How to differentiate personnel's rank during PT? Choice #2 worked amazingly in Hawaii.

How did we ever survive running in boots and not wearing rank?

I like the idea of color coded belts. In the Basic Combat Training environment, new Soldiers have a hard enough time keeping up with their company command structure, let alone other battalion leadership when wearing PT uniforms without rank. Ask one if they could identify their battalion commander or command sergeant major out of a police lineup and most would fail. I had a hard enough time with this and I was assigned to driving both of them around when I was in basic training. As a drill sergeant, I got a butt chewing for passing another formation on a morning PT run which just happened to have the post chief of staff running with them that morning. It was still dark and I had NO idea who he was, until I was called into the 1st Sergeant’s office. So saying that young Soldiers should know everyone in their chain of command, otherwise they were poorly trained is a zero meter accusation. Even after basic, as a young Soldier I rarely saw my CSMs and couldn’t to tell you who they were outside of studying the Chain of Command / NCO Support Channel for Soldier Appearance Boards. But then again the leadership that I had (or didn’t have), during the 70s, left a lot to be desired, one of the reasons I didn’t reenlist to stay on active duty, but that’s another story.

I was initially wondering if this was intended to be funny but realized it was a serious question. Like many before me have already stated here, a leader doesn’t hide behind chevrons or shiny crap on their collar. If you are wrong and get corrected, you accept that you screwed up, correct yourself, and move along. Has it gotten to the point where we only accept criticism or correction if it is from a senior person? Do the right thing for the right reason. In the Marine Corps, there is no rank on any of our PT gear and we have managed to be disciplined and pretty fit. Lead by example, not just when you have a rank insignia on and someone is supposed to listen to you…that makes you a weak leader. Lead by example.

Why does anyone care?

PT belts and vests? When I was in we didn't use these or display rank. I guess weived dangerous in the 80's & 90's, lol!

Yellow shorts and brown shirts in the 80’s. No PT belts and I don’t recall ever having a problem with peoples rank. In a PT formation you pretty much know everyone and their rank. How hard is it?

When I first entered the Army, our PT uniform was Fatigue trousers, T-shirt and combat boots. They eventually let us use athletic shoes in the 80’s. But never saw a problem as each unit knew it’s own leadership

Wow I've really been out a long time! Rank unit on belts? Why? What you don't run with unit standard any longer? Doesn't everyone know the faces in the chain of command? I really loved pt, why make something more complicated!? Just get in formation and as the commercials say, "just do it!"

I am not military, but I am an Army brat and a retired DOD employee (DFAS). I assume this refers to PT as a unit in formation and not everyone on the field doing individual routines. However, my thought applies to both.

Within a unit, every person knows who the other is. Regardless of rank, everyone wears the same PT attire for a reason. Absent a pressing need, observing formal military rank courtesies serves little purpose.

The physical fitness of the person next to you may save your life. If a PFC is next to a LTC who is using bad form, the PFC should feel empowered to suggest that "control your breathing and it gets easier," without wasting another puff by adding "sir." The young troop displayed respect by politely offering encouragement and a reminder of what they learned a year ago in basic. Or, perhaps the PFC was a personal trainer in another life. The point is if everyone treats everyone else with kindness, compassion, and respect, rank does not matter during events designed to build unit cohesiveness and stamina. The same applies to push-ups, sit-ups, or whatever else the new PT standards require. Who cares who helps who if it already comes from a place of respect? If you fail to support the soldier next to you, guess who may be next to die if that stamina is tested under combat conditions? It is in everyone's self-interest to support each other.

By the same standard, rather than deriding someone of a lower rank for not being in perfect shape only builds resentment and destroys cohesiveness. If the LTC notices the PFC is struggling, the LTC has a duty to that soldier to help them overcome the barrier. If that means the LTC and a senior NCO become temporary mentors to that soldier, they create a career soldier with a positive outlook on their service. You certainly earn genuine loyalty instead of duty bound loyalty.

Please remind those next to you to hydrate. There should be long lines to the restrooms after PT. If not, you did not hydrate sufficiently.

My two cents, feel free to tax it.

Pt clothing is for pt any other time you should be in ocp uniform. If you don't know your coc that's a bigger problem.

If someone mistakenly says sir or Sgt to the wrong person. That person shouldn't have an ego, just politely make the correction & move on. It's not a big deal.

The pt belt has been the biggest joke in the army since it was conceived. There's no need to make it worse.

If your unit has an sop, that's fine. It can an attention to detail thing and if something works for you, awesome run with it. But to me it's not a big deal or even a problem. Wear the thing or don't wear the thing.