Posted on Apr 28, 2015
A Fish Story? Paratrooper Who Completed Final Jump With Pet Fish Receives UCMJ
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Army SPC Matthew Tattersall, the Paratrooper who gained fame just last week for celebrating his final training jump by bringing his pet fish along with him and filming the experience on a Go-Pro camera, has now faced the wrath of the UCMJ for his stunt.
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UCMJ
UCMJ
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 262
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I'll admit the first time reading this story brought a smile to my face. While I don't condone safety violations in any form or fashion, it's also good to see such a high level of esprit de corps in a young troop. I think his leadership chose the right course of action. He should be punished for the safety violations, but minimally. Plenty of troops have done dumber things and gone on to be successful.
If I were him I'd have the picture framed.
If I were him I'd have the picture framed.
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LCpl Darrell J. Farley Jr.
When he retires as a Sgt Maj he can use this as a teaching tool!!! As how to better hide his fish!
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SPC Kelly Grindstaff
Exactly you already took the punishment for it so make a huge photo and frame it!
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What's wrong with that? I jump out the aircraft with my fish all the time. But I wouldn't jump out with my bowling ball or a bag of cement, LOL
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SGT Robert George
Well you cant tell if the poor fish had his little safety restraint on or not !!!!
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Not having the same level of exp many of you have, from my inexperienced perspective, this seems like a waste of time and tax payer money to prosecute. I know we need to maintain discipline but if every infraction is persecuted then that's all the military is going to be doing. Is it really that big deal?
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MAJ (Join to see)
LCpl Mark Lefler, you're back to talking sense again, Mark. I firmly believe someone at BN or BDE-level got butthurt when it started making the news, so they had bring the hurt.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
The nickle and dime Article 15s do not help at all. Never mind chicken sh-- administrative actions, save this for things worth worrying about. I have spent some time as a First Sergeant and its My opinion this was overkill and not needed. Overuse of this system can accomplish one thing, break down moral. If they didn't like it then tell Him, the punishment I don't feel was needed at all.
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LCpl Darrell J. Farley Jr.
L/Cpl Mark Lefler, AND NO DISRESPECT TO THE ARMY, but we are talking about the Army here. In the Corps he might get 2 weeks EPD and the Company Gunny on his ass!
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Having a sense of humor in the military is more dangerous to your career than jumping out of an airplane with a fish these days.
Also, having a social media account in the military is more dangerous to your career than jumping out of an airplane with a fish.
Also, having a social media account in the military is more dangerous to your career than jumping out of an airplane with a fish.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
They gave him a 1000 word essay first, which he "gaffed," and it turned into an Art 15.
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SGT Richard H.
He should have done the essay. 1000 words takes what? 10 minutes? I think I've written posts on here that long!
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PO1 Shannon Drosdak
I'm just wondering, if he had done this in civilian clothing would it have been "less serious"? I understand and do realize that jumping out of any moving object what so ever is dangerous (especially one that is an air object) but if he would have done this on liberty status would the punishment have been as severe? or is it the fact that he is in a uniform? Don't get me wrong, Either way it's a dangerous thing to do but is his safety and conduct more of an issue because of the uniform? I'm in no way condoning the actions, just thinking out loud that this has become more of an issue because of the "uniform itself. Some may say "it was a training evolution" and I get that, I do however I think attention is paid more to "on time" now days than "off time". To me it seems persecution happens with shades on "always on duty?" I've seen WAY worse than this done by "brothers and sisters" on liberty and leave.
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LCpl Darrell J. Farley Jr.
SPC Todd Hanson, back at the end of WWI my granddad was a Sgt I The U S Army Air Service, U S Army Signal Corps ( it wasn’t even the Army Air Corps till sometime in the 1920’s)
He and his two buddies were gonna go to Paris on leave before going back to the U S. Their departure date got moved up by the Army(I know you are both shocked and appalled) they looked at a crowded troop transport, or a couple weeks in Paris. They chose 28 days in Paris!!! By the time they were all sent back ( they turned themselves in2 days short of desertion)they came home as P F C’s. That was the last story he retold to me about 1/2 hour before he died(with a smile on his lips)!!!
He and his two buddies were gonna go to Paris on leave before going back to the U S. Their departure date got moved up by the Army(I know you are both shocked and appalled) they looked at a crowded troop transport, or a couple weeks in Paris. They chose 28 days in Paris!!! By the time they were all sent back ( they turned themselves in2 days short of desertion)they came home as P F C’s. That was the last story he retold to me about 1/2 hour before he died(with a smile on his lips)!!!
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Suspended Profile
I about fell out of my chair when I seen the pictures online. Seems like a great paratrooper with a sense of humor! Also took his Company Grade like a champ. Hopefully he gets some good recognition also, because that's pretty good stuff in my book.
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Sorry, doesn't pass the smell test for this old NCO. Yep, I get it. Voluntarily leaving serviceable aircraft while still in flight is a dangerous activity that requires ones complete and undivided attention. Should this young man suffer some repercussion? Absolutely. But rising to the level of NJP is a bit far IMNSHO. I'm fairly certain his sergeant or LT could have found a way to keep it in house with some remedial training exercises. They just need to be creative so the word gets out. Just my $.02 worth.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
They started with a 1000 word essay. Soldier gaffed it off. Escalated up, because of that.
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CPT Pedro Meza
I take it tying the soldier to a metal chair and letting a cat at the fish is too cruel?
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Probably the dumbest thing to punish. There are a lot of WTF moments that the military can have and I think this is one of them.
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