An Army National Guard unit at an obscure outpost in Alaska is under investigation after the commanding officer’s wife posed topless in a racy photo for a pin-up calendar (keep reading to see the actual photo).
The calendar, which was created for the American Cancer Society's “Relay For Life,” according to this Army Times story, has absolutely nothing to do with the military.
“This is obviously a fund-raising event as part of a private organization not associated with the military,” said John Cummings, a spokesman for SMDC/ARSTRAT, in the story, which originally reported the incident.
While we don’t have a copy of the photo to show you right now, you can go over here to see it.
OK, so maybe posing fairly naked for a charity calendar isn’t the most dignified thing a person could do. But since we keep hammering the fact that spouses have no rank and cannot, under any circumstances, be told by the military what to do in their personal lives, then this beautiful woman should be able to what ever she wants – and that includes stripping down for charity.
I’ll go ahead say it: back off the naked COW, folks.
The good news is that the military seems to be responding with a similar message. Even though the situation came to light after an email to high Army officials including Army Secretary John McHugh from a group calling themselves “Concerned Alaskans,” the story reports, the response from the parent unit is encouraging:
“As to the allegation on Mrs. Miley, the brigade commander has looked into this and has seen the photos,” [Commander of the battalion’s parent unit, Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command, Lt. Gen. Richard Formica’s] email reads. “It was determined that, while risqué, the photos are not obscene or pornographic. Having looked at the ones attached to the email you received, I agree with that characterization.”“In any event, Mrs. Miley is a spouse (not a service member) who participated in this fund-raising event as part of a private organization not associated with the military.”
Yes! That is exactly what should be said.
From what I can gather, the investigation into the unit is simply to make sure that no soldier there acted inappropriately. But a spouse? Can’t touch that. And that’s a good thing.
