Commandant of US Marine Corps speaks out against those involved in nude photo scandal

The commandant of the Marine Corps has issued a strong statement in response to a scandal involving nude photos of service women that were shared without their permission, reports The Hill.

In a video posted to the U.S. Marine Corps' Twitter account on Tuesday, Gen. Robert Neller speaks about the commitment and honor required to be a Marine before saying, "Unfortunately, it appears that some Marines may have forgotten these fundamental truths and instead, have acted selfishly and unprofessionally through their actions on social media."

RELATED: Women in the US Marines

Neller adds that service members need to be preparing for potential adversaries and not, in his words, "hiding on social media participating in, or being aware of, actions that are disrespectful and harmful to other Marines. It's embarrassing to our Corps, to our families and to the nation."

He also encourages victims to report the matter and tells those that receive such reports to protect the person from retaliation and further harassment.

SEE ALSO: Report: US Marine Corps looking into nude photo scandal

Neller then tells his service members, "...if you can't or are unwilling to commit to contributing 100 percent to our Corps' warfighting ability by being a good teammate and improving cohesion and trust, then I have to ask you: Do you really want to be a Marine?"

According to CNN, Marine Corps veteran Thomas Brennan first notified the military branch on January 30 about hundreds of service members sharing countless nude photos of female counterparts without their knowledge on a private Facebook group called Marines United.

While the Google drive folder that stored the images and identifying information about the women has been deleted and an official investigation is underway, observers have pointed out that damage has already likely been done to the military branch and the women themselves.