Faye Turney, the lone woman among 15 British Navy personnel (captured by the Iranians, and recently released after a 2 week ordeal), has spoken out publicly about the media deals controversy. Turney supposedly sold her story to Sun, and is also said to have mulled over a television deal running into £100,000.

Defending her decision to talk to the media, Faye said, “I want people to know the truth about what I’ve gone through, how I dealt with the situation and why.”

However, was it ethical to talk to the media? After all, isn’t Faye a soldier like any other? The 25-year-old sea survival specialist had always dreamed of serving in the Armed Forces. Like all other armed personnel, she is expected to defend her country, and not make herself seem glorified, “extra special” or more heroic than her male counterparts. True, Faye went through a trying experience in captivity, but that does not give her the leeway to “earn” out of her experience by selling her stories to the media.If, as Turney claims, she wanted to let the world know the true facts of her captivity and release, she should be honorable enough to tell her story without taking money for it.

Turney has also admitted to writing the letters (admitting to trespassing on Iranian waters) in the hope of a release in time to make it back to Britian for her daughter Molly’s birthday. This is another instance of how she is putting herself first and her country second, and I personally feel that she is a disgrace to the Royal Navy.

To placate her critics, Faye has gone on the record to say that she is donating a share of her “media” fee to HMS Cornwall’s Ship Fund. Now Faye, that just about justifies everything, doesn’t it?