Two active-duty Marines are under investigation in connection to a social media post purportedly threatening to attack gay bars following Sunday's deadly mass shooting in Florida. 
 
 The California-based I Marine Expeditionary Force launched a command investigation after a photo surfaced on social media showing a corporal in uniform holding a rifle with his finger near the trigger. The words “Coming to a gay bar near you!” appear at the bottom of the photo. 
 
 The picture was posted recently to Camp MENdleton resale, a closed Facebook group for male Marines with more than 25,000 members. The person who purportedly posted it also wrote “Too soon?” 
 
 The post follows Sunday's terror attack on a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people and left 53 wounded. 
 
 First Lt. Thomas Gray, a spokesman for I MEF, told Marine Corps Times that the command has identified the Marine in the picture and the one who posted it on Facebook. 
 
 “We cannot discuss details of an ongoing investigation, but I can tell you the command is taking this incident seriously,” Gray said. 
 
 Marine officials have vowed to take “appropriate action” in response to the social media post, according to a statement released by I MEF. 
 
 "The Marine Corps does not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender or religion," the statement says. “...This type of behavior and mindset will not be allowed, and it is not consistent with the core values of honor, courage and commitment that are demonstrated by the vast majority of Marines on a daily basis." 
 
 Michael Moss, the founder of the Camp MENdleton resale Facebook group, said on Facebook that the post was deleted as soon as it was reported, and the person was banned from the group immediately. 
 
 "We do not tolerate hate speech,” he said. Moss was not immediately available for comment. 
 
 The incident coincides with a separate investigation by the FBI and San Diego police into an anonymous threat posted Tuesday on the men-seeking-men section of the Craigslist San Diego personal ads, according to local television station KGTV. 
 
 "Orlando was long overdue," the post stated, according to ABC affiliate. "...San Diego you are next." 
 
 So far, there are no indications that the Marines' social media post and the Craigslist threat are linked, but both investigations are ongoing, Gray said. ||||| A social media post that seemingly references Sunday’s mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub has led to an investigation of two Camp Pendleton Marines. 
 
 The Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Expeditionary Force announced Thursday that it is looking into a photo posted Wednesday in a Facebook group called Camp MENdleton Resale, which advertises itself as a private forum for male troops and veterans. 
 
 The photo, which has since been removed, shows a uniformed Marine corporal pointing a rifle toward the camera. A caption at the bottom says, “Coming to a gay bar near you!” 
 
 Based on other features shown on the post, it appears the photo also was sent through the instant messaging program Snapchat. The post has since been shared on several other Facebook pages. 
 
 This incident continues a week of questionable or disturbing responses to the massacre at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, where 49 people — most of them gay or lesbian — were killed and more than 50 others were wounded. The death count makes it the largest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. 
 
 Shooter Omar Mateen, who was killed by police, had voiced anti-gay sentiment and solidarity with the jihadist group Islamic State. Authorities said it’s still unclear exactly what motivated him. 
 
 On Sunday, a pastor gave a sermon in Sacramento about how Mateen should have killed more gays at the nightclub. On Tuesday, someone placed a Craigslist posting referring to the mass shooting with the warning, “San Diego you are next.” The San Diego Police Department said it’s working with others to determine who made the comment. 
 
 In the case of the rifle-toting Marine, it’s an open question whether the post was a tasteless joke or a genuine threat. According to the Marine Corps Times, which first reported on the issue, the Marine who posted the photo did so with the comment “Too soon?” 
 
 Whatever the motivations, Marine Corps officials were not amused. 
 
 “We are currently investigating a threatening social media post and will take appropriate action,” said a statement from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. “This type of behavior and mindset will not be allowed, and it is not consistent with the core values of honor, courage and commitment that are demonstrated by the vast majority of Marines on a daily basis.” 
 
 Under investigation are the corporal in the photo and the person who posted it on Facebook — both of them active-duty troops at Pendleton, a Marine spokesman said. He declined to name those Marines. 
 
 It wouldn’t be the first time a social media gaffe has derailed a military career. 
 
 Defense Department policy is that its members should not advocate illegal discrimination or criminal activity when representing the U.S. military, said 1st Lt. Thomas Gray, a 1st MEF spokesman. Also, wearing the uniform is prohibited when it might bring discredit to the service, he said. 
 
 In 2012, Camp Pendleton Marine Sgt. Gary Stein received an other-than-honorable discharge after he made disparaging comments against President Barack Obama on Facebook pages. Stein was the creator of an Armed Forces Tea Party group on Facebook and spoke at a tea party rally. 
 
 First Amendment free-speech rights are restricted for the military, said Thomas Umberg, who served in the Army’s judge advocate general corps and is now in private practice in Orange County. 
 
 “To the extent that this was meant to either intimidate somebody or bring discredit to the Marine Corps, it could be a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Umberg said. 
 
 That could be a career-ender for an officer, he said. For a junior enlisted Marine, it might not automatically mean discharge but it wouldn’t be good for promotion prospects. 
 
 Moderators of the Camp MENdleton Resale group on Facebook deleted the post on the same day of the image’s posting and banned the person involved, Caleb Moss, co-founder of the group, said in messages to The San Diego Union-Tribune. 
 
 Moss said he takes the issue seriously. 
 
 “We believe that it was a very insensitive and possibly dangerous photo that needed to be taken seriously given the nature of the possible threat,” he said. 
 
 “We responded to the photo as soon as we were alerted to it. We have 25,000 members and get about 3,000 posts every seven days. We rely on our members ... to help moderate, which they did. As a group, we do not condone any type of hate speech or threats,” he added. 
 
 Moss said someone took a screen shot of the post and shared it outside of the group, which is when it gained broad attention. He also said the group’s moderators had already deleted the post by then. 
 
 According to organizers, the MENdleton Facebook group’s intended purpose is to be a forum to help the veterans community. To that end, they launched a nonprofit foundation in 2015. 
 
 “We support veterans and service members, especially calls for help when they are in a bad place,” Moss said. “We have a huge support network and have gotten homeless veterans back on their feet, unemployed veterans jobs, and other projects.” ||||| The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating hundreds of Marines who used social media to solicit and share hundreds — possibly thousands — of naked photographs of female service members and veterans. 
 
 Since Jan. 30, more than two dozen women – many on active duty, including officers and enlisted service members – have been identified by their full name, rank and military duty station in photographs posted and linked to from a private Facebook page. 
 
 In one instance, a female corporal in uniform was followed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, by a fellow Marine, who surreptitiously photographed her as she picked up her gear. Those photographs were posted on the Facebook group Marines United, which has nearly 30,000 followers, drawing dozens of obscene comments. 
 
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 One member of the Facebook group suggested that the service member sneaking the photos should “take her out back and pound her out.” Others suggested more than vaginal sex: 
 
 “And butthole. And throat. And ears. Both of them. Video it though … for science.” 
 
 Senior officials with Headquarters Marine Corps have verified that incident, as well as the distribution of photographs of other active-duty and veteran women through the page and links to a Google Drive. 
 
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 The photo sharing began less than a month after the first Marine infantry unit was assigned women Jan. 5. It underscores ongoing problems of sexual harassment within military ranks and could hurt recruitment of women. Officials within the Defense Department confirmed it also puts service members at risk for blackmail and jeopardizes national security. 
 
 The activity on the Marines United page was uncovered by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan. Within a day of Brennan contacting Marine Corps headquarters Jan. 30, social media accounts behind the sharing had been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Corps’ request, and a formal investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has been launched. 
 
 However, it is clear that the actions taken so far have not stopped the activity: Photos of the woman followed at Camp Lejeune were posted on Marines United on Feb. 16, more than two weeks after the linking accounts had been shut down. The Marine who shot those photos has been discharged from active duty, Marine Corps officials confirmed. 
 
 “We need to be brutally honest with ourselves and each other: This behavior hurts fellow Marines, family members, and civilians. It is a direct attack on our ethos and legacy,” Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green, the most senior enlisted Marine on active duty, wrote in an email response. “It is inconsistent with our Core Values, and it impedes our ability to perform our mission.” 
 
 The service is deeply concerned about the damage the incident could do to the Marines, according to a document provided to generals Friday warning them of the upcoming story. 
 
 The 10-page “Office of Marine Corps Communications Public Affairs Guidance” lists resources for victims, including a website to report crimes, and provides talking points for other media and members of Congress – who, it suggested, will want answers. It also outlines another possible blow to come: inappropriate responses from Marines. 
 
 “The story will likely spark shares and discussions across social media, offering venues for Marines and former Marines who may victim blame, i.e., ‘they shouldn’t have taken the photos in the first place,’ or bemoan that they believe the Corps is becoming soft or politically correct,” it said. 
 
 Facebook messages seeking comment sent today to Marines United’s current administrators were not returned. At least three of those listed on the page were aware of the activity: Two participated in comment strings about the photos and another “liked” one of them. 
 
 More than 2,500 comments about the photos were left by group members, many of whom used their personal Facebook accounts that include their names, ranks and duty stations. Some invited others to collect, identify and share photos of naked or scantily clad servicewomen. Based on their profiles, service members who participated in the photo sharing are stationed around the world — from Japan to North Carolina — and across military branches, from air wing to infantry. 
 
 Dozens of now-deleted Google Drive folders linked from the Facebook page included dossiers of women containing their names, military branches, nude photographs, screenshots of their social media accounts and images of sexual acts. Dozens of other subfolders included unidentifiable women in various stages of undress. Many images appear to have originated from the consensual, but private, exchange of racy images, some clearly taken by the women themselves. 
 
 After the accounts were deleted, the Marine Corps contacted the employer of the Marine veteran who initially posted the Google Drive link on Marines United. He was fired from his position as a government subcontractor in the United States, according to Maj. Clark Carpenter, a Marine Corps spokesman. 
 
 The War Horse has spoken with five of the women in the photographs. Two said they believe former partners might have leaked images. Some said they worry their own accounts might have been hacked or poached. One said a co-worker, a male Marine, alerted her to the fact that the photographs had been posted. 
 
 The corporal photographed at Camp Lejeune learned she had been stalked only after The War Horse sought comment from military officials. But she said she thinks she remembers the man. She spoke on condition of anonymity, nervous about reprisal and becoming more of a target. 
 
 “He was standing close enough to smell my perfume,” she said. “This is going to follow me – just like he did.” 
 
 The Marines United Facebook page has been around since 2015 and limits membership to male Marines, Navy corpsmen and British Royal Marines. The group has a code of conduct pinned to the top of its page: no discussing Marines United; no threats, harm or harassment; and no racist and illegal posts. 
 
 The thousands of images gathered by some group members reveal information about hundreds of female veterans and service members, including social media handles and where they are stationed. These acts violate not only the group’s stated code of conduct, but also Facebook’s terms of use. 
 
 The initial link on the page to the image collection read: 
 
 “Here you go, you thirsty fucks … this is just the tip of the iceberg. There is more coming.” 
 
 Within one minute, commenters began posting: 
 
 “Holy fuck, there is a god.” 
 
 The federal employee – the one who has since been fired – posted a response: 
 
 “Anyone can contribute. They just have to (private message) me for their own personal upload link.” 
 
 Some Marines promised free beer to contributors. Many tagged friends. One seemed to be tracking the number of photos submitted, writing, “Over 400 more pictures added,” to which he received the response, “Well Done Marine!” 
 
 “I know one of these chicks, her name is …” read another of the hundreds of comments. “Check her out boys.” 
 
 This distribution of photographs without the women’s consent can threaten their mental health, according to Dr. Frank Ochberg, a psychiatrist, founding board member of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and former associate director of the National Institute of Mental Health. 
 
 “It impairs the ideal of a brotherhood and sisterhood, being able to count on somebody,” said Ochberg, who pioneered the post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis in 1980. “Within the military, this is a violation of family. … There are few organizations held to such esteem as the Marine Corps. They stand for honor, courage and commitment. 
 
 “This destroys honor. … This is sadistic. … This is disloyalty.” 
 
 In recent years, the armed forces have implemented programs and protocols to respond to reports of sexual harassment, assault and equal opportunity violations. But Marine Corps officials confirmed that none include procedures for dealing with sexual exploitation of this nature. 
 
 In 2013, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., brought a similar problem to the Marines’ attention, an incident noted in the public affairs document sent to generals Friday. In that case, comments denigrating women were posted on a Facebook page. Gen. James Amos, then-commandant of the Marine Corps, responded by citing the difficulties in monitoring and tracking social media to investigate offensive content, as well as inadequate funding. 
 
 Speier would have none of it, saying his response was “frankly unacceptable.” 
 
 Subsequently, the Marines posted an article defining Marine social media misconduct and mined Facebook, identifying “12 additional Marines allegedly linked to racist, sexist, and/or otherwise inappropriate social media misconduct,” the public affairs document says. “Information about these incidents were provided to unit commanders for appropriate action.” 
 
 The Marine Corps and Department of Defense aren’t the only federal agencies battling sexual exploitation. 
 
 In 2013, Julia Pierson was the first woman to be appointed as director of the U.S. Secret Service. During her tenure, Pierson faced congressional criticism for a security breach at the White House in 2014, and she worked to improve the agency’s image following a prostitution scandal involving 11 agents. 
 
 Pierson told The War Horse that her experiences with civilian law enforcement and the Secret Service have proven that “there’s always a double standard.” These images, she said, “aren’t going away and (next time) they’re going to have an entry fee. 
 
 “This is way beyond stupidity and boys being boys,” she said. 
 
 The Marines needs to take steps to restore the credibility of their organization, Pierson said. 
 
 “They need to realize that this is an entirely new threat,” she said. “This is a coordinated attack on the organization. … This is a hunting club.” 
 
 The War Horse submitted multiple requests for additional comment to the defense secretary and commandant of the Marine Corps. Both declined to comment on specifics of the situation, citing the ongoing investigation. 
 
 However, in his email, Green added additional perspective, repeatedly denouncing the “demeaning or degrading behavior” of Marines United members and encouraging Marines — and all service members — to be “a voice of change” for the better. 
 
 “As Marines, as human beings, you should be angry for the actions of a few,” Green wrote. “Ultimately we must take a look in the mirror and decide whether we are part of the problem or the solution.” 
 
 “We need to realize that silence is consent — do not be silent.” 
 
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– Two Marines are under investigation after a photo was posted Wednesday to Facebook showing a uniform-clad corporal with his hand on the trigger of a rifle aimed at the camera and the message, "Coming to a gay bar near you!" The image, believed to be from Snapchat, was posted to a private Facebook group for male Marines at California's Camp Pendleton with the caption "Too soon?" The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has promised "appropriate action," noting the Marine in the photo and the one who posted it have both been identified, reports the Marine Corps Times. A rep says "the command is taking this incident seriously" and "does not tolerate discrimination." "This type of behavior and mindset will not be allowed, and it is not consistent with the core values of honor, courage, and commitment that are demonstrated by the vast majority of Marines on a daily basis," a statement adds. A Marine rep notes military members are banned from promoting discrimination and from wearing the uniform in such a manner that could harm the Marines, per the San Diego Union-Tribune. The co-founder of the "Camp MENdleton Resale" Facebook group says the Marine who posted the "very insensitive and possibly dangerous photo" was banned and the photo removed as soon as it was reported. (A similar threat was found on Craigslist.)