Navy Sailor Sits For Anthem in Solidarity With Kaepernick
Washington - (CNN) A US Navy sailor who posted a video of herself sitting in protest during the national anthem at a Florida military base could face punishment after her post went viral this week.
The unidentified African-American sailor said in the video that she was sitting in support of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, whose kneeling protests of the anthem have sparked a national uproar.
"I am sitting down. My butt is on the chair. I'm really scared, y'all. I'm really scared, I'm not gonna lie," the sailor says in the video.
The video was posted to the Facebook page "US Army Military Police WTF Moments" earlier this week and was first reported by The Navy Times.
The Navy has identified the sailor, who is training at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, but will not publicly identify her, a spokeswoman said Friday.
"The Navy has identified the Sailor and her chain of command has been made aware of the video. Appropriate administrative actions are pending," said Lt. Cdr. Katherine Meadows, a U.S. Navy spokeswoman. "Additionally, we routinely give training to Sailors on appropriate usage of social media and that they must abide by the Uniform Code of Justice at all times."
The Navy requires all service members, whether in or out of uniform, to stand and face the flag whenever the national anthem is played.
Officials were first alerted about the video August 31, Meadows said.