Soldier Takes Self Portrait in Car While Ditching Evening Colors-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
A self photo of Army Private Tariqka Sheffey has gone viral on the Internet. The caption in the photo said that she was hiding in her car so she would not have to salute the flag as it was being lowered for the evening.
The Truth:
Private First Class Tariqka Sheffey took the photo, wrote the caption and posted it on Instagram. This according to a February 25, 2014 article by the Army Times who received the image after it went viral on social media.
The article said that “Sheffey is a member of the 59th Quartermaster Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, at Fort Carson, Colorado” and that the chain of command is aware of the incident and have ordered an investigation.
The Army Times said that “angry service members, Gold Star mothers and spouses have called for the soldier’s removal from service.”
The Evening Colors Ceremony
According to the website Army Study Guide every evening, on military bases, the flag is lowered from the flagpole at sundown. There is a “First Call” sounded five minutes prior to the evening colors ceremony to warn all on base to prepare themselves. The flag is then lowered at sundown as the songs “Retreat” followed by “To The Colors” are played throughout the base on a public address system. At the flagpole all military members can hear the commands during the ceremony. This may not be the case for other uniformed members who are elsewhere on the base and not indoors. Upon hearing the first note of “Retreat” all uniformed members are to stop, turn in direction of the flagpole and stand at attention. When they hear the first note of “To The Colors” they are to salute and hold the salute until the song is finished. The song may be played by a bugler or it may be recorded. The flag ceremony is coordinated to the music. When the music is over it is an indication throughout base that the flag ceremony is finished and uniformed personnel may lower their salutes and carry on with what they were doing. The only persons on base, outdoors in uniform that are exempt from participation in this ceremony are persons whose duty requires them to face in some other direction. For example, a guard at the base entrance.
Posted 02/26/14