What constitutes being "old school" in the military?

Cotton fatigues that required starching. Otherwise your would have your butt handed to you if you showed up for formation with a duffle bag press. PT would follow after the gig pit.

PT uniform… trousers were unbloused , ditch your top. Enjoy PT with boots (highly polished) of course.

Biggest cultural shock, wearing tennis shoes for PT.

Being a matter of perspective, not only is it moving, but at any given moment you ask this there will be varied answers depending the age of the person asked. Honestly I'm a little weirded out right now seeing all these folks talking about the 'old days' in the 2000s or 90s (I got out in 89 after 11 active.)

I was in late 80s-late 90s...I consider myself a VETERAN, nothing more. Old School would imply outdated, over-used...i am neither.

If you ever:
Insisted that, as an Enlisted Member, salute and respect all officers, no matter what rank, or...
Insisted that, as a Commission Member, require that NCO's be respected for their skills, and be treated like human beings, and always return a smart salute with a smart salute,
...you might be old school.

if you spent 90% of your 20 years in conflict and/or have 5 or more deployments, you're old school.

Herring bone utilities.

Old school was a different time and place on the Army. My starting pay was $562.00 a month and NCOs took care of business.
I knew it was time to retire when as a detachment sergeant, I was told by the company commander to go easy on the soldiers. What a crock of.....

How about PT uniform consisted of unblousing your boot and taking off your shirt, white t-shirts, 5 event PT test, C-Rats, green uniforms, daily inranks inspection. Ect.....

I am just glad that one of our traditions of this institution, respecting our old soldiers, because that's really what this one is about, has carried on.

It all depends on when you were in. For me it was Marines that went through bootcamp pre Crucible and predeadhang pullups. Then after me it became pre digital cammies and polishing boots, and qualifying with ironsights on the range. It's just whatever service wide change they count as a turning point.