Quote from: CyBorg on November 20, 2014, 09:26:37 PM

Quote from: Private Investigator on November 20, 2014, 10:55:02 AM
In the gray/white aviator shirt I have been asked if I was Canadian on a few occassions.

I wonder why?  Canadians do not wear grey uniforms.  Their uniforms are largely derived from British design.

Most E-2s on active duty have no ideal what you are talking about. If it is not something that someone in their chain of command is wearing, it is foreign. Civil Air Patrol? How often do you have a E-3 on active duty tell you he was a CAP Cadet? 

Quote from: Capt Hatkevich on November 20, 2014, 10:49:07 PM
Was saluted by some seamen when I was a cadet. Walking in single file, guy number 2 throws it up, then 4, 3 and 1 never did. Either they gave him crap after they got through the gate, or he gave them crap. I hope the latter. As a C/MSgt it scared me as much as it scared them probably. But returned it, and moved on.

The rack of ribbons that a CAP C/MSgt has is impressive so I am sure the seaman did not look farther for rank and saluted. 

Quote from: Private Investigator on November 22, 2014, 08:01:24 PM

Quote from: Capt Hatkevich on November 20, 2014, 10:49:07 PM
Was saluted by some seamen when I was a cadet. Walking in single file, guy number 2 throws it up, then 4, 3 and 1 never did. Either they gave him crap after they got through the gate, or he gave them crap. I hope the latter. As a C/MSgt it scared me as much as it scared them probably. But returned it, and moved on.

The rack of ribbons that a CAP C/MSgt has is impressive so I am sure the seaman did not look farther for rank and saluted. 

I've seen C/MSgts who out-ribboned USAF MSgts, so yeah.  OTOH, the latter is a nicer thing to be on payday.

Quote from: Private Investigator on November 22, 2014, 08:01:24 PM

Quote from: Capt Hatkevich on November 20, 2014, 10:49:07 PM
Was saluted by some seamen when I was a cadet. Walking in single file, guy number 2 throws it up, then 4, 3 and 1 never did. Either they gave him crap after they got through the gate, or he gave them crap. I hope the latter. As a C/MSgt it scared me as much as it scared them probably. But returned it, and moved on.

The rack of ribbons that a CAP C/MSgt has is impressive so I am sure the seaman did not look farther for rank and saluted. 

the seam probably saw the shiny on the hat and used the old saw...."when in doubt, whip it out".

No need to start lamenting on the size of our racks again.

Quote from: lordmonar on November 23, 2014, 04:53:47 AMNo need to start lamenting on the size of our racks again.

Is it wrong that I giggled?

Funny story about cadets and ribbons.....  Lewis Millett lived in my home town.  It was pretty common to see him running around.   We did a color guard ceremony once where he was the guest speaker.  At the end, the cadets were just standing around in a circle with him and other people at the event and one of our color guard members says, "Hey Colonel, Im only a C/Capt and I have almost as many ribbons as you do."  (Yes... he was a C/Capt on color guard...I know)

Col Millett just chuckled and said "Yes you do son, yes you do."  The rest of us were trying to find a potted plant to hide behind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett

Quote from: Storm Chaser on November 21, 2014, 08:34:53 PM
According to CAPP 151, all CAP members in a military-style uniform (all uniform combination except the polo shirt and blazer) must render the proper customs and courtesies to include saluting when appropriate.

I know that.

You know that.

I hold to it.

You no doubt do.

However, I don't see a lot of it in CAP now, compared to when I first joined.

Quote from: Fubar on November 23, 2014, 05:45:38 AM

Quote from: lordmonar on November 23, 2014, 04:53:47 AMNo need to start lamenting on the size of our racks again.

Is it wrong that I giggled?

I am guessing we are both guilty! That is why Starbucks asked me to leave, again   

Quote from: Flying Pig on November 23, 2014, 01:56:34 PM
Funny story about cadets and ribbons.....  Lewis Millett lived in my home town.  It was pretty common to see him running around.   We did a color guard ceremony once where he was the guest speaker.  At the end, the cadets were just standing around in a circle with him and other people at the event and one of our color guard members says, "Hey Colonel, Im only a C/Capt and I have almost as many ribbons as you do."  (Yes... he was a C/Capt on color guard...I know)

Col Millett just chuckled and said "Yes you do son, yes you do."  The rest of us were trying to find a potted plant to hide behind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett

Colonel Millett a true member of the greatest generation. Thank you for sharing.

Quote from: Private Investigator on November 23, 2014, 04:21:53 PM

Quote from: Flying Pig on November 23, 2014, 01:56:34 PM
Funny story about cadets and ribbons.....  Lewis Millett lived in my home town.  It was pretty common to see him running around.   We did a color guard ceremony once where he was the guest speaker.  At the end, the cadets were just standing around in a circle with him and other people at the event and one of our color guard members says, "Hey Colonel, Im only a C/Capt and I have almost as many ribbons as you do."  (Yes... he was a C/Capt on color guard...I know)

Col Millett just chuckled and said "Yes you do son, yes you do."  The rest of us were trying to find a potted plant to hide behind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Millett

Colonel Millett a true member of the greatest generation. Thank you for sharing.

Quite an intrepid man!  Deserts and joins the Canadian Army because he wasn't getting his chance to fight, then is readmitted to the U.S. Army, progresses through enlisted and officer ranks to become a Colonel and a whole lotta chest candy (and not fog-a-mirror ribbons either, to say nothing of his MOH).

I looked closely at his ribbon rack.  I'm guessing the bottom ones are Vietnam service medals (the green/white one in the centre is the Vietnam Campaign Medal, but I don't know what the other two are).  The two to the left on his second-to-bottom row are British Commonwealth medals, the red-white-blue striped one being the British 1939-45 War Medal and the green/blue/red one immediately to the left is the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.

I see an Air Medal with second award...was the Colonel aircrew in addition to his other accomplishments, or does being a Paratrooper qualify for the Air Medal?

Im not sure why he had an air medal.  It may be different now, but back "in the day" I don't think you needed to be assigned as aircrew.  You just needed to be in an aircraft when the act happens.  Given his history, who knows how many weird stand in type assignments he had just because they needed a body to man a gun or something.  From what Ive read, he spent his entire career pretty much as a grunt and later intel.  I know a lot of intel officers flew in Vietnam.  That I know from talking to our very own Bosshawk... former intel officer/pilot.  Talk about split personalities
 

I believe Air Medals can be awarded after so many hours in the air doing combat assaults, aircrew or troops. Is that right?

Quote from: Garibaldi on November 25, 2014, 05:31:19 PM
I believe Air Medals can be awarded after so many hours in the air doing combat assaults, aircrew or troops. Is that right?

Air Medals can be awarded for completing either so many flight hours or a few months operating in an aviation billet in a Combat Zone.  I have a friend who is a Navy Aircrewman logged so much flight time in Iraq and participated in a few "strikes" that he actually has Thirteen Air Medals.  In the Order of precendence the Air Medal is primarily the aviation version of the Bronze Star.  You just need to have sustained Meritorious performance without ever actually seeing combat in a combat zone to earn both of them. 

I used to see Marines and Sailors with Bronze Stars without a Combat Action Ribbon and look at them very suspiciously until I found out that a Supply Officer in Afghanistan Earned the Bronze Star because of his meritorious performance shuffling paper.  It was very important paper shuffling but I digress.

Quote from: SARDOC on December 06, 2014, 10:13:24 PM
I used to see Marines and Sailors with Bronze Stars without a Combat Action Ribbon and look at them very suspiciously until I found out that a Supply Officer in Afghanistan Earned the Bronze Star because of his meritorious performance shuffling paper.  It was very important paper shuffling but I digress.

Let's just keep in mind that the supply officer in question, unlike most paper shufflers here at home, was serving at great personal risk just being there...not the same level of danger as combat troops, but not exactly out of the line of fire, given the nature of the conflict.

Quote from: SARDOC on December 06, 2014, 10:13:24 PM

Quote from: Garibaldi on November 25, 2014, 05:31:19 PM
I believe Air Medals can be awarded after so many hours in the air doing combat assaults, aircrew or troops. Is that right?

Air Medals can be awarded for completing either so many flight hours or a few months operating in an aviation billet in a Combat Zone.  I have a friend who is a Navy Aircrewman logged so much flight time in Iraq and participated in a few "strikes" that he actually has Thirteen Air Medals.  In the Order of precendence the Air Medal is primarily the aviation version of the Bronze Star.  You just need to have sustained Meritorious performance without ever actually seeing combat in a combat zone to earn both of them. 

I used to see Marines and Sailors with Bronze Stars without a Combat Action Ribbon and look at them very suspiciously until I found out that a Supply Officer in Afghanistan Earned the Bronze Star because of his meritorious performance shuffling paper.  It was very important paper shuffling but I digress.

It is because you don't know what a Bronze Star is really for.   
And for the record.....a Bronze Star is actually a Air Medal for ground troops.    Hap Arnold instituted the Air Medal during WWII and the ground troops wanted something of the same caliber for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze_Star_Medal#History

It is NOT a combat medal.  It does not require any actual contact with the enemy....."distinguishes, or has distinguished, herself or himself by heroic or meritorious achievement or service, not involving participation in aerial flight—"

Unless it has a "V" device.

Quote from: PA Guy on December 07, 2014, 01:27:57 AM
Unless it has a "V" device.

That would require Valor...which may or may not require getting shot at.....directly.   Run into a burning tent to pull out a trapped buddy in a combat zone.......that's valor...but not "combat" valor.

Bottom line is .......dispite what most people think the Bronze Star is all about......they are mostly wrong.
Sure a lot of guys got it for winning the war with bravery and resolve.  But a lot of guys got it for doing their jobs in a distinguished way while conducting military operations in a combat zone.

That includes doing finance paperwork, running the base laundry, chow hall, rec center.......as well as running patrols, and other outside of the wire sort of things.

I've seen people get it for doing a job that never required them to go outside the wire.
But they were on a base that regularly got rocketed...

Hey, paper shufflers are important!

In combat you may not get ammo or enough of it without a paper shuffler records on how many of you are there!

You may not get paid, and you may not get a ribbon if it was not on paper that you did XYZ.

Quote from: Luis R. Ramos on December 07, 2014, 11:17:05 PM
Hey, paper shufflers are important!

In combat you may not get ammo or enough of it without a paper shuffler records on how many of you are there!

You may not get paid, and you may not get a ribbon if it was not on paper that you did XYZ.

They don't do squat on paper any more.  It's digital or it didn't happen!