Soldiers lend tanks for bikini film shoot, punished

Utah, United States: A Utah National Guard officer has been stripped of his command after allowing bikini-clad women to fire high-powered weapons and ride in tanks for an unauthorized video shoot.

Three other National Guard soldiers also will be disciplined for their involvement in the hijinks at Camp Williams.

Guard Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn said on Saturday that a 19th Special Forces non-commissioned officer who permitted the video to be partially shot at the training center south of Salt Lake City also faces a reprimand and mandatory early retirement.

The other soldiers will receive lesser measures ranging from counseling to a reprimand, he said. The $200 cost for military fuel used during the shoot also will be recouped from the soldiers involved.

None of the soldiers was publicly named.

The video, produced by an English company, is a promotional “behind the scenes” look at the making of an annual pinup calendar. It features women wearing camouflage bikinis and other tight clothing while shooting guns and riding in military vehicles.

Two members of a Utah state SWAT team who appeared in the video in uniform also face discipline, Department of Public Safety officials have said.