Serial Army phony at it again

[BrianS]

looks like it's good ol' Billy Clark.. the same asshole who showed up at the i-40 bridge collapse and managed to convince everyone he was "in charge" for a couple days.

There is something more screwed up with our society and government then there is with this guy when some random idiot is able to show up at a disaster and convince people he is in charge. This means nobody knew who was really in charge and none of the people in leadership roles there had the sense to challenge some random guy showing up and asserting authority. I also have to agree with his own self assessment that he is mentally ill. I think putting him in some kind of involuntary mental health treatment facility would be a better waste of our tax dollars than in Federal prison.

[RogerinTPA]

What a complete douche bag. People like him should be outed on local news outlets and billboards. This is another reason I avoid gun shows.

[-Wes-]

I remember chiefs wearing only their top row of ribbons when in their working khaki's.

...someone would tell me I'm missing a ribbon. I hate it when they just fall off.

Yep, a seatbelt knocking one off or a sea bag strap.

[Collegefour]

Any idea as to why? What if one refused?

Call me rebellious, but why should one be "forced" to wear what they earned on their own? I can easily understand rank and badges, but awards and ribbons? If they had never excelled in the first place, they wouldn't have won them, so shouldn't it be up to the individual?

Sorry for the seemingly OT questions. I'll most be contracting (depending on my placement next summer) at the end of 2011/start of 2012, so I'm just curious. I prefer discreetness and I'd hate to be "forced" to wear something I earned due to my own effort.

My take on this, having served three years active duty in the USNR back in the late 80's, is that it is an "attention to detail" thing. The military is always looking for little ways to evaluate you, so they can figure out how much leadership potential you have and promote you accordingly. If you can and will do the simple things (correctly), then you can be trusted to do the complex and important things.

[ThirdWatcher]

You're probably right, Collegefour.

I have always respected the military uniform. I grew up as the son of a Chief Petty Officer (Submarine Service) and believe me, attention to detail was very important to him... I miss him every day now. When it came time to wear my own uniform (in my case Army) it just came natural to wear it properly. Every time the Warrior Princesses come home for a visit, I have them bring their Class A's and we then make a trip to the photo studio.

A warrior is not an individual, he's a member of a team and the uniform of our warriors must be respected.