Can a platoon sgt tell a female soldier that she is required to wear a bra when in civilians?

No. Those words are unprofessional.

There would have to be a company or battalion SOP for civilian attire, with a specific requirement to wear "proper undergarments at all times, including support garments" (this is a bra without calling it a bra).

When I was in the Navy for liberty, to get off the ship, you had to have a shirt with a collar. Meaning no T-shirts; This was to prevent people form wearing white T-shirts, A frame t-shorts (commonly called wife beaters in today's slang), etc (which is technically and undergarment for men, and it should be worn at all times, as it protects your clothes from sweat and dead skin cells.

So the policy would have to state specifically for you to wear some form of support garment, or something to that effect.

And even then the ONLY way the NCO in question could refer to it, would be to say, "I see you are not wearing proper civilian attire, here is the current company (BN) SOP. I expect you to go home and change."

And you would need to figure out what the fuck you had done wrong (which you would know when you read "female soldiers will wear support undergarments garments all the time..."

If you continued to fail to follow the sop, he could then counsel you, and in the formal counseling statement he would reference the company (BN) SOP for civilian attire, and specifically mention the avoidance of "undergarments". If this did not correct the behavior an article 15 would be next.

It is a drawback to sexual harassment, but it is how one would handle a situation like this to protect oneself.

So you need to make a decision, do you feel like you have been sexually harassed? Or do you feel you have been treated like a soldier, and you are angry because you don't get to do what you want to do?

You also have the choice of asking for any company or BN regulation for the proper wear of civilian attire, and if there is not one, to continue to do what you want, and if said sergeant continues to insist on you wearing bra, file sexual harassment charges on his ass. One time is him trying to be nice, continued insistence on you wearing a bra shows he is constantly checking out your breasts. I would also log every time he said something about them in a notebook, with a date, time, and where you are, and what you are doing, and what you're wearing with a picture to back up your claim. If you can prove he is going out of his way to find you and talk to you about your undergarments that just further proves the point.

As long as the clothing is not offensive or demeaning telling people what to where when off duty is non call .

“ Nowhere in any reg does it say it’s required”


See AR 670-1 para 4-2,d

“ 4–2. Composition
The combat uniform consists of— a. Coat.
b. Trousers.
c. Undershirt.
d. Undergarments.”

As you phrased the question, the answer is, yes. Lawfully? I doubt it.

Since none of us can see the shirt or outfit you were wearing its hard to judge this. My take as a former platoon sgt is 1). Plt Sgt Was this worth it 2.) What's to gain here? I cannot imagine doing this unless the outfit in some way embarrassed the military. Even then lots of ways to deal with it. All that happened here is this platoon sgt just upset a soldier and that did not need to happen. Bad choice on their leadership. JMO

The people in your Chain of Command simply enforce the policy's set by those above them; for what ever reason. You may ask why but you still have to obey until clarified. Your Platoon/Section Leader needs to provide better information then, "because I said so". Find out what written guidance requires you to do so.

Do you wear a bra in uniform? Are you still a soldier when you are out of uniform?
As an Officer of Marines, I was told (no, encouraged) not to wear blue jeans off duty unless I was doing some sort of work where they would be appropriate (yard, mechanical, etc.). For three years that is what I did because it was not only easier than catching hell for it, I understood that I represented something to the public whil appearing as a civilian.
One time though, I wore PT's into an IHOP near FT Sill, OK. A man came up to me and asked if I was a real Marine. When I responded 'yes,' he told me that he was a Marine Captain and that I better get the hell out of there and never wear my PT's in public again. Your teachable moment arrived more subtly than mine did.

SPC Chastity, who's the one that focusing on your body-parts! They must be awfully thirsty, if you can't see nipples and your not wearing revealing clothes. Stay clear of them at all cost, if sounds like someone is very thirsty for you right about now. Keep under the radar as much as possible. If you must be around them quite often, just to appease the idiots stay concealed as much as you can, you don't want them to start picking at you because you may look better than them :-). Good Luck!

use the chain of command and talk with your Platoon Sergeant. You will then find out her reason for giving that order.

Forget you. I feel sorry for "him."
OMG! She really "set him up for failure.". Your Sgt like too many men, tries too hard to walk that deadly job / mgmt / pc gender tight rope.
The first thing he should have done,
was told her that he was uncomfortable addressing this with someone of another gender & asked her if she'd be willing to sit in as she broached the issue, or if he should have a female NCO present for the talk?? If she has any character, she'd quietly sit in, if not, she'd *pass the buck.