Uniform Atrocities

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 03:07:56 PM

Is there a topic on here yet where users can post photos of uniform atrocities? If not, I think that would be pretty entertaining and would like to start that topic here.

Pylon · May 19, 2008, 03:11:06 PM

Since the purpose would likely be to humiliate those wearing the incorrect uniforms and to chide those who posted them or approved them for publication or posting to the web, I don't see that as flying very far. For the most part, every CAP member is aware of the wide variety of uniform violations that members wear. Most of us see them all the time. Posting pictures of people wearing the uniform wrong doesn't help us correct the issue nor provide anything other than perhaps comic relief and amusement at the expense of others.

In short: how about not? Let's post something, instead, that would be constructive and of professional use to other CAPTalk members.

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 03:18:12 PM

Oh you're no fun. Humiliation wasn't the point, entertainment was. I see your point though.

notaNCO forever · May 19, 2008, 03:26:07 PM

You just need to put a question mark over their faces and black out their name tapes.

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 03:28:15 PM

I was kinda planning to do that with some of the photos I wanted to share that I had, but the CAPtalk gods are not smiling upon me today my friend. Oh well.

MIKE · May 19, 2008, 03:29:36 PM

I dunno... they used to be quite popular on CS.

Maybe if you set some ground rules on commentary... Kept it constructive and formated.. and obscured identities.

Titling the thread Uniform Atrocities does not help the cause though.

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 03:30:29 PM

Uniform "Misunderstandings"?

notaNCO forever · May 19, 2008, 03:32:42 PM

How about uniform mistakes. Also uniforms that suck [joking]

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 03:34:37 PM

Can we at least have a CAP vehicle atrocities thread? That would be almost as entertaining and would only poke fun at peices of metal...some of which are still blue and rusty.

sarflyer · May 19, 2008, 03:45:46 PM

Even with faces blacked out the members going to know it's them. Making fun for entertainment isn't really very nice. Good call Pylon! :clap:

MIKE · May 19, 2008, 03:56:08 PM

Sometimes a little embarrassment is the best way to correct a deficency... If you skirt around it or avoid it so not to hurt anyones feelings... They'll keep doing it. It may be 180 degrees from what CAP teaches, but this may also be why this is such a persistent issue within the organization.

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 04:02:19 PM

Wow, I just wanted to have a good laugh today on what is undoubtedly a rough Monday and see some funny pictures because I know they're out there. Wasn't planning on starting a debate here. I guess it appears there are some hypersensitive folks on here and though I don't really see it (I kinda agree with Mike), some insensitive folks on here. Since a psychology debate wasn't the point and this appears to have gone south, can we lock this thread or just remove it all together?

MIKE · May 19, 2008, 04:14:33 PM

Thats not how it works... Thread hasn't reached critical mass yet. That is when it gets locked/deleted. If that doesn't happen, it dies on its own... or I kill it after 20 pages or so of circular argument between two dudes.

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 04:25:41 PM

Ah, I see. I've read this thing for quite a while and just recently subjected myself to jumping on in...always wondered how that worked.

Short Field · May 19, 2008, 04:44:22 PM

I think the fun would start when some enterprizing soul downloaded the photos and put them in a uniform briefing. And when it was given to units in your Wing, not only did people recognize themselves, they remembered who took the photo....

smitjud · May 19, 2008, 04:47:59 PM

That would certainly be exciting.

JoeTomasone · May 19, 2008, 05:09:21 PM

Quote from: MIKE on May 19, 2008, 03:56:08 PM
Sometimes a little embarrassment is the best way to correct a deficency... If you skirt around it or avoid it so not to hurt anyones feelings... They'll keep doing it. It may be 180 degrees from what CAP teaches, but this may also be why this is such a persistent issue within the organization.

I 100% agree with this statement. I've lately gotten in the habit of confiscating BDU caps that are left on tables or elsewhere instead of being stowed in the BDU trouser cargo pocket as 39-1 requires. You would not believe how many members don't read 39-1 and know this. Heck, my former Group Commander didn't know this and was shocked to learn that it has been that way at least since the latest 39-1 revision in 2005. For repeat (cadet) offenders, I tell them that if I see it again, I will turn their cap over to their Squadron Commander. This weekend I collected about 9 right after the cadets had returned from outdoors and gave them to the Cadet Commander telling him that we had free BDU caps to give away and that they obviously couldn't belong to our cadets because all of our cadets stow them IAW 39-1, right? So if anyone didn't have a cap and wanted one... All they had to do was report to the C/CC and request one.

I get a little peeved at people who don't read and follow regs - but really the ones who don't bother to read and follow the uniform regs because the uniform is intergral to everything we do. I mean, let's say we've got a mission safety officer who doesn't read/comply with 39-1 - how can we have confidence that he's following proper safety regulations? It's not like 99% of these issues cost anything but a little effort to correct as well. I cut a little slack for those who haven't been able to follow the myriad of 39-1 supplements that have come out (like the cadet airmen/NCOs wearing chevrons on both collars and ditching the CAP cutouts - mandatory date was March 2008), but if you can't be bothered to follow what is in the manual currently, then you're just being lazy or you just don't care.

If it takes a little embarrassment to shake the complacency off some people, then why not? No one ever died of embarrassment. If it helps us make CAP better in this respect, and they are within taste and other boundaries, I say bring the photos on.

Hawk200 · May 19, 2008, 05:14:30 PM

I think the biggest problem with people not putting BDU caps in pockets is because somewhere along the way, someone has told them that they have to starch their hats. It's pretty obvious what a starched cap is going to look like once you put it in a cargo pocket as stiff as they are.

We need to deal with one of the root problems and make it clear that starching hats is not only unnecessary, but impractical. Not to mention, it can sometimes smell funny once you start sweating in it.

Short Field · May 19, 2008, 06:05:26 PM

Quote from: MIKE on May 19, 2008, 03:56:08 PM
Sometimes a little embarrassment is the best way to correct a deficency...

I agree to a point. It only works as long as the person doing the embarrassing understands what "a little embarrassment" really is to the person being embarrassed. Some people are so thick skinned you really have to work hard to embarrass them, others are totally humiliated just realizing they did it wrong.

sarflyer · May 19, 2008, 06:45:33 PM

It's just rude and if I caught you doing it in my unit there would be santions! We don't need to be belittling people for entertainment.

We handle uniform problems quietly behind the scenes. We don't publically embarrass someone.

It's just wrong guys, anyway you look at it, period!

That's 33 years of CAP experience and 29 years police experience talking ladies and gentlemen.