You'll find that we agree on more things than we disagree. I am an old school kind of guy...I believe that it was the Lt's or Captains job to go to the meetings and for me to handle the maintenance day-to-day. I walked my aircraft every day that I could. I walked the AGE ready line every day that I could. I wasn't a politican or a Kool-Aid drinker. Making E-9/CMSgt was a surprise...I didn't aim for it. Coming to work every day and doing my best for the aircraft and for the maintainers is what got me promoted. Not PME awards or bake sales.
You missed the point on my original post. I am NOT going to call you out unless you make it a point to be an ass about it. I don't care if your sleeves are rolled up, you have a flashlight on your zipper, etc. But if you are at an off-base eating establishment, say for lunch, with your sun glasses on your head being loud in your flightsuit and garner my attention, I will calmly and politely remind you that you are off base, that you are surrounded by enlisted and civilians, and that you need to represent yourself as a professional member of the USAF. I might not be so wordy, but I will get the point across professionally. How things go after that is up to you. I have more important things to worry about/do, and honestly, I hate this part of the joib, but it comes with the territory. I will not call my O-6 buddy because you have a zipper light on your flight suit. I will call him because you were an ass and made yourself and everyone associated with the USAF look bad.
We are 100% in agreement about why we have the reflective belt rule. And who makes the rules? The installlation commander is an officer, usually rated. The Chief of Safety is an officer, usually rated. The Chief of Staff of the USAF is an officer, always rated. A lot of rocks are thrown at the enlisted SNCO corps, some of them warranted, but the underlying problems and issues are caused at the paygrades that start with "O".
The Command Chiefs and the SNCO Corps have been hijacked by a careerist mentality. And it came to a head when the philosophy of everyone an "Airman" instead of identifiying with your AFSC/community came about. When I came in, I came in to be an aircraft avionics (pick your flavor) specialist. That has fallen by the wayside. It is more important to do the bullshi# stuff now. It used to be more important to know your job. The Command Chiefs think they are E-10's, and use their function as gatekeepers to the WIng CC for EPR's, strats, and decorations as their tools to keep the other Chief's in line. If you are too public in your disagreements with the Wing CCM, your people suffer.
The CCM position needs to go away. Revert back to SEA's. Disband the PME mafia. One PME tour in a career, then back to the field. Same with the 1st Sgt position, one tour and back to your AFSC. That would be a start to correct some of the stupidity out there. But the officer side of the house has their responsibility in this too. You guys get to make policy...I just implement it/carry it out.
I agree that common sense has fallen by the wayside. And it is on both sides of the fence, both officer AND enlisted.