WASHINGTON (AP) - The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating two female Navy hospital corpsmen in Florida who posted Snapchat photos making a newborn dance to rap music and giving the middle finger to another baby with a caption that said, “How I currently feel about these mini Satans.”
Vice Adm. C. Forrest Faison, the Navy’s Surgeon General, has also ordered an immediate stand-down at all Navy medical commands to review policies, standards and “our oaths, our pledges, our reasons for serving.”
Faison said the review must be done within 48 hours.
The “highly offensive photos and videos,” said Faison, were “shared on various platforms and … viewed by hundreds of thousands of individuals.” That behavior, he said, is inconsistent with the Navy’s core values, medical ethics and the oaths the corpsmen took for their profession.
“In an age where information can be shared instantly, what we say and post online must reflect the highest standards of character and conduct, in both our personal and professional lives,” Faison said in a message posted to the force.
Faison also ordered an immediate prohibition on any personal cellphones in patient care areas, and told commanders to ensure no patient photos exist on social media. He also told commanders to personally contact all the current and expectant mothers planning to deliver children in Navy facilities, talk to them about what has been done and address their concerns.
Navy Capt. Brenda Malone, spokeswoman for the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, said the corpsmen were removed from any jobs involving direct patient care and appropriate action will be taken once the NCIS investigation is finished. She said NCIS would forward the results of the investigation to the appropriate command to determine if criminal prosecution is warranted.
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