Posted on Jul 15, 2014
Ever been embarrassed for your rank? Branch? Both?
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The posting about the Army adopting or looking at sleeves on the ACU being rolled up because some folks think that it is hot, a garrison thing or whatever, really made me red in the face and embarrassed to be a warrant officer. I pose to you the survey just so we can keep track, but the issue is that sometimes folks go out of their way to not only embarrass themselves, but everyone associated with the rank in which they wear, their branch or even service.
The 30 June article in the ARMY TIMES was highlighted by a photo of a aviator claimed to be a CW3 in the wording, with a CW2 photo of a aviation army combat uniform, otherwise known as the A2CU. His sleeves were rolled up and he was obviously wearing a Stetson, which in turn eluded to the fact he was Cavalry.
I am not going to dispute the findings of the ARMY TIMES since that article that the officer in question has a very questionable career, integrity and lack of Army Values. What really gets under my skin is his lack of regard for his brothers and sisters first of all in the warrant officer corps, then the aviation branch, followed by the Calvary and finally the Army as a whole.
I must quote his phone interview to the ARMY TIMES with regard to his everyday wearing of the uniform in violation of 670-1, "I basically give them 'the look' - dare them to say something". I was appalled and hit the floor almost passed out that a fellow warrant officer would publicly donate a photo and such words to represent the whole population. The harm is done. The amount of readers and viewers of this obviously will not see the investigation into his service and past to know that this guy is not credible.
So I am embarrassed for my rank (warrant officers) in the branch and the Army. I have to defend our rank because a knucklehead spoke out and no one will look past his comment on 30 June. It already is hard as aviators get to un-blouse their boots when flying and often forget to tuck them back in afterwards. Often aviators push limits on haircuts, sideburns and mustaches, but this was a bit over the top.
Several thing spoke to me in the article. The ARMY TIMES did not research the officer with much detail. The officer whether Guard, Reserve or Active duty is wrong. Rolling up sleeves when not authorized and walking around with an attitude against officers and Soldiers alike is criminal. Surely if an officer told him to roll up his sleeves and he gave that 'look', that he would be charged with UCMJ.
This article and policy, I really don't care about, the Army did me a favor having me wear my sleeves down. I no longer have skin cancer on my forearms! Trust me when I say it stinks having pieces of you cut out for it. If the Army gave the option today, I would only roll them up to be uniformly in a formation with the rest of the Soldiers.
So this gentleman, CW2 or CW3 Calhoun has embarrassed and tarnished the idea of a warrant officer to me. Probably to a lot of others, or he validated a prejudice already of how warrant officers can or may be perceived. He went further wearing the CAV Stetson, saying he was in USASOC, mentioning SOF and being an aviator. None of these grant him immunity from proper wear of the uniform. I would hope he was proud of his rank, branch and service enough to comply.
So the question to you is have you ever been embarrassed for your rank, branch or service?
EXAMPLES: Remember the Airman sticking the tongue out on the POW symbol? The Soldiers on funeral detail and casket? We could go on, but are you affected?
The 30 June article in the ARMY TIMES was highlighted by a photo of a aviator claimed to be a CW3 in the wording, with a CW2 photo of a aviation army combat uniform, otherwise known as the A2CU. His sleeves were rolled up and he was obviously wearing a Stetson, which in turn eluded to the fact he was Cavalry.
I am not going to dispute the findings of the ARMY TIMES since that article that the officer in question has a very questionable career, integrity and lack of Army Values. What really gets under my skin is his lack of regard for his brothers and sisters first of all in the warrant officer corps, then the aviation branch, followed by the Calvary and finally the Army as a whole.
I must quote his phone interview to the ARMY TIMES with regard to his everyday wearing of the uniform in violation of 670-1, "I basically give them 'the look' - dare them to say something". I was appalled and hit the floor almost passed out that a fellow warrant officer would publicly donate a photo and such words to represent the whole population. The harm is done. The amount of readers and viewers of this obviously will not see the investigation into his service and past to know that this guy is not credible.
So I am embarrassed for my rank (warrant officers) in the branch and the Army. I have to defend our rank because a knucklehead spoke out and no one will look past his comment on 30 June. It already is hard as aviators get to un-blouse their boots when flying and often forget to tuck them back in afterwards. Often aviators push limits on haircuts, sideburns and mustaches, but this was a bit over the top.
Several thing spoke to me in the article. The ARMY TIMES did not research the officer with much detail. The officer whether Guard, Reserve or Active duty is wrong. Rolling up sleeves when not authorized and walking around with an attitude against officers and Soldiers alike is criminal. Surely if an officer told him to roll up his sleeves and he gave that 'look', that he would be charged with UCMJ.
This article and policy, I really don't care about, the Army did me a favor having me wear my sleeves down. I no longer have skin cancer on my forearms! Trust me when I say it stinks having pieces of you cut out for it. If the Army gave the option today, I would only roll them up to be uniformly in a formation with the rest of the Soldiers.
So this gentleman, CW2 or CW3 Calhoun has embarrassed and tarnished the idea of a warrant officer to me. Probably to a lot of others, or he validated a prejudice already of how warrant officers can or may be perceived. He went further wearing the CAV Stetson, saying he was in USASOC, mentioning SOF and being an aviator. None of these grant him immunity from proper wear of the uniform. I would hope he was proud of his rank, branch and service enough to comply.
So the question to you is have you ever been embarrassed for your rank, branch or service?
EXAMPLES: Remember the Airman sticking the tongue out on the POW symbol? The Soldiers on funeral detail and casket? We could go on, but are you affected?
Posted in these groups: 
Warrant Officers
Warrant Officers
Edited 9 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 76
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I will judge this man in the article as an individual and not as a group. I hold WOs in high regard for being highly trained techs and reading the article has not tarnished that for me.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
SSG (ret) William Martin, if only others were like you, not in the opinion of how you hold or see WOs, but in the judgment phase. I am guilty of judging this particular dude, but the blowback on him, clearly shows an act of stolen valor while on active duty to me. Thanks for the .02.
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Of course, every service has some shmuck that spouts off about something they know little or nothing about, and it is by no means rank specific.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
GySgt (Join to see), agreed and the recovery from such things is sometimes a serious hill to climb.
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This soldier is a jack wagon I'm not embarrassed , he should be embarrassed of himself. We should bring rolled sleeves back though.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
As a skin cancer patient with surgery scars, I have to disagree and leave sleeves down. Just my .02.
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At the airport in Atlanta, I saw two DS' walking through the airport in uniform. It caught my attention. I had a long layover I saw them pass by me several times, finally I asked them what they were doing. They told me they were at the Airport to ensure none of the newly minted Soldiers/PVTs did anything embarrassing. The fact that they were doing this left me feeling embarrassed for the entire military.
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I recall this guy getting embarrassed on Facebook a while ago. Justly deserved IMHO. The problem is younger soldiers will follow his example.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
Exactly. That is why we must at all times set am example for others to emulate. That is professionally, personally, ethically and morally.
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No, but I don't feel that way about anything.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some gun owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some motorcycle owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some car owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some pet owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I simply do not allow the mistakes or intentionally cruel, inhuman, illegal, or stupid stuff of others effect me in any way.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some gun owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some motorcycle owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some car owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I don't feel ashamed or embarrassed that some pet owners do horrible or just plan stupid things.. They do, I do not.
I simply do not allow the mistakes or intentionally cruel, inhuman, illegal, or stupid stuff of others effect me in any way.
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If you never embarrassed yourself, you're a liar. 3 times it happened to me.
As a PFC, it was my first time putting Alpha's on to go check in to TME-32. The MGySgt there was an old salt. I looked impeccable and he said to me, "Marine, go outside, look over your uniform and come back in when you figured out what's wrong with it." I was outside looking in the mirror a good 5 minutes and couldn't see anything wrong. I had my rifle expert badge 1/8" and centered over the correct pocket. I wasn't missing anything. My uniform fit properly and I had no double creases. My brass was shined and not smudged. My spit shines were so shiny you could see yourself in them. My belt buckle was the proper length. Finally he came out and told me that I had my EGA's on backward. The anchors are supposed to point in, not out. Duhhhh! I always gave everything 110% and to this day I don't understand how I did that, but I did. I was more embarrased than he was. He was a good sport about it and laughed and then welcomed me to the command after I got myself straightened out.
As a Sgt, I was running a little bit late for work in the morning and my wife, wanting to be helpful asked me what she could do for me. I needed to put my rank on the collar of my rain jacket and so she did that for me. I ASSUMED she knew which way they went on since she had seen me put them on so many times, but she forgot and made the same mistake I did when I was a PFC... and in BAMCIS, I failed to implement that last troop leading step -- SUPERVISE! I just glanced and saw that they were on and threw the jacket on and ran out the door. It didn't occur to me that they might be on backward! I got to work right on the minute, which is essentially late if you're not between 5-10 min early, and briskly walked up the hall, then casually walked into the classroom of students I was to teach so as not to alert them that I was running late. I was right on time, but they caught the EGA's right away. If I would have been quicker thinking, I could have passed it off like I was testing them to see if they'd notice, but I couldn't contain my embarrassment. I thanked them for having the attention to detail to spot that right away and for having the courtesy to point that out before my boss saw it. For me, that was even more embarrassing than when I was as a PFC checking in. NCO's should know better. Thankfully, that was the last time I ever made that mistake, because after that incident with the students, I got in the habit of having everything done and set out the night before and always double checked it the next morning.
I would love to say that was last time I had an issue with my uniform but it wasn't. I was a 2LT at flight school in Pensacola and George H.W. Bush was coming to speak. The Navy put out a message that stated the uniform was Service Dress Blues. So I put on my Blues. At the time I was in between schools and was staying home and just mustering by phone in the morning so I wasn't getting much in the way of word passed down to me.
I got there early only to discover that all the Marines were wearing their Alpha's. WTF Over? The message stated Service Dress Blues -- but that was for the Navy. It didn't mention anything about what the Marines were supposed to wear, and I was expected to know that Navy Service Dress Blues = Marine Alphas? Hell, the Sailors half the time didn't even know what to wear even when it was spelled out for them.
I went early just in case, and had more than enough time to go home and put on my Alpha's (which I always kept ready) and come back, but the Major in charge of the Marines saw an opportunity to use me to seat the VIP's. ??? You're not supposed to wear a higher uniform than the most senior guy, but the Major decided to break that tradition with me. I reiterated to him that I still had time to change, but he liked the idea of me in Blues seating the VIPs.
Well, I stuck out like a sore thumb and was the ONLY Marine in Dress Blues there. The people I was seating seemed to like having someone special seat them... They asked why I was in blues, and I told them that it was because they were VIPs and they wanted someone in blues to seat them. (I told the truth! and they felt doubly honored LOL!) President George HW Bush stared at me for awhile and seemed to be trying to figure out who I was. Even he (a former Navy Officer) knew that something wasn't right. Well, I got to meet Erskine Bowles, who was a total condescending _____ fill in the blank. I had no idea who he was... just some suck-up politician, who clearly didn't think much of the military. I gathered that much from his attitude and the stuff that was coming out of his mouth. He came without the proper credentials to sit in VIP seating and I wouldn't seat him. So he complained that he wasn't given special privileges. I directed him to the Major, who was in charge of seating, and he muttered some comment about me not being able to make decisions. Suffice it to say, he whined so much that they decided to let him sit in VIP seating even though he had a General Admission ticket... so I went and sat him in his seat. He was all smug in his arrogance and gave me a look like, "Ha, I told you so!" And then I took my seat in VIP seating -- right next to his greatness. If you could have seen the look on his face! It was -- priceless!
As a PFC, it was my first time putting Alpha's on to go check in to TME-32. The MGySgt there was an old salt. I looked impeccable and he said to me, "Marine, go outside, look over your uniform and come back in when you figured out what's wrong with it." I was outside looking in the mirror a good 5 minutes and couldn't see anything wrong. I had my rifle expert badge 1/8" and centered over the correct pocket. I wasn't missing anything. My uniform fit properly and I had no double creases. My brass was shined and not smudged. My spit shines were so shiny you could see yourself in them. My belt buckle was the proper length. Finally he came out and told me that I had my EGA's on backward. The anchors are supposed to point in, not out. Duhhhh! I always gave everything 110% and to this day I don't understand how I did that, but I did. I was more embarrased than he was. He was a good sport about it and laughed and then welcomed me to the command after I got myself straightened out.
As a Sgt, I was running a little bit late for work in the morning and my wife, wanting to be helpful asked me what she could do for me. I needed to put my rank on the collar of my rain jacket and so she did that for me. I ASSUMED she knew which way they went on since she had seen me put them on so many times, but she forgot and made the same mistake I did when I was a PFC... and in BAMCIS, I failed to implement that last troop leading step -- SUPERVISE! I just glanced and saw that they were on and threw the jacket on and ran out the door. It didn't occur to me that they might be on backward! I got to work right on the minute, which is essentially late if you're not between 5-10 min early, and briskly walked up the hall, then casually walked into the classroom of students I was to teach so as not to alert them that I was running late. I was right on time, but they caught the EGA's right away. If I would have been quicker thinking, I could have passed it off like I was testing them to see if they'd notice, but I couldn't contain my embarrassment. I thanked them for having the attention to detail to spot that right away and for having the courtesy to point that out before my boss saw it. For me, that was even more embarrassing than when I was as a PFC checking in. NCO's should know better. Thankfully, that was the last time I ever made that mistake, because after that incident with the students, I got in the habit of having everything done and set out the night before and always double checked it the next morning.
I would love to say that was last time I had an issue with my uniform but it wasn't. I was a 2LT at flight school in Pensacola and George H.W. Bush was coming to speak. The Navy put out a message that stated the uniform was Service Dress Blues. So I put on my Blues. At the time I was in between schools and was staying home and just mustering by phone in the morning so I wasn't getting much in the way of word passed down to me.
I got there early only to discover that all the Marines were wearing their Alpha's. WTF Over? The message stated Service Dress Blues -- but that was for the Navy. It didn't mention anything about what the Marines were supposed to wear, and I was expected to know that Navy Service Dress Blues = Marine Alphas? Hell, the Sailors half the time didn't even know what to wear even when it was spelled out for them.
I went early just in case, and had more than enough time to go home and put on my Alpha's (which I always kept ready) and come back, but the Major in charge of the Marines saw an opportunity to use me to seat the VIP's. ??? You're not supposed to wear a higher uniform than the most senior guy, but the Major decided to break that tradition with me. I reiterated to him that I still had time to change, but he liked the idea of me in Blues seating the VIPs.
Well, I stuck out like a sore thumb and was the ONLY Marine in Dress Blues there. The people I was seating seemed to like having someone special seat them... They asked why I was in blues, and I told them that it was because they were VIPs and they wanted someone in blues to seat them. (I told the truth! and they felt doubly honored LOL!) President George HW Bush stared at me for awhile and seemed to be trying to figure out who I was. Even he (a former Navy Officer) knew that something wasn't right. Well, I got to meet Erskine Bowles, who was a total condescending _____ fill in the blank. I had no idea who he was... just some suck-up politician, who clearly didn't think much of the military. I gathered that much from his attitude and the stuff that was coming out of his mouth. He came without the proper credentials to sit in VIP seating and I wouldn't seat him. So he complained that he wasn't given special privileges. I directed him to the Major, who was in charge of seating, and he muttered some comment about me not being able to make decisions. Suffice it to say, he whined so much that they decided to let him sit in VIP seating even though he had a General Admission ticket... so I went and sat him in his seat. He was all smug in his arrogance and gave me a look like, "Ha, I told you so!" And then I took my seat in VIP seating -- right next to his greatness. If you could have seen the look on his face! It was -- priceless!
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1. The Air Force demonstrated poor security, operational discipline, and maintenance of nuclear weapons a few years ago. The AF is entrusted with this immense destructive power. To provide anything less than the most professional and expert security, operational and logistical capabilities is very embarrassing.
2. The three-button uniform blouse with Navy-like officer rank on the sleeves, circa 1994, was a terrible embarrassment for the Air Force. This uniform lasted only a few years, but the three-button uniform blouse continues on today. It doesn't project the image of a professional military organization and is the justifiable source of a lot of teasing from the other Services.
3. The F-35 program. This is an example of DOD procurement process gone amuck. The aircraft is very expensive and doesn't currently meet the mission capabilities that the Air Force and the DOD need. After several successful procurement programs, such as the C-17, the Air Force has done very poorly on the F-35 in almost every conceivable way. Probably more of an embarrassment for the DOD overall, but the Air Force is the primary air power Service, so most of the blame falls on them. Coming in a close second is the replacement for the venerable KC-135. The next-generation tanker program has been operating for about 20 years and never produced a viable replacement for an aircraft that is well over 40 years old.
2. The three-button uniform blouse with Navy-like officer rank on the sleeves, circa 1994, was a terrible embarrassment for the Air Force. This uniform lasted only a few years, but the three-button uniform blouse continues on today. It doesn't project the image of a professional military organization and is the justifiable source of a lot of teasing from the other Services.
3. The F-35 program. This is an example of DOD procurement process gone amuck. The aircraft is very expensive and doesn't currently meet the mission capabilities that the Air Force and the DOD need. After several successful procurement programs, such as the C-17, the Air Force has done very poorly on the F-35 in almost every conceivable way. Probably more of an embarrassment for the DOD overall, but the Air Force is the primary air power Service, so most of the blame falls on them. Coming in a close second is the replacement for the venerable KC-135. The next-generation tanker program has been operating for about 20 years and never produced a viable replacement for an aircraft that is well over 40 years old.
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CW5 Sam R. Baker
Sir, as much as I hate to admit it, I must agree on counts and points made, appreciate your contribution to the survey and time to make a few points.
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