A mother's worry

That is correct - USAFA freshmen are the only cadets required to wear uniforms at all times off base the first year in contrast to active duty who are told not to! The youngest, most inexperienced who have been actively targeted by Al Qaeda. Makes no sense to me as a wife and parent of veterans. An 18 year old with only basic training and primarily a student has virtually no real training in self defense other than a semester of boxing and a trip to qualify at the range but unlike in our home state where there is a CWP age waiver for military they are not allowed to carry in CO or on a military base so that is pointless.
 
Mid-December (just a few days before they were to be released on break) USMA plebes were told they would be allowed to travel in civilian clothes over the winter break. From what I understand the class officers requested (through their chain of command) an Exception to Policy to travel in civilian clothes during the winter break, and the request was granted. Part of the issue at the time was all of the protests going on in NYC and other cities over Ferguson and the death of Eric Garner, plus there was an incident of a USMA Plebe (in uniform) harassed in NYC over the Thanksgiving break. Unfortunately a lot of Plebes did not have the appropriate civilian clothes for travel and either had to borrow clothes from other cadets, purchase new clothes (khakis and polo) from the cadet store or make due with what they had. So far there has been no word on what the policy will be for Spring break. I have confidence in those in charge at USMA to have our cadets' safety as a top priority. I can't worry about things that are out of my control.
 
^^^ And yet, when I went to pick up my son at the airport when he arrived home from Christmas break, I saw enlisted airmen and soldiers traveling in uniform. But not West Point cadets.... Smh at all the fraidy-cat (being kind here) parents who let too much CNN distort their understanding of what the danger is and then officiously take it upon themselves to tell the US Army how to go about its business via whining to the parent coordinator on the Facebook page, etc.

The parents who sent their children to a Service Academy just because it was free really out themselves pretty quickly.
 
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Sledge said:
^^^ And yet, when I went to pick up my son at the airport when he arrived home from Christmas break, I saw enlisted airmen and soldiers traveling in uniform. But not West Point cadets.... Smh at all the fraidy-cat (being kind here) parents who let too much CNN distort their understanding of what the danger is and then officiously take it upon themselves to tell the US Army how to go about its business via whining to the parent coordinator on the Facebook page, etc.

The parents who sent their children to a Service Academy just because it was free really out themselves pretty quickly.
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Well that seems a bit harsh.

Sounds like the request to travel in civilian clothes came internally, not from some FB Page.

I guess my question would be, why did some enlisted Airmen feel the need to travel in their uniforms. I can't remember ever travelling in uniform unless we were traveling by charter as a group. Neither of my sons have ever traveled in uniform either when on leave or on orders to training or a PCS.

I doubt many parents simply "Send" their children to a Service Academy.
 
I traveled in uniform my 4/c year at CGA, going on leave and coming home from leave. I also wore to uniform on liberty, all year. By 3/c year we could wear our uniform or "3/c class libo" uniform.... which eventually become a suit/blazer and ties/khakis. But 4/c? Uniform. The only exception was NYC and Boston, but you have to travel there in uniform and then change (actually, not I'm not sure if we could have civies in Boston).
 
Well, technically, at some service academies, underclassmen can't drive and upperclassman can wear civilian clothing... so it's more of an "either/or".

Secondly, overwhelmingly service members aren't being attacked "at home." They need to wear their uniforms in public, for the experience and for the understanding of how they will be looked at.

I have had to wear my uniform in public, as a cadet, and later as an officer.... in the U.S. During foreign port calls... in an official capacity, yes, I was in uniform, but on liberty, I was in civilian clothing. Not that it matter, short haired, weird looking white guys that walk a certain way and dressed a certain way, had a tendency of standing out.

As far as my time some DOD programs.... the risk in the U.K. was differnet than the risk in Colombia. But if you think for a second that a uniform is the only way to figure out someone is in the military (and target them), you are mistaken..... that military look oozes from them.
 
Jcleppe said:
Well that seems a bit harsh.

Sounds like the request to travel in civilian clothes came internally, not from some FB Page.

I guess my question would be, why did some enlisted Airmen feel the need to travel in their uniforms. I can't remember ever travelling in uniform unless we were traveling by charter as a group. Neither of my sons have ever traveled in uniform either when on leave or on orders to training or a PCS.

I doubt many parents simply "Send" their children to a Service Academy.
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It was harsh and I used that "Send" terminology deliberately because that's how they act - as if their dear child is just off at college and not in the military. Sure, I understand they aren't active officers yet, but they are adults in the military - in basically a really long initial training course.

The whole traveling in uniform complaint started on the Class of 2018 Parents Facebook page. The mechanism for it ending up on the Supe's desk for signature, I don't know. But the parent coordinator came forth first with " I have been contacted with concerns about the Plebes traveling in uniform. I will forward these concerns to the Superintendent." This was several weeks before Thanksgiving.

If security issues changed military-wide regarding off-post wear of uniforms in CONUS, that would be a lot more digestible than if it was just the Supe caving in to some whiny parents. It's been a while, but the last time I was on the Riverwalk in San Antonio, there were a lot if junior enlistees out on pass in their uniforms. If that's been stopped, OK then. But if they are still out in their uniforms downtown in a big city and yet USMA cadets can't transit home in uniform through very secure airports... Well, that's just stupid.
 
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MDDADD said:
So am I sponsoring for all the free food and beer the SAs send to sponsor families, LOL? o_O
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Sign me up!!! :D

All joking aside parents are allowed to worry, they love their kids (especially moms) ;).

When the news hit about the AFA being on some stupid hit list my wife (DS's step mom) called me all worried. I gently reminded her that he's in the military now and he's going to face worse things than a list. And I also reminded her about her brothers (Marine and Army) served in combat and you really going to worry about DS at the AFA? All she said was "good point".
 
Jcleppe said:
Well that seems a bit harsh.

Sounds like the request to travel in civilian clothes came internally, not from some FB Page.

I guess my question would be, why did some enlisted Airmen feel the need to travel in their uniforms. I can't remember ever travelling in uniform unless we were traveling by charter as a group. Neither of my sons have ever traveled in uniform either when on leave or on orders to training or a PCS.

I doubt many parents simply "Send" their children to a Service Academy.
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I think Sledge is referring to soldiers and airmen traveling home, or to follow-on training, after completing IET. I can't speak to the AF, but I believe all soldiers travel home after IET in uniform. I see them all the time when I fly and you'll notice the new soldiers not wearing assigned unit patches when traveling home after BCT. Friends of mine also wore uniforms when traveling home for R&R. Why these categories wear uniforms when traveling and the others don't, I don't know. If I had the choice to travel in civvies or a uniform, I'd take civvies every time, but that's personal preference. The uniform draws attention whether it's good, bad, or in different, and eliminating the attention seems to have been the route chosen by the USMA leadership.
 
Sledge said:
It was harsh and I used that "Send" terminology deliberately because that's how they act - as if their dear child is just off at college and not in the military. Sure, I understand they aren't active officers yet, but they are adults in the military - in basically a really long initial training course.
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Well thanks for letting us know how we should feel and act.

By the way, I've shipped off .... sorry... "sent" off two so far. And yes I worry a bit more about the still 17 year old girl who's proudly wearing the uniform of her country than I do about her older, tougher brother who also does. Old fashioned? Yup, guilty. But that's my choice to make thank you very much.
 
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