Is it appropriate to confront a higher rank when they are blatantly disregarding regs?

Eh. It’s not black. It’s a dark maroon. Borderline. Are you in the AF? The refs always end up being vague and the final answer is at the discretion of the commander. If it’s not a person in your unit let the commander make that call. I’ve seen black females wear colors that white females can’t because of skin tone. If it were my troop she’d be wiping it off. But I’m Army and we are a bit stricter than the AF. If seen females with makeup nails jewelry and hair that we in the army would never be allowed to wear.

It would be appropriate for someone that out ranked her. Just not you. My opinion.

When I was squeaky new airman, a TSgt showed me a tactful way to let someone know they needed a haircut. The new LT was looking a bit shaggy and when he popped in the office my NCO said, "Hey LT, I was going to get a haircut at lunch. Care to tag along?" He didn't take him up on the offer but had a fresh haircut the next morning.

Not only is it appropriate for one soldier to point out regulation violations, it's required by regulations. There is no mention of rank in regulations past wearing the rank you've earned.

Nowhere in the UCMJ does it say that someone of a lower rank cannot correct someone else of a higher rank. As an E-1, you technically have the right to correct an Officer, even if he’s an O-9. Of course, there’s a bit of common sense that should apply. First, be absolutely sure that you are in the right. And second, be respectful of the rank which that person has (hopefully) earned, as well as the position for which they’re assigned in. With that said, THEORETICALLY, there really shouldn’t be an issue. And for those who’ve ACTUALLY paid attention when they were developing their leadership skills (I say that cavalierly, as from many of the comments that I’ve seen in here, the military’s leadership has a VERY LONG, LONG WAYS TO GO, ESPECIALLY IN THE UPPER ENLISTED RANKS WHERE THE ATTITUDE OF “well, I had to do it” was their justification for not correcting piss poor leadership skills from the past) this won’t be an issue. But in the part that I put in parentheses lies true, expect problems. I often felt with senior enlisted when I was in that had that same type of attitude...’I’M THE BIG BAD (insert Chief, First Sargent, Gunny Sargent here), WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO TELL ME OR CORRECT ME ON WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO?!??!!! I actually knew an E-6 that would go around with something wrong just so he could jump down lower ranking members’ throats when they attempted to correct him. He thought it was funny. I saw NOTHING funny about it. So along with the right to respectfully correct someone comes the right to put that person on report. But don’t take that lightly. You shouldn’t EVER place anyone on report until all lesser means have failed. It’s a last resort measure. But in doing so, make sure that you have proof of the violation, along with a record of everything you’ve done to correct that violation up until now. Others will try to convince you that you have no right to put a higher ranking person on report. Ask them to show you exactly where in the UCMJ that it says such a thing. IT DOESN’T. It doesn’t say you can either. But that’s not required, because the UCMJ is geared to what you can’t do, not what you can. For your evidence, I highly recommend that you take a picture with your camera phone. Camera phones are terrific. They’ve brought to light numerous abuses by those that have been put in positions of authority. Don’t hesitate to use it if needed. But don’t go posting stuff on YouTube or any other public site that’s taken on ANY MILITARY INSTALLATION no matter how trivial you think the topic of such a video might be or how benign the background of your video may appear. There’s people out there that want nothing more than to harm American Service Members. Something may be in your video that you didn’t even notice such as the layout of the base’s cafeteria that may be useful to such a person. ALWAYS KEEP OPSEC FIRST AND FOREMOST.

There are ways of putting an Officer on report as well. In the Navy, you simply requested Captain’s Mast. That’s your right. Captain’s Mast isn’t just a means for the CO to administer nonjudicial punishment. It’s also a means of forcing the Chain of Command to correct a serious issue, often one that’s been squashed by that chain that doesn’t want to either deal with it or that knows that they could be in serious trouble if such information came to light. Captain’s Mast requires detailed records that you have the right to obtain and push further up the Chain of Command, above that of your current command. And it works. I’ve seen serious problems suddenly and quickly get resolved simply because such a request was even threatened.

I’ve posted more than this issue should ever require. But it applies to numerous different issues regardless. The key take away(s) are 1) Be respectful of BOTH rank and job position, 2) make sure that you are correct, 3) make sure that you have evidence of the violation, 4) DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, 5) a report up the chain is the LAST STEP after all others have failed, 6) don’t violate OPSEC. And here I can add a 6th....NEVER GO AROUND BOOSTING ABOUT WHAT YOU HAD TO DO. You might come to regret that. Remember, these are people you have to work with. If not now, you might just find them in your Chain elsewhere. Respect goes well above and beyond the moment.

If I was their friend I would have definitely told them. It seemed when I was in decades ago, we things go, unless it would rain down a hurt on our unit. You would would need to know the person, they might be thankful or revengeful

If you are on duty and a SP or etc, at least years ago, if in the line of duty, you are alwasy one ranch higher; remember having to deal with a Major who could hardly walk, that wanted to go to town from Base, by the base bus. He would not listen to me, and get off the bus, just being a Airmen First Class, so called the SP Command Center and the Sq commander came out and almost literally pulled him off the bus by his ears and put him into his car and took him away.

As long as you use tact, ABSOLUTELY.

It's kind of a yes and no question while it isn't against regulations to correct someone higher rank than you it's very much a double edged sword because depending on who is there and how fragile that SNCO's ego is you could still get an add chewing which is why most people are too afraid to correct higher ups because at the end of the day no one wants to be publicly humiliated.

Praise in public and criticize in private. Pull them aside, state your case (starting with "I mean no disrespect..." and walk away. A mature, senior-ranking member will usually thank you for the "polite dressing down" and take it to heart. Of course it could blow up...in that case, answer questions about your name, unit, etc. but don't get into a shouting match and beat a hasty retreat.

Wow, she is so out of regs! Best thing to do, is casually walk up to her, ask her an unrelated question and then tell her (nice and respectful) if she knows she's out of regs with that lipstick. If she pulls the "rank card", note her name, rank and what squadron she is from. I have noticed now, that patches on the OCP uniform is limited. So maybe the officers acompanying that two star might make a point to her. ☺