Navy Investigates Sailor Who Didn’t Salute During National Anthem

Navy Region Hawaii Honor Guard seaman plays taps at sunset during the interment ceremony for Pearl Harbor survivor Lee Soucy, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 in Honolulu. Soucy, who died last year at the age of 90, wanted to h... Navy Region Hawaii Honor Guard seaman plays taps at sunset during the interment ceremony for Pearl Harbor survivor Lee Soucy, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2011 in Honolulu. Soucy, who died last year at the age of 90, wanted to have his ashes interred inside the USS Utah, his ship that sank during the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Dec. 7, 1941. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia) MORE LESS
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HONOLULU (AP) — The Navy has investigated the case of a sailor who didn’t salute as the national anthem played during a recent morning flag-raising at Pearl Harbor.

U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Senior Chief Petty Officer Joel Cesar said Tuesday it’s up to the sailor’s commander whether she faces any punishment for not saluting on Sept. 19.

The sailor is Petty Officer 2nd Class Janaye Ervin, an intelligence specialist in the Navy Reserve. She was recently in Hawaii for about two weeks for an exercise.

Erwin is assigned to the Navy Operational Support Center at North Island, California. The command didn’t immediately return a call seeking comment. Erwin didn’t respond to a message sent to a Facebook account in her name. A phone number for her was not listed.

The sailor’s failure to salute comes after San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick received national attention when he refused to stand for the anthem before NFL preseason games earlier this year. He cited racial injustice and police brutality among the reasons for his actions.

Since then, other athletes all over the U.S. have engaged in their own protests during the anthem.

The Navy’s protocol handbook says sailors in uniform must salute during the anthem. They must also face the flag, or if a flag is not visible, sailors are required to face the direction of the music.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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