Subject: Enlistment Oath

[Jamisjockey]

FYI, under normal circumstances, it is considered unwise to prepare a PowerPoint presentation for your commanding officer proving that your oath of enlistment requires you to start a revolution.  Ditto requesting permission to mutiny.  For some reason it makes officers irrate.

Nice!
I can tell you that if you saran wrap the LT's car on a hot day while he's on deployment, the CO might just come out and help.....
We had a mustang 1st lt who drove....a converitble mustang!  And one day he was gone for a few weeks....someone came in with a big roll of furniture shrink wrap.  The Major saw what we were doing and came out.  I thought we were so hosed and snapped everyone to.....he grinned and said give me that...and commenced to help....
 

[280plus]

One time, I was working directly for the "CHENG" (chief engineer) who was about a gold leaf IIRC. So one day He says to me, in front of a butter bar, "Isn't it about time for you to get a haircut?" I replied, "You know sir, I was thinking the same thing myself today." And that was the absolute truth, I had been thinking about it. So the butter bar looks at me and says, "You've always got an answer for everything, don't you." I just looked at him and without saying a word looked back down at my clipboard shaking my head. The CHENG says to him, "Gee, you're in kind of a bad mood today aren't you?" 

[Firethorn]

The biggest problem I saw, and had, was with those who treated their cammies like greens - starching, pressing, the whole parade ground bit - even though it was against regulations.

Back when I was an A1C, I was once hassled by a SFS major who wanted to ream me for not having a starched uniform.  I was trying to head home after serving a 12 hour mid shift.

When he (perhaps stupidly) asked me why my uniform wasn't starched I promptly responded back 'Starch is specifically prohibited in the care and usage instructions Sir'.

He kinda looked at me for a while then left. Of course, I also had specific anti 'awe of rank' training in tech school - IE just because he's a colonel or even a general doesn't mean that he can violate regulations, or order me to violate regulations.

Personally, I hate starched uniforms, I think that they're uncomfortable, often look stupid - I mean, what's up with having a 1" seam where the uniform is glued together?, and my uniforms last more than 3 times as long as the starcher's.  Often four times as long - there was one guy who was having to replace a uniform every two to three months because it'd crack.  He argued that it was good for him because it made him 'look sharp'.  Of course, I had to point out that, just like me, he never got the more or less useless 'sharp troop' awards for his uniform, and that I was spending an order of magnitude less money and effort on my uniforms.

Oh yeah, and I do use the string style blousing straps, mostly because I don't like having my pants leg down my boot top.

[Perd Hapley]

I didn't leave them dangling.  I wrapped them around my ankle, and tied the boots tightly.  It kept things out a whole lot better than any blousing bands might have done. 

Well good for you.

Thank you. 

[Jamisjockey]

I didn't leave them dangling.  I wrapped them around my ankle, and tied the boots tightly.  It kept things out a whole lot better than any blousing bands might have done. 

Well good for you.

Thank you. 

You're welcome.
 

[Uncle Bubba]

The biggest problem I saw, and had, was with those who treated their cammies like greens - starching, pressing, the whole parade ground bit - even though it was against regulations.

Back when I was an A1C, I was once hassled by a SFS major who wanted to ream me for not having a starched uniform.  I was trying to head home after serving a 12 hour mid shift.

When he (perhaps stupidly) asked me why my uniform wasn't starched I promptly responded back 'Starch is specifically prohibited in the care and usage instructions Sir'.

Well done! I hated coming across like a barracks lawyer but sometimes you gotta point out that just because "everybody" is doing something, sometimes the whole unit does it that way, that doesn't mean it's regulation.

Personally, I hate starched uniforms,...

I never could figure out the point of starching for everyday duty, myself. We were grunts, mechanized grunts at that, who we were going to be grubbing around in dirt and/or grease, so why do all that just to look pretty for a few minutes at first formation? Same went for spit-shining my boots, too. Now for inspections I'd spit-shine, but for everyday wear it was a high brush shine only. My uniforms weren't ironed, but I had a sheet of plywood between my mattress and springs and would place freshly laundered cammies between to press them.

There were guys who would whine about ruining their creases and spit-shines, who would do their best to get out of as much grubby work as they could - kissing NCO ass helped them in this - and it made more work for those of us who didn't mind getting dirty.

I was ready to work, my uniforms and boots well turned out within regulation, and I got grief over it for not looking "sharp", while people who violated regulation with abandon were looked at as strac troops. A bloody circus is what it was.

[Phantom Warrior]

I was ready to work, my uniforms and boots well turned out within regulation, and I got grief over it for not looking "sharp", while people who violated regulation with abandon were looked at as strac troops. A bloody circus is what it was

And that is why, even though I HATE ACUs, I wouldn't want to go back to BDUs.  Weird fabric you aren't supposed to iron and no polish desert boots.  Guess you can't starch and spit shine this uniform.

I concur with your comments on BDUs.  I never understood why a military duty uniform was supposed to look like a dress suit.  Class As, great.  Make sure they are pressed and shined and spiffy.  BDUs, iron them, brush the boots, and you look professional without wasting a bunch of time and money.  Why go through all the extra hassle, esp if you are mechanized?  (I'm not a Bradley crewmember, but I've helped work on them a few times.)


I ran across the following quote while I was studying for the board and liked it...
"I'd like to have Two Armies: One for display with lovely guns, tanks, little soldiers, staffs, distinguished and doddering Generals, and dear little Regimental officers who would be deeply concerned over their General's bowel movements or their Colonel's piles, an Army that would be shown for a modest fee on every fairground in the country.

The other would be the Real One, composed entirely of young enthusiasts in camouflage uniforms, who would not be put on display, but from whom impossible efforts would be demanded and to whom all sorts of tricks would be taught. That's the Army in which I should like to fight."

~Jean Larte Guy~

[Firethorn]

My uniforms weren't ironed, but I had a sheet of plywood between my mattress and springs and would place freshly laundered cammies between to press them.

Too much effort for me.  I hang mine up fresh out of the dryer while still hot, then perform a touch up with a iron if I feel it necessary.

I was ready to work, my uniforms and boots well turned out within regulation, and I got grief over it for not looking "sharp", while people who violated regulation with abandon were looked at as strac troops. A bloody circus is what it was.

Got some grief for it myself, then I started pulling out regulations.  They shut up after I threatened to turn them into safety.  Starch ruins the fire-resistant properties of the BDU uniform.  Bypassing PPE is a big safety nono.  I also pointed out that it wasn't especially useful to hand out an award to somebody who's deliberately altered their uniform to 'look nice' at the cost of functionality, specifically specifically sowing down the pockets.  Looking nice is what BLUES are for.  BDUs are for practical stuff.

Oddly enough, the ACU/ABU fabrics might be different, besides the pattern, but I wouldn't count on it.  Out of the store, a set of BDUs that meet specs have most of the same properties.  IE no optical brighteners so they don't show up on night vision like glow sticks.  Treatments to reduce flammability.  Etc...

edit: messed up english

[Uncle Bubba]

Pockets. That was another one that haired me off. The BDU's have these big pockets on each leg, only we weren't allowed to put anything in them when in garrison. "Do you see anyone else with a (wrench, cap, clipboard, whatever) hanging out of that pocket, Private? You're supposed to be 'uniform', and if everybody ain't doing it, you're not 'uniform'!" Sometimes reading the regs to them worked, more often I got, "The regs are whatever the local commander says they are, Private!" These comments coming from one SSGT in particular whose command I had to suffer under. I was in during the end of the "bad old days" - late '81 to early '83 - when they were just starting to boot out the deadwood left over from the Vietnam era. To my detriment they didn't get rid of that one soon enough and it cost me my planned career in the Army.

[Phantom Warrior]

"Commanders can always add to the regulations, just not take away from them."

Words I have learned to rue since being in the Army...