Posted on Feb 3, 2015
What are your thoughts on making on the spot corrections after service?
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For those who have left the service, but still have contact with Service Members, how do you handle uniform or other regulation violations? Do you say something and make the correction? Do you keep your mouth shut and carry on about your business?
Uniforms
Regulation
Army Regulations
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 28
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Gently, with tact, and only when you know your 100% in the right. Things change.
Story time: A long time ago in 1999. I was home on leave and wore service dress to church (as was "required" by my grandmother) and had a retired CMSgt come up to me before church service and literally chew me out for having the "wrong collar brass" because I had the US lapel pins without the circles on them and "those are for "Officers only" and he wanted to know who my Chief was so he could call him on Monday... I politely told him that the Air Force didn't have "officer" or "enlisted" US lapel pins and this is what I was issued in basic he proceeded to continue on to his rant that I was a dirt bag for not having the right brass and worse not knowing the difference.
Fast forward to Monday morning, I get called in to my Chief's office. He asked me if I was home that week? When I confirmed that I was, he chucked and picked up the phone. He then proceed to tell the person on the other end of the phone that indeed that there is only one set of collar brass in the Air Force for both officers and enlisted and it does not have circles are around it. That was done away with a several years before by Gen McPeak and that his Airman was completely compliant with AFI 36-2903. I was dismissed but told to wait in my office for the next 30 minutes.
About 10 minutes after I got back to my office, the phone there rang and it was the retired Chief from the weekend calling to apologize for his un-Chiefly behavior (likely at the prodding of my Chief).
Story time: A long time ago in 1999. I was home on leave and wore service dress to church (as was "required" by my grandmother) and had a retired CMSgt come up to me before church service and literally chew me out for having the "wrong collar brass" because I had the US lapel pins without the circles on them and "those are for "Officers only" and he wanted to know who my Chief was so he could call him on Monday... I politely told him that the Air Force didn't have "officer" or "enlisted" US lapel pins and this is what I was issued in basic he proceeded to continue on to his rant that I was a dirt bag for not having the right brass and worse not knowing the difference.
Fast forward to Monday morning, I get called in to my Chief's office. He asked me if I was home that week? When I confirmed that I was, he chucked and picked up the phone. He then proceed to tell the person on the other end of the phone that indeed that there is only one set of collar brass in the Air Force for both officers and enlisted and it does not have circles are around it. That was done away with a several years before by Gen McPeak and that his Airman was completely compliant with AFI 36-2903. I was dismissed but told to wait in my office for the next 30 minutes.
About 10 minutes after I got back to my office, the phone there rang and it was the retired Chief from the weekend calling to apologize for his un-Chiefly behavior (likely at the prodding of my Chief).
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I'd actually asked about that same thing on here awhile back, one of the others told me how the whole thing had happened, if i can find the page, I'll try to send it in, it was, as I'd said, awhile back, obv....
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Capt Daniel Goodman
I was actually quite surprised, I hadn't known that whole thing had happened, I'd seen it mentioned on a YouTube video about a mistaken stolen valor thing, that was why I'd asked, I'd been told yeah, the whole metal circle thing for enlisted collar brass had, in fact, been stopped for a few yrs, apparently...honestly, I hadn't had a clue about that, I was, candidly, rather taken aback, when I'd heard how it'd all happened, and that it really was true, evidently, you know?
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TSgt James Warfield
Capt Daniel Goodman - Yea I retired in 1994 and remember the all the changes Gen McPeak did a lot of changes to the uniform. Personally I didn't like most of the changes. However I learn that the Air Force is quicker then other branches to change, which could be a good thing, however it also can be a bad thing as the Air Force loses the chance to have build Traditions like the other Branches. Just my personal opinion.
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Long long time ago, I was leaving Basic and heading towards my AIT station. At the airport, I was wearing class A uniform, but the collar became messed up as a result of me carrying a shoulder bag. A polite older man came up to me, joked around a bit, and fixed my collar. He later told one of my fellow soldiers travelling from boot camp that he is a retired CSM. You can correct, but do so subtly.
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MAJ (Join to see)
Good going... if your intent is to politely help a brother out, you can't go wrong. If you're the dick that always has to "gotcha!" to make yourself feel better, you're usually going to come off as an A-hole.
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SSG Lisa Rendina
I still make on-the-spot corrections when I see something amiss, although I am probably more in the "helpful" mode than I used to be when on active duty. I have not had to do many, but every one of them were receptive and courteous.
Not sure how I would have reacted (or will react) if someone tells me to go pound sand or something. You would probably read about me in the paper... :-) I certainly would not just walk away..
I still make on-the-spot corrections when I see something amiss, although I am probably more in the "helpful" mode than I used to be when on active duty. I have not had to do many, but every one of them were receptive and courteous.
Not sure how I would have reacted (or will react) if someone tells me to go pound sand or something. You would probably read about me in the paper... :-) I certainly would not just walk away..
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