Lawmakers from both parties accused Marine Corps leaders on Tuesday of fostering a culture that allowed members to post nude photos of female Marines online.
Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps, faced the brunt of congressional anger over Marines United, a private Facebook group of about 30,000 people in which active and former Marines posted nude or inappropriate photos of female Marines online without their consent.
Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee slammed leaders for not doing enough after a similar 2013 scandal involving unofficial Marine Corps Facebook pages and allowing this to happen again, using words such as “repugnant,” “inexcusable,” “disturbed” and “disappointed” to describe their reactions to the latest incident.
“There’s no mystery that this has been going on for a very long time. It was right in front of you and the command to do something about since 2013,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said during one of the more contentious rounds of questions Neller faced. “I have to say when you say to us, ‘It’s got to be different,’ that rings hollow. I don’t know what you mean when you say that. Why does it have to be different? Because you all of a sudden feel that it has to be different? Who has been held accountable?
“It is a serious problem when we have members of our military denigrating female Marines who will give their lives for this country in the way they have with no response from leadership. I can tell you, your answers today are unsatisfactory. They do not go far enough,” she continued.
Neller said he shared Gillibrand’s concerns and stressed that he is taking them seriously, working to change the culture of the organization.
“I don’t have a good answer for you. I’m not going to sit here and duck around this thing. I’m not. I’m responsible. I’m the commandant,” Neller told her. “I own this and we are going to have to, I know you’ve heard it before, but we’re going to have to change how we see ourselves and how we treat each other. That’s a lame answer, but ma’am, that’s the best I can tell you right now.”
Senators also criticized the service because no one has yet faced punishment, such as suspension or non-judicial punishment, for the Marines United scandal.
“One of the challenges is that people are not being held accountable in a way that sends a very strong message to others that they serve with that this is unacceptable behavior,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said.
Some lawmakers also linked the culture that allowed this to happen in the Marine Corps to the high rates of sexual assault in the service.
While the women on the panel had some of the most contentious exchanges with the officials, the men on the panel were equally outraged about the way female Marines were being treated.
“I would say this is devastatingly bad,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said.
“Would you agree this is maybe one of the darkest moments and it needs to be fixed?” Graham asked, to which Neller replied yes.
“I was outraged, disgusting, embarrassed as a citizen, as a lawmaker and as a Marine,” Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said.
“One of the things about the Marine Corps, and all military services but particularly the Marine Corps, there’s a culture and it’s part of what we do, is we bring violence to the enemies of our nation,” he continued. “Is it a perversion of the culture where Marines are actually bringing violence on women Marines?”
“You used the words despicable and disgusting. That certainly is a feeling everyone on this panel shares,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said to Neller. “I think we’re all going to watch closely and demand from you, not just the words you’ve given us, which we trust, but action, which speaks louder than words.”
