Posted on Jan 19, 2014
CW2(P) Assistant Team Leader
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Coming from Fort Hood, TX, all PT/Reflective belts are worn neon yellow across the board in conjunction with pin on rank. I think this is all great because it shows uniformity and that no one is different than the next person. But here at Fort Wainwright, they have three different reflective belt colors, with different styles; therefor causing a calamity when it comes to being uniform. Blue for officers, Orange for NCOs, and Yellow for SPC and below. We're always speaking about being uniform, but I just think these different color belts are "correction deflectors". Anybody should and can be corrected when the correction is presented with professionalism and tact. You shouldn't have to pull some one of higher rank to the side to give them the gratitude of saving face; although embarrassing the person is not the goal. What do you all think about the lack of uniformity across the Army as far as the APFU? You can also inject the subject of the 'NEW' Black and Gold APFU.
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1LT Infantry Officer
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I'll go one step further: &nbsp;Rank on the reflective belt is bad. &nbsp;Worse even than different colors for junior enlisted, NCOs, and officers.<br><br>My old BN commander had it right: &nbsp;"Everyone will wear yellow; there will be no rank on the belt. &nbsp;There's a CoC picture wall for you to study so you know whom you have to know. &nbsp;Everyone else will distinguish themselves through PT."<br><br>There's a reason there's no spot for rank on the IPFU: &nbsp;It really doesn't matter for the intended purpose. &nbsp;If you don't know who someone is, you treat them with the deference and respect you want to be treated with. &nbsp;If you do know who someone is, you don't need a subdued pin-on rank on a piece of safety equipment to remind you. &nbsp;If you really have to engage in the "I outrank you" game, whip out and measure your CACs.<br><br>For a short time, I had to wear a reflective vest with "SSG BEUTLER" sown onto the front &amp; back along with a subdued SSG rank on the reflective part. &nbsp;I sarcastically asked for PT shoes that played "Here comes a special boy!" on loop as I ran.
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CW2(P) Assistant Team Leader
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I agree with this no doubt. Especially not having to wear the rank because the CoC wall for you to know exactly who you are talking to.
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SSG Observer   Controller/Trainer (Oc/T)
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Surprised that the 25th Alaska didn't follow 25th Hawaii lead and ditch the belt all together.
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SSG Senior Supply Sergeant
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On the School side we issue different colors PT belt, To be able to Identify AIT Students, Cadres, Officers, Warrant Officers and NCO...
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SFC Michael Hasbun
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I think it's ego. Senior personnel want to make sure they are recognized and deferred to, even when not wearing rank..
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SFC Michael Hasbun
SFC Michael Hasbun
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How about just the PFU, seeing as how reflectivity is already built into it =)
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CW2 Automotive Maintenance Warrant Officer
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SSG Hasbun, I noticed you are from Ft Lee... LOL... this is the first place I have seen PT belts used for showing what rank a person falls in =) 

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SFC Michael Hasbun
SFC Michael Hasbun
>1 y
We don't do that. It's vests for Instructors and AIT PSG's, and whatever color you want for permanent party. That's it. AIT kids aren't even allowed to wear them.  I suppose that's kinda similair, but we've never done the rank/color thing here, at least not in my time here...
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SGM Sergeant Major
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At Fort Campbell we were the green PT belt. Some of the schools here will wear a different color so those individuals can be identified when they do PT around other units. I see some senior NCOs put their rank on their PT belt but I don't think it is needed. It is too easy to fix any issue and find out who the Soldier belongs to if really needed.
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SSG Robert Burns
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Because PT belts are from Satan and he is the author of confusion.
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SFC Michael Hasbun
SFC Michael Hasbun
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Can't be. Satans crime in the bible was granting humans  knowledge and critical thinking. PT belts are clearly not the result of critical thinking ;)
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SFC Medical Platoon Sergeant
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The good idea fairy had a field day with reflective belts.

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Cpl Christopher Mcclain
Cpl Christopher Mcclain
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Yeah let's all wear reflective belts while in country while we PT so the enemy knows where we are at all times. I hated pt belts.
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Why is there a different APFU Reflective belt on almost every post?
1SG Steven Stankovich
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I remember the good old days when only your road guards, two in the front and two in the rear of your formation, had to wear the old fire guard vests with flashlights.  Their sole purpose was to block traffic as your formation ran or marched by.  Basic safety.




Fast forward...  When I left Fort Huachuca, the current PT Belt deal was each color designated a different BN within the BDE.  The different colors assisted with cadre identifying Soldiers based on their BN, phase of training, privileges authorized, etc.  Was it a perfect system?  Nope, but it was the way it was.  Also, all cadre had reflective vests with their name and rank sewn own (vest were issued and nametapes done out of pocket). 

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CW2(P) Assistant Team Leader
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Wow, now that is a very different approach with the PT belt situation. Did I already say "WOW"??
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1SG Steven Stankovich
1SG Steven Stankovich
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3 BNs...Blue, Green, Orange.  Then one of the BNs did an internal deal with different colors for their different courses.  It was nuts.  My BN was blue and that was the only color I was concerned with.
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1SG Cbrn Nco
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2ID in Korea has done away with wearing reflective belts as part of the PT uniform.
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SSG Senior Supply Sergeant
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1SG Steven Stankovich - We continue with the same at FT. Huachuca. now they add a tag for AIT student with the VI or V and the Unit (exp. Aco 305) and so on....
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1SG S3 Operations Ncoic
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Great topic, as we have all seen this problem. Hopefully the new AR 670-1 will do something about that. It's tough when there are different installation policies, and no reg is stating what the defining color is.
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1LT Infantry Officer
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As far as I'm aware, Army regulation does not mandate  individual reflective clothing items for each person engaged in PRT.  Neither FM 7-22, AR 670-1, or AR 385-10 mandate the reflective belt.  It has been a command decision which slowly moved up the chain into a mandate based on short-lived tradition.

It's like the "Anti-Tiger Rock" from the Simpsons.  I can't recall ever having known anyone who was actually hit by a car during PRT while running in formation.  I can also not recall a time we didn't wear a reflective accessory.  QED:  Reflective accessories are the only thing preventing us from getting run over.
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SGT Battalion Paralegal Nco
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Yeah when I was a Bragg everyone wore a yellow belt no ranks. Then pcsd to Alaska and had the 3 different colors. Last year pcsd down to Fort Polk and we wear 3 different colors but the NCOs is Green here instead of Orange and the other units only wear one color. I've wondered why since they do that since I left Bragg. Because like was stated above you should know certain people are in the formation regardless of the pt belt and if a correction needs to be made do it with tact.
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LTC Brett Weeks
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Is this a Duffleblog article??? Color-coded belts??? Rank on belts??? Are you freaking kidding??? We were lucky to have enough belts for two pairs of road guards, yet somehow we never got anyone killed on a run in over 20 years. Thank God I am retired!!!
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Lt Col Instructor Navigator
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We didn't have any standard color scheme in the Air Force. Resulted in quite a rainbow across the squadron...until the wives sent us the tiger striped reflective belts (our squadron was the Tigers).

I vaguely recall that our MX personnel wore different color reflective belts depending on what shop they were in...Hydraulics, electrical, flight controls, etc...
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SPC Keith Cornett
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I like the color system at Wainwright. Only because there have been wayyyyy to many times were I have been on road guard duty during pt. Only to have some high ranking officer from brigade,another battalion etc get all butt hurt because you fail to adress them properly. Seriously? Your not my battalion csm or BC how the fuck am.I supposed to know you. The different color belts at least give you a heads up in a small way. A downside is going from Wainwright and being used to it and trying to adjust to new unit that doesn't use that system.
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CPT Jacob Swartout
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Ft Stewart had us wear them differently to designate Soldiers by BDE.
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