User Panel
Posted: 11/10/2022 8:02:12 PM EDT
What is your thoughts on a retired O-3E wearing his Navy dress uniform to his grandson graduation from army basic training?
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If he’s retired, he fully rates the uniform.
If he’s within weight and grooming standards, and the uniform is serviceable and squared away, he’s good to go. He probably shouldn’t show up in evening dress with a boat cape, full-sized anodized medals, a sword and one of those commodore hats, but a service uniform would be fully appropriate. |
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No, dick move. Its about their accomplishments not a spectator
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A family member was scorned for decades for the exact same thing. My family was fubar, so YMMV.
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Quoted: A family member was scorned for decades for the exact same thing. My family was fubar, so YMMV. View Quote I love my brother but he and his hag wife are Vietnam “ era” veterans and go to all of the home town hero shit and free meals they can get. I told him once that our dad was a real combat veteran. A Corpsman in Korea / Vietnam and he never did any of that shit. I’m disappointed… |
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I just asked him if he is going to show up at his other grandsons high school graduation wearing his Graduate School Regalia!
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Really would ask the grandson.
I wore my Army Class A's to my sons Because he asked me to. I put on his blue cord. YMMV |
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While I still have mine, i doubt they fit. If they did fit, I would beg off wearing them even if asked to.
It’s one thing if you’re a retired general or sgt. major. You’re still a thing,...kind of. An E6 O3 um no dog, thanks for serving, Applebee’s has a half price burger just for you. |
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Quoted: While I still have mine, i doubt they fit. If they did fit, I would beg off wearing them even if asked to. It’s one thing if you’re a retired general or sgt. major. You’re still a thing,...kind of. An E6 O3 um no dog, thanks for serving, Applebee’s has a half price burger just for you. View Quote That was my thought! Pure attention whoring! |
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No, don't do anything to take attention away from the grandson. Show up, be supportive, and shut the hell up.
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How does one retire an O3?
And full disclosure, my brother in law was an active O3 when I graduated. He wore his uniform to mine. |
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Quoted: How does one retire an O3? And full disclosure, my brother in law was an active O3 when I graduated. He wore his uniform to mine. View Quote I can see that. One of my friends is a retired BG an went to his sons graduation from the Naval Academy. But my knuckle head brother going to an Army basic training graduation….attention whore! |
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Quoted: I wear mine everywhere https://www.everydaynodaysoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Stolen-Valor.jpg View Quote LoL! |
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I’m sure my brother and his hag are wearing their military hats today!
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100% nope.
Make it about the kid who just graduated, not some nerd who retired. Wearing your uniform to someone elses event is lame. Only time it's acceptable is when the kid specifically requests it, or if the schoolhouse mandates it for certain attendees i.e. Navy bootcamp. |
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I could still fit in mine. It, along with my jump boots, was one of the first thing I chopped up and tossed at the transfer station when I retired.
I'm not hating on it, but I don't get the wont to wear a uniform once you're done. I'm not playing Army anymore, so no uniform for me. |
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I can see a Granddad wearing his Class A's and pinning Jump Wings on a new Paratrooper.
That's about it. |
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Quoted: How does one retire an O3? And full disclosure, my brother in law was an active O3 when I graduated. He wore his uniform to mine. View Quote I was a ssg before I went to the dark side(full disclosure-my branch was warrant when I was getting ready to go and changed to commissioned) I had just pinned major on 1.5 years after I qualified for retirement -I would have been an 03E |
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I don't see an issue either way. There's nothing wrong with being proud of your service, or that a family member is following the same path. There's also nothing wrong with keeping it low-key and contained within the family.
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Quoted: What is your thoughts on a retired O-3E wearing his Navy dress uniform to his grandson graduation from army basic training? View Quote No. It’s his day. |
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I went to two bct grads while I was still in. Hell no I wasn’t in uniform. Went to one when I was out. Hell no I wasn’t in uniform.
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Tell him to get one of those ballcaps that say Vietnam Vet and leave it at that
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I’m retired from the Air Force and I’m 50/50 on this matter. Time and place should be a big part of the decision. Many times seeing vets wearing their uniform always seemed like that were trying to seek attention from people. They often looked like shit while doing it with an ill fitting uniform, accoutrements misplaced, grooming out of standards, etc. They should know better because they once knew how to wear that uniform right.
I like what I see vets do in Britain and the Commonwealth countries to. They wear a suit with their medals over the left breat of their suit coat and wear whatever regimental headgear or they have their regimental crest on their suit as well. I think thats tasteful, not a shit sandwich like I see some of our veterans do when they hit up Golden Corral and Applebees on Veterans Day. The best instance I ever saw a retiree wearing the uniform was at my friends promotion ceremony to Chief Master Sergeant. My friends Mom is a retired Army E-8 and she wore her dress uniform to the ceremony. Mind you she’s been retried since the early 90’s, she still looked the part and that was awesome. People thought she was still in the service and were asking her what unit she was in who she knew at the ceremony. In most cases common sense should prevail here. |
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Quoted: If he’s retired, he fully rates the uniform. If he’s within weight and grooming standards, and the uniform is serviceable and squared away, he’s good to go. He probably shouldn’t show up in evening dress with a boat cape, full-sized anodized medals, a sword and one of those commodore hats, but a service uniform would be fully appropriate. View Quote This. Do it right, or don't do it. If in doubt, don't do it. |
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It's the grandsons day to be recognized. Leave your uniform at home
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I guess I'll dissent a bit here. There will be tons of people in uniform there, nobody is going to pay attention to one more guy in uniform either way, so it's not taking attention away from him IMO. Further, as long as it's the appropriate uniform of the day I don't really see the issue.
I wore mine to 3 of my son's graduations from bootcamp, but they also wanted me to be in the "first salute" ceremony the Coast Guard does. ETA- I think another way to look at it is paying the proper respect to the event- it IS a military event after all, not attention whoring at a wedding or something. |
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If he says yes then wear your uniform or you could just wear your vfw / American legion cap or mini medals or white new balance.
I really like the commodore hat idea. |
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Quoted: Give me some ideas to shame him! View Quote I mean, if you could sneak some rainbow dick pins onto his epaulets, that would be awesome, but there will be shame enough for the whole family. |
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The f*ck does it matter to anyone else? Would the grandson appreciate it? Does he value that he comes from a lineage of those that serve?
Retired Army E-8 father gave me my first salute when I commissioned in USAF. While I am supposed to hand him a coin, he in fact handed me his last unit's coin while yelling "Black Horse, Sir." F*cking means the world to me to this day. My grandfather in law was a battlefield commission to Major from enlisted during Vietnam. Led his unit out of an ambush and received the Silver Star. I welcome him to any of my ceremonies in his uniform. I'm damn proud of my family's heritage, whether my own blood line or my wife's family. Instead of asking some strangers, how about you ask the graduate and abide by his wishes? |
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You might want to point out that as a cold war era vet there will be 20yr old E-3’s with monster racks walking around that post. Cold war non combat arms guys have the saddest little racks. lol
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I cringe when I see guys with fat 65 year old waistlines wearing dress uniforms.
One local guy likes to wear his custom tailored by Omar the tent maker fat man blues on every occasion. Come on guy, wear a scarlet marine corps league blazer. I have a round shape myself, there is no way in the world I would wear mine even if I was slim again. The last time I had my dress uniform on was by request by family for a WW2 vet and close relative’s military funeral. I still had a valid reserve ID card then though. Once out that is a pretty firm no. I can get conflicted though. I was 18 and just out of boot camp and a gal I had known for years growing up had a severe crush on me wanted me to wear my dress uniform and take her to her senior prom. That was tempting due to hormones and immaturity. |
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