole new level…”

    Some have questioned the authenticity of the new account.

    However, Sheffey’s nonchalant video response Tuesday clearly verifies that she’s a real person.

    “I seriously just want to say thank you to everybody who stood up to me today, like seriously,” she said in the video, according to Army Times. “That s— to me was not that serious. I am not a disrespectful soldier and I really appreciate you all.”

    Image via Youtube

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