What do you think of this photo? Appropriate or not?

I have to agree with most of the other people on here. I think the person who took the photo and shared it is just as guilty. They both are acting like fools. Now, 20 years ago this photo would probably never have left one of their dresser drawers. Being that this is the information age, any photo taken, one might assume is going to be shared with the world.

I recently read a post that was made by the offender (and yes, I say "offender" as this has offended - to put it mildly) that was nothing more than an attempt to excuse and dismiss her behavior as opposed to an apology, or any attempt to make things right. There was no humility whatsoever in her rant.

Regardless of the age of the photo, I look at the age of the offender, the uniform she wears and I wonder A: where did her parents go wrong, B: where did her training go wrong, and C: where did her chain of command go wrong to lead her to believe that this would have been even remotely funny even if a picture had never been taken?

There is no excuse for this behavior - especially in uniform.

On poster in this thread says, by way of excusing it for the age of the photo, "...I don't believe there is anything that can be done at this point." This from a command-level officer.

That is not only a shameful way to brush it off, but untrue. Her CoC could - and should - pursue disciplinary action in some form, as there is surely something that can be done. One can look to any example that has been sensationalized in the news over the last decade or more, and see that disciplinary action was suddenly and immediately taken, with various forms of discipline and punishment doled out. I doubt if it was one of 'your' soldiers (generally speaking) that you would simply shrug your shoulders and turn a blind eye.

Many who have fought before us are represented in that image that she so wantonly disrespects, and many of those are hurt and angry. Where does leadership fit in to this? Positively or negatively?

I am glad that I did not serve under such dismissiveness. My leaders did not make excuses or turn a blind eye. They taught personal accountability, and  held themselves accountable for their subordinates.