MATTIS: Nude-photo-sharing scandal is 'unacceptable and counter to unit cohesion'
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis released a statement condemning alleged sharing of nude photos by US military personnel, saying such behavior is "unacceptable and counter to unit cohesion."
"The purported actions of civilian and military personnel on social media websites, including some associated with the Marines United group and possibly others, represent egregious violations of the fundamental values we uphold at the Department of Defense," Mattis said, according to a statement obtained by Andrew deGrandpre at Military Times.
The statement comes just one day after Business Insider reported that every military branch had been affected by the nude-photo-sharing scandal, not just the Marine Corps.
Mattis added that the Pentagon was "taking all appropriate action" to investigate any inappropriate action by service members.
"Lack of respect for the dignity and humanity of fellow service members of the Department of Defense is unacceptable and counter to unit cohesion," Mattis said. "We will not excuse or tolerate such behavior if we are to uphold our values and maintain our ability to defeat the enemy on the battlefield."
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller similarly condemned such behavior on Tuesday, saying in a video, "When I hear allegations of Marines denigrating their fellow Marines, I don't think such behavior is that of true warriors or warfighters."
The Pentagon has come under fire from the media and congressional leaders in recent days, especially after Business Insider reported that the scandal that prompted an investigation into hundreds of Marines who were accused of sharing naked photographs of their colleagues in a private Facebook group was found to be much larger than previously thought.
The practice of sharing such photos goes beyond the Marine Corps and one Facebook group. Hundreds of nude photos of female service members from every military branch have been posted to an image-sharing message board that dates back to at least May. A source informed Business Insider of the site's existence on Tuesday.
The site, called AnonIB, has a dedicated board for military personnel that features dozens of threaded conversations among men, many of whom ask for "wins" — naked photographs — of specific female service members, often identifying the women by name or where they are stationed.
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