The Air Force Reserve is kicking out a recent recruit who appeared in a racist video that went viral earlier this week.
The recruit, who Air Force Reserve Command would not name but has been identified elsewhere as Tabbie Duncan of St. Louis, Missouri, “is in the process of being released from her enlistment in the Air Force,” Lt. Col. Chad Gibson said in an email Thursday evening.
“The video, released days after her enlistment, is intolerable and does not reflect the values of the Air Force,” Gibson said.
The brief video spread quickly, and caused a firestorm of outrage online. In it, Duncan and a few others are shown riding down a dark road.
The cameraman says they were “hunting” n-words, and then identifies Duncan as his future sister-in-law. She is shown holding a beer bottle and says, “Get them” n-words.
The New York Daily News reported Tuesday that Duncan apologized in an interview, and said that she was drunk and is not racist.
“I was intoxicated,” Duncan told the Daily News. “I have black friends, I have black people in my family, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t know that I was being [recorded]. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody, I was drunk. I need to seek help.”
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Gibson told Air Force Times on Tuesday that Duncan enlisted in the Reserve on or about May 31. He said Air Force Reserve Command became aware of the video Monday evening and immediately began taking action.
“We expect all airmen to adhere to our core values, and treat others with a high level of dignity and respect,” Gibson said Tuesday. “This is intolerable, and we’re taking actions in response to it.”
The Daily News reported that the video was posted online Sunday.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
