In the US armed forces, separation means that a service member is leaving active duty. However, it usually requires the service member to complete their military obligations before receiving a certificate of discharge.
In January 2018, Lovely posted a video of herself in a private Facebook group complaining about black female Air Force members.
The footage, which was initially recorded through Facebook Live, was then shared by another person in a private Facebook group called the “Nellis Burn Book.”
"Why is it that every time I encounter my subordinates [who] are black females they have a giant f**king attitude?" Lovely said during her two-minute rant. "And it's not like I am coming to them with a f**king attitude. I don't."
According to Task & Purpose, Lovely was commended for separation on May 7, 2019, by the Air Force Personnel Board (AFPB) for a “multitude of misconduct.”
According to an AFPB memo viewed by Task & Purpose, Lovely’s online rant represented a “dereliction of duty” in “willfully failing to maintain professionalism and respect for others." The memo further states that Lovely was also recommended for separation due to “drug abuse and minor disciplinary infractions” such as “wrongful use of marijuana, assault and unlawful entry.”
"In that video, viewed by hundreds of thousands of persons, she, wearing her uniform, made negative comments regarding her African American female subordinates," the memo states. "That video brought discredit upon the Air Force and, according to her commander, rendered her unable to lead, mentor, or influence airmen."
Lovely was previously “held accountable for her action,” 99th Air Base Wing spokesperson Maj. Christina Sukach confirmed last year.
"While specifics on this case can't be released, 99th Air Base Wing leadership is satisfied with the outcome," Sukach told Task & Purpose at the time. "These cases are not tried in social media but handled through the fair and due process afforded to military members under public law and regulations."
