【A Thought of Ecstasy】

Sometimes,A Thought of Ecstasy there is room for levity in life, but a few members of the Tennessee Air National Guard found out the hard way that a reenlistment ceremony is not one of those times.

Three members of the Tennessee Air National Guard have been punished after a video they made of a reenlistment ceremony, in which one person is wearing a dinosaur puppet, went viral last weekend.

While those outside the service may shrug at the above video and chalk it up to some guardsmen having a little fun, those within the military are furious, deriding the video for what they say is making a mockery of a solemn event.

The officer wearing the puppet, Master Sgt. Robin Brown, was participating in an official reenlistment ceremony, Tennessee National Guard public affairs spokesman William Jones told multiple outlets.

Why she was wearing the puppet isn't clear; some reports say that she was wearing it for her children when they viewed the video later. Jones told the Washington Posthe wasn't sure why she wore it.

Reached by phone, a spokesperson at the Tennessee National Guard public affairs office declined to comment as to why she was wearing the puppet.

Still, the video was met with fury by leadership. Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen Scott Rice posted a statement on Facebook in which he said, reacting to the outcry over the video, "I’m equally shocked and dismayed by this event that mocks such a cherished and honorable occasion."

And, on Wednesday, the punishment came down, via a Facebook post by MG Terry M. Haston, the Adjutant General-Tennessee. In his statement, Haston said:

I am absolutely embarrassed that a senior officer and a senior NCO took such liberties with a time-honored military tradition. The Tennessee National Guard holds the Oath of Enlistment in the highest esteem because that oath signifies every service member’s commitment to defend our state, nation and the freedoms we all enjoy. Not taking this oath solemnly and with the utmost respect is firmly against the traditions and sanctity of our military family and will not be tolerated.

As for punishment, Sgt. Brown was "removed from her full-time position with the Tennessee Joint Public Affairs Office and other administrative actions are underway."

The unidentified colonel administering the ceremony was demoted a level to lieutenant colonel and "immediately retired." A third unidentified Senior NCO (non-commissioned officer), the one filming the ceremony, was "removed from his position as a unit First Sergeant and has received an official reprimand." However, Haston notes he will remain with the Guard.