Should Senior Members wear uniforms?

[coshell]

In senior squadrons, I have noticed a lack of uniform wear.  Should seniors be required to wear a uniform to meetings?

[Lancer]

The Senior squadron here wears the polo combo. Not what I would consider a 'Uniform', but I guess it's better then civvies. Personally I think they should wear one of the other alternate uniforms, such as the gray/white aviator combo or the new corporate uni.

[Pumbaa]

What do the regs say?

That should be the answer...

Now that being said, should a squdron have a standard uniform?  ie, all golf shirt, or all corporate gray or TPU.

What would be the best way to make all seniors 'uniform'?  Understanding that a number of seniors do not meet weight and/or grooming for AF blues/ BDUs.  Should a standard corporate be in order?

[pixelwonk]

Seniors should be strongly encouraged to wear a regulation uniform at meetings.  Requiring them to sounds good, but it never really turns out that way.  The example set by Command Staff sets the tone for the unit. Since change starts at the top, if the command staff isn't wearing them, who'd expect the rank 'n file to either? 

At times when it's been logistically difficult for me to arrive in a regular AF uniform, I've worn grey slacks during the day and brought along the the golf shirt to change when I arrived.

It's not my favorite uniform but for meetings it's a relatively simple solution.

OT: Just curious, your sig says CAP-USAF.  Are you a CAPRAP?  What have been your experiences in the role?

[Eclipse]

Yes.

[Lancer]

OT: Just curious, your sig says CAP-USAF.  Are you a CAPRAP?  What have been your experiences in the role?

I'm thinking not Tedd, as this page seems to reveal... I think the young LT should update his sig.

[A.Member]

Yes. 

Per 39-1, Chapter 1, Table 1-1, members will wear a uniform:

when engaged in normal duties as a CAP member or attending local, wing/region, or national CAP functions (see note 1).

...NOTES:
1. The National Commander and other commanders may specify the wear of a particular uniform type for the purpose of achieving a uniform appearance at squadron, group, wing, region, and national functions. However, all commanders must be mindful of the objective of attaining a neatly uniformed appearance at a minimum of personal expense to the individual member and will consequently refrain from imposing unreasonable uniform requirements.

They need to at least be wearing the minimum uniform, which is described in 39-1, 1-5.

[MIKE]

^ If you're not in uniform, you are wrong.  As cited by A.Member.

[flyerthom]

A significant number of our members come directly from work. That imposes quite a burden. In my job I work till 1930 and meeting start at 1900. I show up in scrubs but at least I'm there. ( the following is tounge in cheek now if national would approve navy blue scrubs for HSO's...) . One meeting a month the Squadron commander requests all attending to were a uniform.  Most do unless they work.

[O-Rex]

Come on!  Wearing a costume to the party is half the fun 

If it weren't why would there be so many uniform threads-hey, I like that: threads, about...."threads."

Gee, I crack myself up. 

[A.Member]

A significant number of our members come directly from work. That imposes quite a burden. In my job I work till 1930 and meeting start at 1900. I show up in scrubs but at least I'm there. ( the following is tounge in cheek now if national would approve navy blue scrubs for HSO's...) . One meeting a month the Squadron commander requests all attending to were a uniform.  Most do unless they work.

That's a poor excuse. 

Quite a burden?  Honestly, how long does it take to change?  5 min. max?  Put your uniform in the car in the morning and bring it with you to work.  Change once you arrive at the meeting or before you leave work.  You're already at least a half hour late, what's another 5 minutes?  It's not hard. 

I can understand  the are some rare occasions were a member might need an exception but it certainly shouldn't be the norm.  Wear is not listed as "optional".  IMO, that's a lazy approach by your squadron and if the CC is not interested in addressing the problem then Group should step in and assist. 

Just my $.02. 

[A.Member]

If it weren't why would there be so many uniform threads-hey, I like that: threads, about...."threads."

Ugh.      

[coshell]

Thank you all who remarked on my signature.  I have changed it, as no, I am not part of CAP-USAF.  It amazes me, though, that in the year or so that I have been using that signature on e-mails, nobody had caught it (including my squadron commander).    However, now that I have been shown the difference between CAP and CAP-USAF, I won't continue.

In my defense, I find it confusing that on all CAP publications, the two are synonymous.  Only USAF pages differentiate.

Thank you all.

[IronRangerMN]

yes, they should usually

[Monty]

Personally, I think folks get a little too wrapped up in uniforms.  Now up front, I'll admit: there are times and occasions where I think they are appropriate, such as in my current capacity (which, hey; ends in about 4 hours.)

I've worn a uniform of some sort my whole life; AF, Scouts, CAP to name three biggees.  There's a time and place, as I alluded to before, where one's focus should be on the clothes.....and then there's a time where that's not so.

Problem is, how much focus is TOO much focus?

We'll never agree on how much is too much or too little, so, I usually sit by and watch the "hardkewls" and the "airplane club members" go at each other like the Montagues and Capulets.

What ever comes of it?  One side mocks the other, names, nastiness, and utter stupidity.

Why, I predict a nasty comment in this thread about somebody/something in about 10.....9.....8....7.....

[afgeo4]

What do the regs say?

That should be the answer...

Now that being said, should a squdron have a standard uniform?  ie, all golf shirt, or all corporate gray or TPU.

What would be the best way to make all seniors 'uniform'?  Understanding that a number of seniors do not meet weight and/or grooming for AF blues/ BDUs.  Should a standard corporate be in order?

I always thought that the TPU addressed that question perfectly. Just about every member can wear the uniform and it is a decent looking one. If actual uniformity is your goal, the TPU/BBDU can be the answer.

[ZigZag911]

everyone does PT for the overall picture of all of them. Gets them to look past gettin there uniform right and then they help the rest of their team.

As may be, but PT is supposed to be a normal part of the cadet program, and never used as a form of punishment, IAW CAPR 52-10.

[IronRangerMN]

I believe it is in the best interest for them to wear the same uniforms.

[Major Carrales]

If the issue is "Golf Shirt" wearing senior squadrons...

It should be pointed out that the "golf shirt" combination is a uniform...or, I could be wrong?

[DNall]

Just a personal per peeve... the golf shirt was designed & sold as a novelty item NOT a uniform, but a bunch of people started wearing it in lieu of a uniform (breaking regs) and that presented an insurance/liability problem for the org, at the same time some people were trying to get it adopted as an official uniform for glider instructors... so it was adopted, but never should have been & IMO it is inappropriate for wear when conducting business as an officer. Just my personal view though. I have no problem with people wearing the other corporate style uniforms. I don't like some details of them, but they are on the whole appropriate.

As for the overall conversation here, I think everyone understands there is & should be a one-to-one relationship between the corporate-style alternative uniforms & the official AF-style uniforms. A UOD should ALWAYS be posted for the day or duty & you should not participate unless you are in it. I'd rather have you not there than setting a bad example. And if you think your authority isn't defined by your image then you're wrong.

As to putting all officers (remember we dropped SM) in a corp-style to achieve "uniformity," that's very short sighted. You have to understand that the goal is NOT to build a connection & sense of team with the person next to you, but to demonstate solidarity with our parent organization, the AF. The official uniform of CAP is & has always been the AF-style. The Corporate-STYLE uniforms are formally descibed as alternative uniforms. You can't be an alternative when you are the primary. That's not to say there is anything wrong with people wearing those uniforms, but the prefered thing is to go with AF-style if you can, and if you can't for some reason that's why there is an alternative.