Seven members of the U.S. army's elite 82nd Airborne Division were charged for involvement in a gay porn website scandal, the U.S. military announced Friday.

Three of the soldiers face courts-martial on charges of sodomy, pandering and engaging in sex acts for money while four other soldiers received what the military calls non-judicial punishments, according to a statement released by the military.

The U.S. army has recommended that all of the seven be discharged.

The charges do not mention the name of the website, but the U.S. military had previously been investigating allegations that soldiers appeared on a gay porn site.

The military's policy states that "homosexual orientation alone is not a bar to service, but homosexual conduct is incompatible with military service."

Under the policy, military personnel who violate the policy will be discharged.

82nd Airborne Division spokesman Thomas Earnhardt called the scandal as an "isolated incident," and said the seven paratroops in the case were the only ones in the division who are involved.

The 15,000-member 82nd Airborne Division are among the U.S. military's most elite forces, capable of being deployed anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

Source: Xinhua