What's wrong with the Air Force?

[SurelySerious]

What does the AF say about wearing a dicky (fake shirt not donger) instead of a T shirt?    

Guess they wouldn’t know it’s a dicky until they check your socks.

[herkbum]

One of the last bastions of freedom has been breached: no more Friday shirts in flight suits, even just in our own building ☠️ In a GUARD flying squadron on an independent GUARD base. The fun police have truly entered the cathedral and are busy defiling the alter.
Morale is now alive only in the smallest crevices of my cold, dead heart.
There’s a strict don’t ask, don’t tell policy when it comes to morale. Any public displays of morale will not be tolerated.
And to think…I’ve heard stories from the old timers about busing in strippers on drill weekend and people didn’t even own hats let alone wear them…

Directed from what level?

And those old stories are true


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[cragspider]

1 hour ago, SurelySerious said:

Guess they wouldn’t know it’s a dicky until they check your socks.

Can’t wait till they start the sock check crap. 

[Guest nsplayr]

1 hour ago, Biff_T said:

What does the AF say about wearing a dicky (fake shirt not donger) instead of a T shirt?    

I’ve thought about making a hybrid shirt that’s morale-colored (red for us) all over except stitch in a coyote brown triangle where it’s visible with your flight suit zipped.

 

28 minutes ago, herkbum said:

Directed from what level?

 

IDK the true source, but from the ATKS/CC’s mouth to my ears we can’t wear Friday shirts anymore even in our own building 😞

[disgruntledemployee]

39 minutes ago, cragspider said:

Can’t wait till they start the sock check crap. 

Or "other" inspections ala the Gen Scheisskopf ball sack check in Catch 22 (Clooney style).

[brabus]

Way back in the day when I went through my first “no morale” iteration we decided to do scarves. The regs didn’t specify how you had to wear it (other than generally around neck and tucked into flightsuit) or what color/designs it had. So welcome to chief aneurisms when you have a bright red scarf worn like an ascot on any day of the week as you walk into finance. It was 10,000 times “worse” (from the chief perspective) than shirts. It was the ultimate “you play fuck on me, I play fuck on you!” The ability to give a massive middle finger to the d bags and let them know you have bested them on a daily basis was 100% worth wearing a scarf. The entire wing did it for about a year until morale shirts were back. Do it boys, you won’t regret it. Only disclaimer is I have no idea what current reg says about scarf design/wear, so QC that before full commit.

[uhhello]

38 minutes ago, brabus said:

Way back in the day when I went through my first “no morale” iteration we decided to do scarves. The regs didn’t specify how you had to wear it (other than generally around neck and tucked into flightsuit) or what color/designs it had. So welcome to chief aneurisms when you have a bright red scarf worn like an ascot on any day of the week as you walk into finance. It was 10,000 times “worse” (from the chief perspective) than shirts. It was the ultimate “you play fuck on me, I play fuck on you!” The ability to give a massive middle finger to the d bags and let them know you have bested them on a daily basis was 100% worth wearing a scarf. The entire wing did it for about a year until morale shirts were back. Do it boys, you won’t regret it. Only disclaimer is I have no idea what current reg says about scarf design/wear, so QC that before full commit.

9.4.3.7. Neckwear. The wear of scarves will be addressed by MAJCOM supplements. When authorized, scarves will be worn around the neck and tucked in.

Only MAJCOM with halfway current version says:

9.4.3.7.1. (Added-AMC) Neckwear. Installation commanders may authorize wear of distinctive scarves by individual units. All scarves must be in good taste and standardized throughout the installation. Scarves will not be worn in the aircraft or in situations where wear is impractical or inappropriate

Edited February 13 by uhhello

[herkbum]

IDK the true source, but from the ATKS/CC’s mouth to my ears we can’t wear Friday shirts anymore even in our own building

Not sure you know, but I was not a fan of him. SQ/CC and I counseled him twice when I was DO for basically being too AD and also demanding he be promoted. We told him he wasn’t ready and his attitude needed to change. I left soon thereafter for my SQ/CC stint. He was always a problem. Sure this isn’t an only his directive since he shares a hallway but this doesn’t surprise me from what I’ve heard recently from others in the group. Hate that things are going to shit now.


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[brabus]

3 hours ago, uhhello said:

9.4.3.7. Neckwear. The wear of scarves will be addressed by MAJCOM supplements. When authorized, scarves will be worn around the neck and tucked in.

Only MAJCOM with halfway current version says:

9.4.3.7.1. (Added-AMC) Neckwear. Installation commanders may authorize wear of distinctive scarves by individual units. All scarves must be in good taste and standardized throughout the installation. Scarves will not be worn in the aircraft or in situations where wear is impractical or inappropriate

Sweet, no change from what I remember. The only possible bump is if you have a wing cc who’s a total douche and doesn’t approve scarves. As far as good taste, you all know your O-6s - if they’re not that cool, then just do a squadron color (maybe with the aircraft silhouette of what you fly in a pattern) and call it good. It’ll be enough to stick it to the douches. 

[Guest nsplayr]

5 hours ago, herkbum said:

Not sure you know, but I was not a fan of him. SQ/CC and I counseled him twice when I was DO for basically being too AD and also demanding he be promoted. We told him he wasn’t ready and his attitude needed to change. I left soon thereafter for my SQ/CC stint. He was always a problem. Sure this isn’t an only his directive since he shares a hallway but this doesn’t surprise me from what I’ve heard recently from others in the group. Hate that things are going to shit now.

 

Eh, not sure it's on the SQ/CC. Worst case he is prophylactically curtailing anything that reads as shennanigans in order to "protect my guys" from getting our pee-pees schwacked. That's not ideal; don't comply with nonsense in advance.

Best case, he was directed by OG/CC or WG/CC to knock it off for...reasons, and he just had to salute smartly and relay the new guidance. Not sure where on that spectrum this decision lies but I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt.

I have some differences with members of our current leadership on different things, as one does, but overall it's still a good place to be. The whole Air Force is taking a decidedly queepy turn and I can't blame local leadership for that.

Well I mean I can, we're aircrew and we have a god-given right to bitch about stuff 

[HuggyU2]

Back when the "no colored t-shirts" rule was first initiated (was that 2023?), some of the senior U-2 pilots broke out their old scarves.  It caught on for about a year and both squadrons ordered a bunch for everyone.  People still wear the scarves somewhat, though not like it was at the peak.  

 

Edited February 14 by HuggyU2

[ClearedHot]

How long until they direct a return to the white V-Neck?

[brabus]

4 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

How long until they direct a return to the white V-Neck?

Then you push back with wild chest hair. And if you don’t have an adequate amount naturally, find or make a chest hair dickie! The LPAs out there are more valuable now than ever before!

[disgruntledemployee]

We had a dude in the early scarf days tie it like a tie then tuck it in.

[brabus]

26 minutes ago, disgruntledemployee said:

We had a dude in the early scarf days tie it like a tie then tuck it in.

A fairly standard technique was wear it “normal” for the most part, but when you went somewhere outside of the squadron and felt like raising some blood pressure, do the tie thing, ascot, etc. Had a bro get his new ID picture with full ascot. They pushed back hard trying to say he couldn’t have that in his picture and he whipped out a printed card with the applicable regs - he won. The small victories were priceless. 

Edited February 14 by brabus

[Biff_T]

My dirty boom operator scarf.   It still smells like sweat and beer.  

[brabus]

12 minutes ago, Biff_T said:

My dirty boom operator scarf.   It still smells like sweat and beer.  

Good example of a squadron scarf. The LPAs out there don’t have a hair on their ass if they don’t get this done (unless getting away with morale shirts, then carry on).

[Zero]

Back around the late 2000s (2008ish I believe), there was a sudden push to revisit the “heritage and importance” of scarves. Funny to see it come full circle in the opposite direction, but that’s what happens if you stick around long enough to see yourself become the villain. Drew some ‘toons about it back in the day— definitely a few options that could be 36-2903 compliant. 

 

 

[Biff_T]

6 minutes ago, Zero said:

..... 

 

 

The Martyr reminds me of the G-Spot (Guam).   

[jonlbs]

1 hour ago, Biff_T said:

The Martyr reminds me of the G-Spot (Guam).   

Great now my repressed memories of St Johns are back...

[brabus]

1 hour ago, Biff_T said:

The Martyr reminds me of the G-Spot (Guam).   

Great memories…the stories I could tell (but not on the internet!)

@Zero I remember 2008ish when we all were “fuck these gay scarves!” Fast forward to 2013 post-Shaw - “fuck you chief, check out my ascot!” The swings are humorous looking back.

Edited February 15 by brabus

[Smokin]

I love the passive aggressive approach to BS like this.  I was directly told by my DO in 2008 that if I didn't wear a reflective belt out the door for the night sortie then I'd get no-stepped.  So I doubled it up and wore it like a Jap about to do a Banzai.  When I got the WTF look from him, I responded that it was far more visible and safer that way.  My harness didn't cover any of it and the higher elevation would give greater visibility, and since safer is better, this should become the new standard.  He turned around and basically stormed out.  I got to fly my sortie and morally got a draw since I made the DO leave me alone for a while but at the cost of actually kind of wearing that absurd thing.

[Guest nsplayr]

You'd be right at home on https://www.reddit.com/r/MaliciousCompliance/ @Smokin 🍺

You love to see it. F that guy from your story and F the guys in charge pushing this BS again. Shit, depending on how long ago that was, maybe it's the same guy!

[SocialD]

11 hours ago, Smokin said:

I love the passive aggressive approach to BS like this.  I was directly told by my DO in 2008 that if I didn't wear a reflective belt out the door for the night sortie then I'd get no-stepped.  So I doubled it up and wore it like a Jap about to do a Banzai.  When I got the WTF look from him, I responded that it was far more visible and safer that way.  My harness didn't cover any of it and the higher elevation would give greater visibility, and since safer is better, this should become the new standard.  He turned around and basically stormed out.  I got to fly my sortie and morally got a draw since I made the DO leave me alone for a while but at the cost of actually kind of wearing that absurd thing.

 

 

Love it!  However, you missed a great opportunity to not have to fly another painful NVG sortie.  

 

Signed, night train guy for half my deployments and ORIs.  

[Biff_T]

13 hours ago, Smokin said:

So I doubled it up and wore it like a Jap about to do a Banzai. 

Very safe of you sir.   

The air force should make fully reflective flight suits, for safety.