And on the opposite end of the news spectrum from the bombing of embassies we have the following from the AP: Sergeant in trouble for Playboy spread:
An Air Force staff sergeant who posed nude for Playboy magazine has been relieved of her duties while the military investigates, officials said Thursday.
This conjures images of extensive research by JAG officers looking at pictures of naked women.
Said the Air Force:
I dunno, I suppose it depends on how excellent the photo shoot was (sorry, I couldn’t resist). In honesty, I can understand the the Air Force would prefer that its members abstain from appearing nude in national publications. On the other, I wonder if this actually violates any military codes (anyone out there know?).
The story caught my eye not for the reasons one might think, but because it provides an interesting juxtaposition to the following (also from the AP): Pentagon abandons active-duty time limit:
The Pentagon has abandoned its limit on the time a citizen-soldier can be required to serve on active duty, officials said Thursday, a major change that reflects an Army stretched thin by longer-than-expected combat in Iraq.
Such a story is quite serious and underscores the situation that the armed forces finds itself in after almost four years of the Iraq war. I guess that given those woes one has to wonder if investigating, and likely castigating, someone over nude photos is a good use of time and resources. An overly simplistic comparison I know, but the contrast between the two stories is striking.
Update: The story is updated here including work safe comparison photos.
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January 12th, 2007 at 6:48 am
You know, from the picture associated with the article (the AP picture, not the Playboy picture), she’s not really very attractive. They say the camera can work wonders . . .
January 12th, 2007 at 8:12 am
I have heard, albeit on a t.v. show, that the Navy has regulations against being disrobed in public view. If that is true, it is likely the Air Force has similar regulations.
January 12th, 2007 at 8:28 am
I’m sure there’s some boilerplate “conduct unbecoming” UCMJ language that they can trot out — it would never hold up in a civilian context, but it will work to get her dishonorably discharged if they want to go there.
One would think we needed all the warm bodies (even warm, undraped bodies) we could get right now, but who knows.
January 13th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
The first thing every branch of the military does is to force the service member to adapt to military life, with all of it’s hardships and stark realities. It’s not the other way around - the service cannot adopt the ways of our society at large. When you volunteer to serve, you accept all of the rules and responsibilities that come along with the job. She broke that trust; she’s gone.
January 13th, 2007 at 4:59 pm
[...] And for more of Michelle, check these guys out here and here. [...]
January 13th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
You talk about the armed forces not being able to recruit. Its the Army and Marines that cant recruit not the Air Force. In fact, the Air Force is being mandated by Congress to get rid of 29,000 airmen this year. The airmen are encouraged to join the army but its not mandated.
January 13th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Actually, Anderson, it would hold up in a civilian context. There have been numerous cases of women being fired by their employers for posing in Playboy, Penthouse, et al. The difference is the civilian employers just fire/release the individual. The military prosecutes.
January 13th, 2007 at 11:06 pm
They will get her with, likely “conduct unbecoming an enlisted person”. Seriously, she had to have known this would happen. She is in a very high visibility position, and knows the Air Force would have to react. Don’t know if they will actually prosecute her, but they almost certainly will release her. She had another 8 years until retirement…hope it was worth it to be a flash in the pan.
By the way, as far as I know, the Marines are not having any problems meeting recruiting goals.
January 14th, 2007 at 10:03 am
The US Airforce should grow up
January 15th, 2007 at 10:28 am
I think everyone should be entitled to their dreams, regardless of their choice of career. She has managed to keep all her catagories separated, so far, why should the military make choices for her.
January 15th, 2007 at 10:31 am
I think I just figured out a way to end the war in Irag! Everybody strips nude!!! Everybody gets sent home on leave;
January 15th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
[...] Ok, so first we have the whole Air Force Sergeant bit, and then I open up my Sci Fi Weekly Newsletter e-mail from Sci Fi Channel and I see this on the right-hand column: [...]
January 15th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
One can fire teachers for casting their school in a bad light, even actors like Tom Cruise can be let go for similar “issues”. Why not the military, where there is, after all, a strong code of conduct?
January 15th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
In all honesty, I will not be surprised if she is punished, and I wouldn’t argue against it.
I was simply struck by 1) the investigation element, which I thought was funny,
and
2) given what are armed forces are going through at the moment, I have a hard time getting all worked up over the issue.
January 15th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
For someone who teaches brand new Airmen (trainees actually) she most definitely knew better. If she wanted to pursue the life in the nude magz… she should not have re-enlisted. They certainly didn’t force her to re-enlist… and something like this is something she should have taken up with a first sergeant or commanding officer. They would have advised her on the smart thing to do that would not interfere with her job. She would have been forewarned, and not ‘investigated’. I’m not saying she shouldn’t be free to take those pictures, she should just not be allowed to do so in a military uniform for one…. that is most certainly the biggest issue. I’m sure if she’d taken them without the uniform, a reprimand would be more likely. That places a negative image on the uniform, and not her.
Another Airman
January 18th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
I guess I don’t see the big picture, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, HNN can show pics of dead Iraquis or murder in the streets, our kids can play the most violent video games know to man, and the “Holier Than Thou” can also pass judgement on the human body??? Hell, you came into this world naked….it is only because of mans ignorance that we wear clothes today….I see nothing wrong with it. If you don’t like it, don’t look!! But just wait and the PIG, Rosie O’ Large ass will give us her position on it in the next few days….
January 19th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
Truthful, but may sound caddy…
1. She’s been in the military 13 years and is still a Staff Sgt (E-5). Something’s wrong.. she may be reaching her limit of time-in-rank.
2. In the interview, Playboy specifically reminded her that military women posing for them have faced problems in the past. :DING: the bell should’ve gone on, asking “What problems? Maybe i should check into this w/ the AF and weigh my actions vs reprecussions.” To assume it would be alright when the agency is specifically telling you it hasn’t been in the past is dense.
3. It was probably a bigger issue that the pics/article are military affiliated. Had she just posed as a woman, not a military representative (weapons, dogtags, aircraft), it might be less of an issue.
4. The military has pride in traditional professionalism. She knew the rules when she entered; and if she was an instructor, i promise she was aware these acts would be considered unbecoming. Future comments: “If i posed in Playboy, i’d get those jobs, too.” “Hey :catcall:, while we’re deployed, you gonna pose for us?” “Did you have SSgt Playboy as your training instructor? She was a bitch, but she had some knockers.”
But, she’ probably banking $ for both the article and the publicity. Gotta make a buck :).
January 21st, 2007 at 10:41 pm
She new exactly what she was doing………getting publicity. Everyone who is in or has been in the military knows that she would be just fine if she left the military out of the photo shoot. However she is old for the nude scene (sorry but it’s obvious….she will not have staples over her stomach any time soon) and needed the attention that this “little scandal” would give her. At the least, she will no longer be a Training Instructor, the worst thing that will happen to her is an administrative discharge for failure to adapt to the military lifestyle. I find this funny as hell since her position is designed to weed out recruits that can not adapt to that lifestyle.
The most we will see of Michelle is at best some lame reality show in the future, but I wouldn’t bet on it………this story has been played out before and all that came out of it was a weak selling book. Michelle doesn’t have much of a story for a book though!
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:00 pm
I look at all of the people out there blogging away giving this woman praise and the Air Force the shame and blame. Has anyone ever noticed the the military’s biggest critics are normally those who know the LEAST about it?
I say scrap all the morality questions and stop trying to compare what she did as the lesser evil when compared to other military scandals. Anyone with half a brain can tell that her actions, no matter how ammoral or patriotic you think they are, reflect the end result of making very poor choices.
I mean really, I’m a sergeant in the Army and none of my fellow NCO friends in the Air Force took over a decade to earn their strips. 13 years in and she’s STILL only an E-5? Must not be the sharpest tool in the shed if you ask me. I’ll bet no one will have any real respect for her in the Air Force now that this has hit the fan. For her sake I hope all the Behind-back snikering and whispers that she and here family are about to encounter (if they haven’t already) will be worth while for the sake of this shoot.
January 23rd, 2007 at 8:32 am
One suspects that she may have done this as a means of exiting the military.
January 23rd, 2007 at 4:21 pm
With a 14 year average to make E-6 in the AF, your comments are just a bit off! But by her descisions you can tell she is quite the dull spoon with an appetite for attention.
January 30th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I don’t see why people care she was on her free time stop the military was wrong to do what they did if she had the body go ahead no one should care what she did in her free time of duty it was here body she had all the right she has a life outside the military