Do you think military celebrations (service's birthday galas, holiday balls, dining ins/outs) are still an important piece of tradition?

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:15:41 -0500

I've noticed a steady decline in participation and incline in reluctance to attend special events (since I am Air Force, namely the Air Force Birthday Ball) in the past decade. Do you think people still view these events as a vital part of tradition and commraderie or are they (as some proclaim) simply "mandatory fun" that must be endured because "we have always done it that way"? I've heard various reasons why people don't attend them or why they begrudginly participate -- e.g. my boss made me, it's all about being seen, I shouldn't have to buy mess dress, why do I have to spend all that money on babysitter/spouses's dress/tickets/etc, I can celebrate my services birthday without having to go to a birthday ball. But I don't hear very many reasons why people DO or WANT to attend. What do you think?

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Mar 1 at 2014 10:18 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:18:25 -0500

I must begrudgingly admit that I love formal events.

Response by 1SG Shane Hansen made Mar 1 at 2014 10:25 AM

1SG Shane Hansen — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:25:33 -0500

Unfortunately Ma'am, I think the younger generation does see them as "mandatory fun".

Personally I see them as an important part of tradition and I enjoy attending these types of events.

I am rather disappointed in the trend lately of removing other traditions from the balls, such as we are no longer allowed to have a "grogg" bowl in the unit I am currently in because they say it glamorizes alcohol. To me it was not about the alcohol, it was about the "script" of personnel in the unit adding ingredients to the grogg that made it tradition and helped us remember the past.

I also enjoy the "letting loose" part after the formal portion of the ball/dining inn is over. My wife also enjoys the night away from the kids, playing grown up is what she calls it. I am not sure about the air force, but the army units I have been in we have a tendency to wear "party shirts" under our dress uniforms on certain occasions. It is interesting to see all the different shirt creations.

Depending on the selection, the guest speaker is usually a good experience as well.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2014 10:29 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:29:46 -0500

Yes, it is a great tradition to hold on to. I have been to numerous balls in my 12 years all with positive experiences. All the "excuses" people give (cost, dresses, child care, etc.) are just that, excuses. They don't complain about dropping money on name brand items at the PX on payday weekend or the new 2014 model when their 2009 was doing just fine. Or the single Soldier who blows his check at the club. My wife has four ball dresses that she recycles every four years and no one knows (well, until now). Childcare duties can be traded with other couples from other units (not everyone has the ball on the same date). Just about every excuse can be countered with a solution. The only ones who might need a little financial help are the new/young Soldiers/families. I have made it a point to buy two additional tickets for a young Soldier to every ball I have attended since becoming an NCO.

Response by SSG Dave Rogers made Mar 1 at 2014 10:36 AM

SSG Dave Rogers — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:36:39 -0500

During my years I saw it as an honor to be requested by the command to join in on these events. At first I thought it was a lot to consider with the dress uniform, new shoes, new medals.. but on my way to my first event the commander riding in the car with me thanked me for my contribution to the unit, and wanted me to know that my invite was his way of letting everyone know that I was a soldier to follow, that I set the standards for those that would come after me. From that point on I looked at each invite as a compliment to my abilities and service.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2014 11:24 AM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:24:17 -0500

While I can appreciate the tradition and lineage of military balls of all branches and other events in general, while speaking for myself only, I believe that the decline in motivation(in the Army at least) stems largely from the fact that we've been deployed so heavily for the last decade that people have little or no interest in seeing the same people they just spent 9, 12, or 15 months together with, even if they get to dress nice and get drunk. Personally, that coupled with all of the other reasons people wouldn't want to go (babysitter finding, trusting, paying/money to assemble dress uniform, buying that special guy or gal something to wear that doesn't require a car loan, etc...) is enough to make someone feel better about just staying in. <div><br></div><div>I remember as a joe, thinking that attending a military ball with all my leadership there was something akin to getting drunk with your parents for the first time. Awkward, and condescending. So, in the spirit of having a drunken evening with my parents(so to speak), I did exactly what I would have done if I had ever been in the same situation with my real parents...I came hammered and brought a stripper. Wound up having a pretty good time, and as it turns out, a Captain from another Company had the same idea. So we sat together at a table apparently reserved for people having "too much fun."</div>

Response by MSG Gene Potocki made Mar 1 at 2014 11:54 AM

MSG Gene Potocki — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 11:54:15 -0500

They are a part of our tradition. I have attended many a "Dinning In" and "Dinning Out" events. They help in building a good cohesive unit. Plus the camaraderie between the leadership when you attend some of the more formal events.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2014 12:38 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:38:38 -0500

As a younger Airmen I feel it is necessary to attend this functions in order to maintain the proud traditions that were established in the beginning of the services. I try to get other Airmen in my squadron to go but they don't understand the importance of these functions. I wish more Airmen would go to them, I am afraid that they will stop having them if my generation of Airmen don't attend.

Response by PO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 1 at 2014 7:08 PM

PO3 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 19:08:05 -0500

I was going to go to the Navy Ball one time when I was active duty, with a date (who was also a Sailor). I'll admit, I didn't want to wear a uniform. I wanted an excuse to dress up and be girly. I wanted a pretty ball gown. When we went to buy our tickets, we were told that because I was a servicemember, I had to wear a uniform.<div><br></div><div>We didn't go. I still got a pretty ball gown, and dressed up all girly that night, but my date and I went to a nice restaurant for dinner and a comedy club instead. Mandatory Fun = crap. Not that I wasn't proud of my uniform, but that was a complete deal breaker for me.</div>

Response by SSG Zenia Boswell made Mar 3 at 2014 12:09 PM

SSG Zenia Boswell — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 12:09:12 -0500

I absolutely love going to formal military balls. When we have our Adjutant General's Corps Regimental Association Balls, it gives us an opportunity to acknowledge the accomplishments of our fellow AG professionals as well as provide a venue to unwind as professionals.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Mar 3 at 2014 5:48 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:48:21 -0500

I loved attending all the balls, dining-ins and Spur Dinners that I had the opportunity to while I was on Active Duty and felt it was important to do so to carry on the traditions of the Armor and Cavalry communities. I took great pride in attending these functions and never felt it was mandatory funtime, but I can see where, as was stated earlier, that one doesn't want to be around the same folks you've just spent 9-15 months with in the "suck". I hope that the younger Soldiers, NCOs and Officers of todays Army continue with these traditions, they keep you aware of the history of that unit/branch or service component and need to continue.

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Apr 21 at 2014 10:56 AM

COL Vincent Stoneking — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:56:51 -0400

I think they are an important piece of tradition. That said, they can be a royal PITA. Especially on the Reserve side of the house, where people have non-military "day jobs" and commitments, and may live up to hundreds of miles away from the units.

In my current unit, I implemented quarterly hail & farewells. On drill weekends. It took 4-5 of them before we started getting good attendance, especially from spouses. For the AC side, actual hail & farewells are rare in on the RC side - the ones I've hosted are the only ones I am aware of - unless you count a party for a given high-ranking individual retiring... Which I don't.

We just had a Military.... spring social? Kinda a Dining Out, with the grog bowl & table for the fallen, but without a lot of the other pomp & circumstance. It was well attended by AC (I am in an AC/RC unit), but very poorly by the TPU side of the house. Fairly close to JBLM with an 1800 start time on a Friday, with about 6 week's notice. Not aligned with a drill weekend. I would have liked greater TPU participation, but it would have required the vast majority to take at least half a day of vacation, drive a pretty fair distance, get a hotel room, etc...

Again, I think they are important, though I don't enjoy them much, being an introvert. I find them to be mandatory fun, but with a valid purpose. My wife, on the other hand had a great time!

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 21 at 2014 11:05 AM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 11:05:08 -0400

It has to be a combined effort. I found my first ever ball that was organized between the family members and Soldiers made it a family event. We gave the Soldier enough time to prepare for babysitters if needed. After the event, Soldiers were already gearing up to plan the next years event. If you make the family help and participate, I have seen much more participation.

Response by SPC Daniel Edwards made Apr 22 at 2014 11:39 AM

SPC Daniel Edwards — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 11:39:24 -0400

I didnt attend my last unit/MOS's ball because I hated my unit. I could barely stand working with them and I couldn't see justification in spending so much money just to see them get drunk when I could use that same amount of money on my family.

Now that I am with a new unit and in a new MOS, I wouldn't mind attending just one ball to see what it is like.

Response by CMC Robert Young made Apr 22 at 2014 8:58 PM

CMC Robert Young — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 20:58:41 -0400

Ma'am, the unfortunate fact is that the current up & coming generations don't relate well to our traditions or heritage. They far too often view their military enlistment as just another stop on their way to their perfect job inside their perfectly entitled life. I have seen too many people who don't see the value in anything bigger than themselves. Tradition and heritage aren't important to them because there is NOTHING more important to them than themselves as individuals. They view it as an unwanted obligation; not an opportunity to bond with their teammates.

And it's contagious. Even some of our senior leaders don't push to maintain our traditions. It's a shame because ultimately without keepers of the faith, the faith dies.

For me personally, I can wait until the next opportunity. I wish our service did more to push the formal events. There's nothing like a formal dinner; an inspiring guest speaker, and the practice of age old traditions to build unit cohesion and esprit de corps. It improves morale. It just makes things better.

It doesn't hurt that my wife loves my DDWJ uniform, and will come up with any excuse for me to wear it.

Response by GySgt Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 24 at 2014 10:08 AM

GySgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 10:08:48 -0400

For Marines, it's a big YES

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 8 at 2015 2:55 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Feb 2015 14:55:18 -0500

ok so here is a question that I have. As an active duty enlisted soldier (E6) I have been to my fair share of military balls. Most often as the night wears on the dress jackets come off and the wildness begins. My question is this. I see many officers wear "Party Shirts". Can enlisted soldiers wear party shirts as well?

SSG Kbone