Pentagon Relaxing Rules On Military Attire

We do the same thing now. When you deploy overseas you get "multi cam" which is a woodland pattern looking version of the ACUs. Then we turn them back in when get back. Well sometimes, sometimes we keep them until you leave that unit but we don't wear them in garrison unless you are about to deploy or just getting home.

 

Indeed it is. It was nice flying in the 130s and C-17s stateside, nice and relaxed. When flying into the desert the Loadmasters made it seem like we were about to do an airdrop on D-Day. I'll never forget that Senior Master Sergeant's face (2 chevrons right?) when he said we had to do a combat landing onto the airfield. He had the biggest grin on his face watching a load full of Army guys screaming like schoolgirls lol

Thats what we get for talking trash the whole flight lol

It just amazes me that those huge aircraft can move they way they do. I had no idea a C-130 could maneuver like that. Truley amazing.

I always wondered what it would be like to fly something like that. I'm sure that has been one hell of a career to have, thank's for your service.

 

It is a push to accomodate Muslims. They are the ones with special attire requirements in line with their religion.

The thing I like about the military is that they don't tend to play the PC card too often. The military is one of those places where often times your boss can and will tell you to shut up and go away if you try to pull some crap.

I remember back in basic training when we had privates trying to go to the Muslim religious service on Sundays because they knew they gave out coffee and donuts. The drill sergeants just flat out said no. We know you aren't Muslim, you know you aren't Muslim, we know you aren't "trying to see what the religion is all about". You want to go and eat donuts, if it doesn't say Muslim on your dog tags your ass isn't going. And if you have a problem with it go cry to the commander and he will and did tell them the same thing. Keep complaining and you will magically manage to not be able to use a bayonet properly or something and fail the exercise and go home where you can eat all the donuts you want.

Some people might try to pull a fast one because of this new regulation. People will try to push to accomodate their own little religion to get away with wearing whatever they want. The military will tell them to sit down and shut up.

Just like the facial hair regulations we already have. You are already allowed to have a mustasche. Some MOS's just wont let you have one (Infantry for example). Even though the regulation applies to the entire Army. Try to grow one and they will tell you to shave it, try to complain and you will still shave it. Take it up your chain of command and they will tell you to shave it and stop being annoying. Press it any further and you will be outside sweeping the entire football field sized motorpool with a paint brush until you decide to stop being a pain in the ass.

Thankfully the military has a lot less time for BS than the civilian world.

 

Nope, like I said the miltary has a lot less time for BS like that. We have a job to do. I've never seen Muslim soldiers stop and pray 5 times a day. I don't know if it is or isn't allowed I've just never seen it. I would assume if we don't have anything going on then they could stop and pray, but I've never seen training stop for anybodys accomodations no matter who you are.

 

Jewish soldiers are allowed to wear the yamakah. I've seen a few. I think many just choose not to. Christian soldiers can mount a cross on the wall of their barracks room, plenty do that...

As long as it doesn't effect the mission or training or is an overall blatant "F you" to the regulations then nobody really cares. Christians are allowed to wear a crucifix around their neck with the dog tags and other religions are allowed to wear their symbols. You just aren't allowed to wear a huge cross hanging out of your shirt or anything.

 

I actually wouldn't mind a bit more distinguishing apparel for the different MOSs. It would do good for morale. The military is trying to move away from that though because to much unit pride can get you in trouble. One of the first things soliders do when walking up to somebody is look at their rank, look if they have a deployment patch, and look at their badges to see how they will carry themselves around that person. Those without combat patches do kind of get treated like second class citizens. It's the whole "I've been to war you haven't so screw you" mentality. Badges come next. "I have a combat infantry badge and you don't but we've both been to war but I got shot at so screw you".

The combat arms guys are the most proud and sometimes tend to forget that rank matters in the Army. I have seen time and time again some ground pounders tell a higher ranking paper pusher to pretty much go screw themselves. That was actually the main reason why my old unit stopped letting tank crewmembers walk around in their tank uniforms instead of regular ACU uniforms. Somebody decided to tell somebody else to F off because they weren't tankers and "couldn't tell them what to do".

Pride is good though, troops like to feel like they are special and different from the other people. Thats why the infantry is proud to wear their blue cords, the paratroopers like to wear the magenta beret, tankers like their ugly boots, scouts like their stetsons, etc. It makes them all "different" and proud to be part of that job.

 

No Im not comfortable with it but I understand that in our new PC world it was only a matter of time before the military starting taking flak for not accomodating people.

Like I said before this is a Congressional thing. You know having been in the Army that what the rules are and what you are actually allowed to do are two different things. Leadership has no problem with giving the regulations the middle finger and giving you the middle finger too if you have a problem with it.

I personally believe that they shouldn't accomodate anybody. If you join the military you are wearing our uniform, you are shaving your face, and you aren't getting off early to go pray. Don't like it then tough (*)(*)(*)(*), find a new job. Let them wear religious stuff as long as we can't see it. Necklaces and whatnot. If we have to see it then no.

But I know that in our new PC world we can't do that anymore. We have to be "nice" to people now. What I'm saying is that the military will give a little but they aren't going to start letting the nerdy private and his satan worshipping buddies wear devil horns in formation. They will put up with some crap to make the PC whiners shut up but not stuff like that.

Plus like I said just because the regulation says you can doesn't mean you actually can. You are technically allowed to have a mustasche and sideburns in the Infantry just like everybody else. That doesn't mean you can. You know how military politics work, complain about stupid stuff enough and more often than not you will be the one getting transferred or kicked out for getting on peoples nerves. Even if you are technically "right".

Im in the Army btw