--- title: "Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps learns an old lesson: Don’t mess with Audie Murphy" description: "A run-of-the-mill Instagram post about uniform standards backfired when soldiers and Marines realized it was about Audie Murphy." date: "2025-07-01" modified: "2025-07-01" authors: - name: "Nicholas Slayton" job_title: "Contributing Editor" link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/nicholas-slayton/" url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/sgt-maj-audie-murphy/" categories: - "Culture" - "Mandatory Fun" --- # Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps learns an old lesson: Don’t mess with Audie Murphy ![Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz]() *Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz posted a photo on Instagram that took issue with the uniform of a blurred-out but still recognizable Audie Murphy. The internet did not approve. Photo via Instagram.* Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz was just doing what many senior enlisted Marines do: Looking out for uniform standards. Instead, he stepped into a hornet’s nest. In a since-deleted Instagram post, Ruiz used an old picture to make a point about uniform standards, blurring out the face of a soldier wearing a medal-strewn World War II-era uniform. “Uniform standards have entered the group chat!” Ruiz wrote on two slides. “Exhibit A: This is what it looks like when we don’t have a standard. Make sure to check out [MCO 1020.34H]() for all uniform guidance!” However, the photo was of [Audie Murphy](), the single most decorated American soldier of World War II and one of the most decorated American service members of all time. ![]() *Medal of Honor recipient 2nd Lt. Audie Murphy. Army photo.* The image was quickly taken down after [soldiers]() and [Marines]() on the services’ respective Reddit boards had a field day as they united online in confusion and sarcasm to (lightly) roast the top-enlisted Marine. Ruiz, who seems to be well-liked as a senior Marine who has kept his focus on [issues of importance to junior Marines](), whether they be serious [or just plain funny](), quickly deleted the post and [appeared to issue a full apology on Instagram](). “Earlier today I posted a picture of a great American hero, Audie Murphy,” Ruiz wrote in an Instagram story. “In poor taste, I linked his uniform to today’s regulations. My sincere apologies, as I meant no disrespect. There is a history linked to that photo and why his decorations are where they are. It shouldn’t have happened and there are no excuses.” Separately, a spokesperson for the Marine Corps told Task & Purpose the post was an “unforced error where the message being sent should have used a Marine as an example.” It said that there was no intent to “disparage a great American soldier.” In light of all this, we felt it might be handy to create a simple and easy-to-follow primer for any other sergeants major or first sergeants out there who may want to harken back to history for examples of *why* the Corps is so hardcore on uniform regulations. Next time, leave Audie Murphy out of it and just use a photo like this: ![Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlos Ruiz]() ## The latest on Task & Purpose - **The Air Force** [**fitness test**]() **may soon include 2-mile runs twice a year** - **‘**[**War Thunder**]()**’ continues to live up to its reputation for OPSEC violations** - **Guardsmen sent to LA are 130 miles east of the city doing** [**drug busts**]() - [**Lightning Carriers**]()**: The Marines’ secret weapon in the Pacific** - **Pentagon releases details of ‘**[**Midnight Hammer**]()**’ strikes against Iran** ## Author Nicholas Slayton is a contributing editor for Task & Purpose, covering conflict for over 12 years, from the Arab Spring to the war in Ukraine. His previous reporting can be found on the non-profit Aslan Media, The Atlantic, Al Jazeera, The New Republic, The American Prospect, Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, and the Los Angeles Downtown News. You can reach him at nicholas@taskandpurpose.com or find him on Twitter @NSlayton and Bluesky at @nslayton.bsky.social. ### Author social links [Twitter]()