What common uniform violation really just gets to you?

If I see that, the 'ol Gunny in me will come out. Un fucking Acceptable!

I will never forget seeing a brand new - graduated yesterday Sailor, attending the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Chicago in his NWUs and drinking a beer. I, still only an E3 at the time, lost my mind - yet maintained a level of professionalism as his parents were there and we were in public. He locked up, having no idea what my rank/paygrade was and then immediately blamed his RDCs - "Well, Warrant told me we were authorized to wear these". I looked at his father and said, "Sir, it's a direct violation for your son to be drinking in that uniform or wearing it out in public. You need to get him back to base or in some civi's" - This was before we were authorized to wear NWUs out in town. Regardless, I'll never forget it.

Had this happen here in Dayton, two 1Lts were at a Barack Obama rally at Wright State University in uniform. I was still on active duty at the time, and after I approached them and took their photos with my phone, they left in a huff. One actually said I didn't have the right to tell them they couldn't be there in uniform. When I explained to them the problem, they got even more upset, but they left.

I attended a book signing by General Powell. I called to find out if it would be appropriate to wear my Uniform. I was told not to because there may be protesters there. You would not believe the number of officers that were there in full uniform.

SPC Scott Verdin - lol!!

I haven’t put my hands in my pockets since 1974. Or slouched. Is what it is.

Concur that it is a stupid regulation. There is a time to relax and power down a bit. Hands in pockets should be fine occasionally, unless in formation or walking down the street. Just my Oppinion though and not the regulation.

Maybe if Army gloves could actually keep your hands warm, you would n't need to put your hands in your pockets. Gloves in 74 were worthless.

PO3 Jim Disbrow - NOTHING I stated is based on gossip. It's based on me reading MULTIPLE shaving profiles in my military career. It's based on me, personally talking with multiple service members who have medical conditions that prevent them from shaving, so they have shaving profiles. In the Army, the branch I proudly served for 24 years, profiles are written by Medical Doctors and Physician Assistants, not by Corpsmen, not by medics, not by LPNs or even by RNs. If you as a E-4 are allowed to write profiles, so be it. Since you are an EXPERT, and more qualified to have an opinion than a retired E-8, who is an LVN with over 30 years in the medical field, PLEASE explain to me why a service member with a shaving profile, THAT PROHIBITS SHAVING, should be allowed to shave all but a thin line of facial hair? Or even their head. The PROFILE (signed by a Medical Doctor or PA) states NO SHAVING. It does NOT specify any part of the head.

PO3 Jim Disbrow - I'm so glad you think so little of me and my character, even though you haven't taken the time to read what my complaint has been all along: SM who have a shaving profile, and yet they line up their facial hair or shave their head, both things are a violation of their profile AND that their command does nothing about it. If you had read what I've been saying, you would have seen that I am a RETIRED 1SG. I never said I saw this going on WHILE I wore the uniform. You would also have seen that I've been in the medical field, probably longer than you've been alive. If you actually knew me, you'd know that if someone I was responsible for had a profile for light duty, the heaviest thing they were allowed to lift was a pen. However, you wouldn't know that, you just ASSUME I treated my soldiers like crap and used them as stepping stones, instead of taking care of them, because they were the ones who helped me be successful, by THEM succeeding, improving and moving up the ranks. My job in the military was to TAKE CARE of soldiers. I always knew if I did that, everything else would work out. As a RETIREE, working as a contractor for the military, per company policy, I am not allowed to say anything to SMs who are in direct violation of regulations. Meanwhile, PO3, feel free to continue to make negative assumptions about senior NCOs, calling into question their character and decision making, while feeling good about yourself, as you think you are powerful hiding behind someone ELSE's authority and rank, because you are not able to attain your own authority and/or rank.

1SG Daniel Foote - respectfully, nothing you’ve written is based on TB MED 287.

There isn’t a standard issue ‘shaving profile’. TB MEB 287 specifically differentiates between the hair on the face and the hair on the head. While lining up a beard is a violation of any shaving profile, unless specifically disallowed per each profile, shaving of the head is not.

Commands usually do nothing about a soldier with a shaving profile and a shaved head because there is usually no violation of the profile. (I saw a lot of wacky profiles. ‘No head shaving’ was never one of them. Ever).

Best of luck

CSM (Join to see) - I have found that females don't want to be treated "equally" at all.

PFC (Join to see) - Nothing you just posted responds to what I said.. Please read it again without the pre judgment and perhaps just maybe you will see what your missing..as your response is just a rant about YOUR life experience ..and not about what I posted.

SGM Erik Marquez - then you are not seeing or understanding my so called rant.....My leadership FAILED ME MISERABLY! They did nothing to help me figure out how to lose weight to get my uniforms to "fit right" again. Not every female is a size 2 or size 4 or however they size uniforms now. I saw females that were big in the chest area but a smaller sized waist and they were in ill fitted tops. So is that considered looking gross or out of uniform too?

I feel sorry for you if you think that a person that might be in an ill fitted uniform might or "fat" not be ready for deployment when actually the are fit and more ready than their skinny counterpart. You will have your opinion and I will stand by mine. So thanks for your time on this subject. Have a great and blessed day.

Wow, that escalated quickly.

Joyce, you are a bag of excuses, and until you take responsibility and ownership of yourself and your inability to meet standards, I have nothing for you.

Mary Beaver, great work on the weight loss. That's a huge accomplishment and should be inspiring to others.

PO1 Donald Hammond - down vote lol

Seeing boot strings out would drive me nuts..

I work in a jail now and the shoe laces hanging out still bugs the hell out of me. This isn't the Army so I bite my tongue and try to shake it off.

SSG Laurie Mullen - I was a construction guy so it was a safety concern as well as a uniform thing. Nothing says trip hazard like getting your boot strings caught on rebar or a form nail.

PO1 John Crafton - Yeah, I just could never understand that.

chase them down and assign them color detail for a month.....that should fix it.

I saw 2 female Drill instructor in Ft. Jackson walking like there was nothing happening while I was standing honoring the flag, being retired since 1998, and this happen over 2 years ago. They got on their cars and took of before I got to them.

Showing my age, but we were not allowed to wear fatigues off post unless we were going to work or back home.

Umbrellas?!?! thats why the Army invented hats - or are you some kind of atheist that doesn't believe in the Army?

The beret is actually one of mine as well, it looks like they put no effort into looking halfway decent, they just let it sit on their head all stupid like.

Also berets in Class A uniform, no shade for eyes and with the garrison cap, I was taught as a cadet at as Military Academy (program was Army) the width of two fingers between the bridge of Your nose and the underside of the visor. One thing this did was improve You posture and You walked taller and more erect, it had a purpose. there also was no strange tan line as with the beret nor did the beret in any way add to proper posture as the garrison cap did.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter I agree, the beret is dreadful. When I first became an NCO, one of the first things I did was ditch my beret and get my Captains Hat. When asked why was wearing it, I simply referred to the regulation stating that once a soldier becomes an NCO they are to no longer wear the beret with their dress uniform and to don the Captains Hat instead. Once verified by the CoC I was never questioned again.

You had tin cans? Yuppies. What can I say?

We used smoke signals. After starting the fire by bashing rocks together.

You had rocks? We had to use a private's head to bash on the ground.

It wasn't until the last major change in regulations, that was no regulation comcerning cellphone use in uniform while walking. I remember talking to a CSM omce about it and he challenged me to find one and to come to find out, none existed. That was a precious urban legend. Of course, its an official regulation now as of maybe 5 years now but not before that.