A video of an Air National Guard master sergeant reciting her oath of re-enlistment while using a dinosaur hand puppet has drawn a rebuke from a three-star general.
In a post Monday on his official Facebook page, Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard, blasted Master Sgt. Robin Brown of the Tennessee Air National Guard for her re-enlistment video.
Rice said many people had brought the video to his attention after it was posted on the unofficial Air Force amn/nco/snco Facebook page Saturday, and that the Tennessee Guard leadership is addressing the matter.
“I understand your outrage and frustration,” Rice said. “Let me say, I’m equally shocked and dismayed by this event that mocks such a cherished and honorable occasion. ... This action goes against our very foundation.”
Randy Harris, the director of joint public affairs for the Tennessee Military Department, confirmed to Air Force Times that it was Brown, a public affairs officer, in the video.
Harris also said the ceremony was filmed on Friday.
But Harris said the incident is still under investigation and that he could not confirm other details.
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Screenshots of an online conversation posted on the amn/nco/snco page show someone from the Tennessee Military Department saying the ceremony was “not an official reenlistment” and that Brown “was trying to create something her younger children would enjoy.”
Harris said that he did not send those messages ― though he said he did send another message in the screenshot identifying his position and pledging to “get to the bottom of this” ― and could not confirm that the video wasn’t an official re-enlistment.
Commenters online also blasted the officer reciting Brown’s oath for reading it off a piece of paper and not having it memorized, and for not raising his own right hand.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
