US Marines and SS Symbols

Attached a link US Marines and SS Flag to a disturbing article titled " Panetta seeks probe of Marine SS flag" reporting that the U.S. military scrambled to explain a picture of an elite Marine unit posing with a flag symbol that is similar to a Nazi "SS" logo which surfaced on the Internet a day earlier. Marine Corps Scout Snipers from the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion are seen in the photo standing and kneeling with their sniper rifles in front of a blue flag with white Nazi "SS" runes. The picture was taken in 2010 in Afghanistan and the photo's description says the "SS" flag had been "adopted and used by the Marines in reference to Scout Sniper." The Military Religious Freedom Foundation was alerted to the photo by Marines who expressed their concern, said group founder Mikey Weinstein. MRFF then distributed it to news organizations. The Marine Corps said it became aware of the photo last November and the local command investigated, but found it not to be racially motivated, according to a statement released by a Marine Corps spokesman, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton. The unit's commander decided not to proceed with disciplinary action, it said, but all Marines in the unit were reminded that such behavior will not be tolerated and any further display could result in punishment. Its hard to believe that the top US military leadership is only now responding to the event. Imagine this would have been German, French or British troops serving in Afghanistan? We should demand more than an apology from our military! Outreach and education efforts are sorely needed to prevent this from happening again. Yours Bernd