Any soldier worth their salt knows the golden rule of training: you train as you fight. But one Army influencer is facing heat for seemingly forgetting that.
Corporal Denali Gomez, known online as @deenalig on TikTok, boasts over 2 million followers across social media. She rose to online fame shortly after joining the Army in 2020, regularly sharing day-in-the-life videos, dance trends in uniform, and relatable military content. But her latest post from a field training exercise with her unit in the 3rd Infantry Division may have crossed the line between content creation and combat readiness.
In the now-viral video, Gomez casually shows her boots and M4 rifle left outside her shelter—something any soldier who’s pulled security or been chewed out by a drill sergeant knows is a big no-go.
“You keep your weapon outside your basha????” one commenter asked.
“Leaving the M4 and boots outside is diabolical,” another wrote.
“Drill Sarnt would have took the M4 and ya boot would have been cold ASF putting it on 😂,” said another.
Gomez attempted to defend herself in the comments, stating:
“Needed to air em out💔 and to be fair I left the M-4 underneath my tent🥲”
But that didn’t help her case. One veteran summed up the collective military response:
“Either it’s one foot away from you, or you got one hand on it.”
@deenalig I wanted to do my own POV (not AI) lol #fyp #armylife #army #miltok #viral #deenalig #field #militarylife ♬ Nature Sounds – Outdoor – Nature Recordings & Nature And Bird Sounds
Not the Army’s First TikTok Rodeo
In March, the Army launched its “Creative Reserve” program, a pilot initiative designed to connect with younger audiences through the authentic voices of military content creators. Led by Kris Saling, the program gives volunteer soldier influencers access to events and Army storytelling resources, but it stops short of compensating them or directing their content.
Current members of the program include Tyler Butterworth (National Guard Bureau’s social media lead), Austin von Letkemann (@MandatoryFunDay), Roksolana “Roxy” Savyuk (@quuen_baby), and “Viva La Vargas,” a platoon sergeant based at Fort Hood. According to AFCEA, most Creative Reserve participants are either out of uniform or retirement-eligible—meaning their online activity doesn’t carry the same perception risk as active-duty junior NCOs like Gomez.
It’s unclear if Gomez is affiliated with the Creative Reserve, but her following easily dwarfs that of the officially announced participants. If she isn’t working with the Army, she’s still subject to its Social Media Use Policy, which requires soldiers using their likeness in uniform to clarify that their views and actions do not represent the Department of Defense. Gomez’s account lacks such a disclaimer.
Crossing the Line from Funny to Foolish
The TikTok backlash isn’t about field hygiene—it’s about the image soldiers project while in uniform. When junior NCOs treat training like a weekend camping trip, it chips away at the professionalism expected of those entrusted with leading troops.
“Cuddling your M4” might be a running joke in the barracks, but it’s also a hard-learned lesson from generations of warfighters who know what it means to rely on their weapon in the dark, under fire, with lives on the line.
Gomez’s defenders argue she’s just having fun—but when your platform reaches millions, and your content is broadcast in uniform, you don’t just represent yourself. You represent the Army. And the Army expects you to act like it.
© 2025 The Salty Soldier All rights reserved.
The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com
