Posted on Oct 16, 2015
Why do we spend so much time fighting about how to correct minor infractions?
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I have been in the Navy for 8 years. In that time I have deployed at sea, gone IA with the Army, and been collocated with intel units from all services including the Coasties. I find that we (all services) spend an inordinate amount of time harassing our subordinates, peers and occasionally our supervisors about minor infractions in uniform. Example 1: A soldier once stopped me and retrieved my name rank and unit info because he thought my mustache was out of regs. Army answer was yes Navy answer was no....frankly does it really matter?
Example 2: A Colonel stopped one of my Airmen in Bagram for wearing a boonie hat because it wasn't Friday. His unit claimed that was unacceptable, our unit politely told him to mind his own business. Why did he care?
I understand that we are all supposed to be professionals and ensure standards are met, but why do we spend so many man hours on silly shit that at the end of the day does not effect mission?
Example 2: A Colonel stopped one of my Airmen in Bagram for wearing a boonie hat because it wasn't Friday. His unit claimed that was unacceptable, our unit politely told him to mind his own business. Why did he care?
I understand that we are all supposed to be professionals and ensure standards are met, but why do we spend so many man hours on silly shit that at the end of the day does not effect mission?
Regulation
Waste
Discipline
Standards
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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This goes back to my running topic of "Safety is vigilance" however, even great philosophies can be taken to extremes.
One of the phrases I've heard is "the standard you walk past is the standard you accept" which sounds really great in practice. Another great phrase is "is the juice worth the squeeze."
I'm very pro maintaining discipline, and keeping to the standard. I'm also pro not wasting limited resources such as time on absolute silly things.
Does a Colonel (Light or Full) getting involved in minutia positively effect efficiency or morale? Or is this on par with yelling "keep off grass"? If he's doing that, what isn't he doing?
Now if there is valid safety concerns, or parallels to safety concerns... rock on. Let's do this. But there's a certain point where you just walk by and say "Is that mustache in regs?" to which "Yep. Navy regs" and "Oh, my bad. Whoops, carry on."
One of the phrases I've heard is "the standard you walk past is the standard you accept" which sounds really great in practice. Another great phrase is "is the juice worth the squeeze."
I'm very pro maintaining discipline, and keeping to the standard. I'm also pro not wasting limited resources such as time on absolute silly things.
Does a Colonel (Light or Full) getting involved in minutia positively effect efficiency or morale? Or is this on par with yelling "keep off grass"? If he's doing that, what isn't he doing?
Now if there is valid safety concerns, or parallels to safety concerns... rock on. Let's do this. But there's a certain point where you just walk by and say "Is that mustache in regs?" to which "Yep. Navy regs" and "Oh, my bad. Whoops, carry on."
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What may seem benign in garrison will provide an unnecessary distraction when the first bullets fly downrange. Not having to address "silly" things allows everyone to focus on the mission. The "business" is rather unforgiving of those who cannot attend to the petty issues.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
PO1 (Join to see) "unified regulations" would drive the USAF, USN, & USMC absolutely bonkers.
The Army has regs for everything. This isn't a knock them, but a product of "scale." When you have a force that is SOOOOO much larger than the rest... You just have to get into the weeds about everything.
When you compare the Marines to the Army, it's like anarchy.
Unified standards is not a can of worms I want to go anywhere near....
The Army has regs for everything. This isn't a knock them, but a product of "scale." When you have a force that is SOOOOO much larger than the rest... You just have to get into the weeds about everything.
When you compare the Marines to the Army, it's like anarchy.
Unified standards is not a can of worms I want to go anywhere near....
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1LT William Clardy
But there's plenty of good bait in that can, Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS. Check it out...
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
1LT William ClardyI have no doubt there is. But there's also quite a lot of bad bait in there as well.
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welcome to the new and improved F*ck F*ck games where bullsh*t happens regularly, the rules are made up, and your feelings do not matter. It's a sad reality tho and not limited by branch of service. This is the main reason I hated going to bigger FOBS. You're dirty? Not in this chow hall. Weapon still loaded? Not on here it isn't. Some of it's required, and I accept that, but to some extremes it's taken is ridiculous.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I never understood that, I routinely carried loaded (in clear violation) because an unloaded weapon is a fucking paperweight.
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