Soldier posts pic of herself avoiding flag salute, ignites online firestorm
Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey declares she just doesn’t care as she lays back in her car in full uniform to avoid the 5 p.m. salute of the American flag as a member of the 59th Quartermaster Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade at Fort Carson, Colo.
By Lee Moran / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Wednesday, February 26, 2014
nydailynews.com
 Instagram Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey is catching serious flak for posting a photo of herself ducking in her car to avoid having to salute the U.S. flag.
A U.S. Army soldier is in hot water for snapping a selfie and boasting about hiding in her car to avoid saluting the flag.
Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey is catching serious heat for uploading the image, where she appears in full uniform, to Instagram.
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"This is me laying back in my car hiding so I don't have to salute the 1700 flag," she captioned the picture.
"KEEP ALL YOUR 'THATS SO DISRESPECTFUL/HOWRUDE/ETC.' COMMENTS TO YOURSELF cuz, right now, IDGAFFFF," she added, under her handle sheffeynation.
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The picture, and its caption, went viral and Sheffey — a member of the 59th Quartermaster Company, 43rd Sustainment Brigade at Fort Carson, Colo. — is now facing calls for her removal.
Other critics are demanding she be fired from her post, the Army Times reported.
 Thinkstock/Getty Images Army colonel chaplain salutes the U.S. flag as required. Failure to salute has critics of Pfc. Tariqka Sheffey wondering how she can defend it.
"Any soldier who refuses to salute the flag is in the military for the wrong reason, and should be removed by dishonorable discharge with loss of all benefits," one Facebook user said.
"If they won't salute it, they damn sure won't fight for it," he added.
A Fort Carson spokesman revealed that an investigation into the posting of the image is underway.
Sheffey appeared to offer an apology, of sorts, by posting a video to the social network Tuesday.
"I seriously just want to say thank you to everybody who stood up to me today, like seriously. That s--t to me was not serious. I am not a disrespectful soldier, and I really appreciate you all," she said.
The incident comes one week after several Wisconsin National Guards were suspended for uploading photos of themselves posing behind a flag-draped coffin.
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