Male Piercings

It's totally not just the military!! You have to conform to any professional meeting. Here are two rules in my business:

1. NEVER carry a Blackberry when meeting with execs from Apple to discuss their patent infringement case.

2. NEVER carry an iPhone when meeting with execs from Research In Motion (Blackberry manufacturer) to discuss their patent infringement case.

It's called being an adult. Those who don't conform to the rules of the road are usually, at the end of the day, found burping and chirping on the curb!
 
I agree. My friend thought it was cool to get all tattooed up when he was younger. He now has to wear long sleeved dark shirts all year round in FLORIDA :shake:
 
FloridaDad said:
BTW - get caught partying or drinking under age while in college and you will most likely be kicked out of the ROTC.
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I understand the point you were trying to make, but just to clarify. Being caught drinking underage will most likely lead to disenrollment, but partying will not. Cadre definitely encourage cadets to relieve stress and relax when not handling business.
 
FloridaDad said:
I agree. My friend thought it was cool to get all tattooed up when he was younger. He now has to wear long sleeved dark shirts all year round in FLORIDA :shake:
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Lots of the younger policemen wearing long sleeves in the summer time these days...its not fun. The point is,,no matter where you go there will be written and unwritten rules of decorum. Show up for a trial in our county court room without a tie on and our current Judge will have the case continued until you can learn how to dress appropriately for His courtroom. As a leader whether in the military or in the private sector you will be looked upon to set the standard, not push the limits.
 
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cooper1234 said:
ALright, to everyone who thinks their funny, I even said in my original post OUT OF UNIFORM. Officers drink OUT OF UNIFORM, so why does it seem so wierd if a college kid wants to go to a party, look good, and is NOT IN UNIFORM, with a his ears pierced. Obviously I wouldn't wear them infront of the PMS or in uniform.
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Cooper, allow me to chime in here. You've received some feedback, you received some ribbing. Sounds like you didn't appreciate either.

You think its OK to go out on your own time and do what YOU want to do? Well, actually, yeah it is, as long as it is legal.

But you're kidding yourself if you think that the group of friends you will eventually be hanging out with on your OWN time won't just be guys and gals from your own unit or squadron. Just seems like its always that way. And trust me, amongst your military peers, IMPRESSIONS do matter. So do rumors about you, and the image you will now demonstrate not only to your peers, but to your SUPERIORS, who have a way of finding out about those who did something that "doesn't fit the mold".

Now, you may think "Oh well, I just won't hang out with the military crowd on my own time, I see them enough at work."

Survey Says! Wrong answer. Probably an even worse impression you can give your unit mates is the guy who is the "lone wolf", who doesn't want to be a part of the "work crowd" when the day is done. Besides, you'll also end up deployed with these folks for months at a time--you really don't want to be friends with them?

Bruno, patent and a few others gave you some sound advise: you want to join a very elite and conservative organization. Nothing worse you can do than do something "different" than all the rest, and image IS important.

Don't like the answer? Well, then I simply remind you it is a VOLUNTEER force, and you can do whatever you feel like if you decide not to join. Making that decision because most don't like your strategy to "look good" on your own time? Pretty silly, if you ask me.

Besides, I have to ask the question. Do you have any logical reason to want to wear an earring besides to look "cool"? Is your peers' opinion of your adherence to peer pressure and the latest fad really that important to you?
 
Bullet said:
Besides, I have to ask the question. Do you have any logical reason to want to wear an earring besides to look "cool"? Is your peers' opinion of your adherence to peer pressure and the latest fad really that important to you?
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Also, he needs to understand who his peers will be once he signs up for the ROTC/Military. My dad was an engineer in the Navy and he has never worn jewelry to this day, including wedding rings. My DS has four years JROTC behind him and quite honestly if one of his peers wore earrings a 'ribbing' would be the least of their worries.
 
cooper1234 said:
ALright, to everyone who thinks their funny, I even said in my original post OUT OF UNIFORM. Officers drink OUT OF UNIFORM, so why does it seem so wierd if a college kid wants to go to a party, look good, and is NOT IN UNIFORM, with a his ears pierced. Obviously I wouldn't wear them infront of the PMS or in uniform.
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I was actually going to defend you from all the ribbing....then I read this.

Your plan is to be in the military, the uniform is what you wear when your on duty, when you take the uniform off you are still in the military and expected to put your best foot forward.

Your also training to be an officer and with that comes a certain level of maturity.

You will only be wearing your uniform one day a week, for exercises, and special functions. There will be many times you are with your cadre or other cadets while you are not in uniform, God help you if you forget to take off the ear rings, even if your not in uniform.

If looking good while you party is that important then go to college without ROTC and apply for OCS when you graduate. By the way, Florida Dad is correct, get caught with any booze or even be under the influence and get a MIP and your OUT, with a big bill to repay.

While a few have had some fun at your expense, they are all spot on. Your not applying for a job at Denny's, this is an occupation that requires respect. Whether your in uniform or not if you wear era rings, studs (God I sound like I'm talking to a woman) or big hoops, your going to lose the respect of your fellow cadets. I can only imagine the nicknames they will come up with, and if they are upperclassmen, don't think you can make some smart remark back to them, that will not end well.

Just because a regulation says you can wear them when not in uniform think long about it.

Bruno is right about the umbrella, I guess they don't want their personell looking like Mary Poppins. I can't count how many times I stood in the rain getting soaked.

Even if you do not have the ear rings in, they will notice the scars and the holes, and trust me, they will be relentless.

Just be glad this isn't 30 years ago, back then someone would have just ripped them out. While that won't happen as much today....the ribbing will be the same.

We're not trying to be funny or mean. We are just trying to spare you what we all know will happen. Most of us have been there and done that.
 
I can only imagine the nicknames they will come up with, and if they are upperclassmen, don't think you can make some smart remark back to them, that will not end well.
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That's the bottom line as a potential cadet. As much as you took ribbing here, you were able to toss it back. That will not be the case as a cadet. You will stand sharply and take it. There isn't an option to yell back at them telling them to do something anatomically impossible.

I am sorry you feel we were being insensitive. Yet, I hope you walk away and realize everything people were teasing you about was miniscule compared to what it will be like or what they may say behind your back.

You don't immediately get ultimate respect the minute you slap on the uniform. You earn it through your actions, reactions and judgment calls.

Also I agree the military is not a 40 hour a week job. Even off hours you will be representing the service. I recall a young lt. got called on a Sunday to evac jets to safety from an approaching hurricane. He had the gall to tell his FC that he doesn't work on Sunday, so they needed someone else to take the spot. He got an earful from the FC, nothing that can be repeated here due to the language. By the end of the day everyone in the squadron knew the story and were LTAO. By the end of the week everyone in the wing knew the story including spouses. If they weren't laughing, their reaction was :eek: followed with NO, they really didn't say that did they?

You don't want to be like him. OBTW, yes, he did work that Sunday!
 
patentesq said:
My dentist has an earring as well (actually she has two)! She's the best dentist on the planet!
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Mine is a guy. He also has a goatee and a convertible; midlife crisis and all that. He used to be a Navy dentist years ago, and I assume there is some sense of mild "rebellion" in his current appearance. Ever since I got out of the service, I grow my sideburns pretty long....just because I can.
 
Before I get to the ear piercings, Bull mentioned that cadre encourage stress relief and made a distinction between partying and drinking. I was under the impression that if you are at a party where there is drinking and you are underage you can be kicked out if you are caught there. Can anyone clarify on this?. Now, as to the piercings, where I'm from piercings are not seen as a big deal, id say 20% of the kids have them. Though I think piercings on a guy are ridiculous unless is a cultural thing, I would not make fun of you because it is normal nowadays to have them. But this is where you have to use your own judement, do you think the people you will hang out with will be the types to not give you a hard time about it? I have to agree with everyone else that posted, DO NOT GET THEM. It will only make your life harder and IMPO being cool is not worth it.
 
Yes, I think there is that Sprog. Bullet has had a goatee for the past 2 yrs since he retired. Why? Because now he can. OBTW, others that retired the same time also have goatees. I think it is now getting to the point that it is the AF RET reg.

Which brings us back to the OP. He is not the 1st male in the military that wanted a little "wild side". However, they also all knew that they had to choose between the little wild side and the military.

As Bullet stated it is a volunteer service. You don't have to serve, but if you do sometimes you give in for that privilege.

Even in the AF they know that. March is known as March Mustache. This is the time, at least in the fighter community, that everyone grows mustaches. Come April 1, you won't see a mustache...actually funny in the deep south, because many of them for a few days have a very white line over their upper lip compared to the rest of their face. Also funny because some have rootbeer mustaches on March 31st, and some look like Yosemite Sam.
 
And to think that we once had a military where nearly EVERYONE had a pony-tail, including George Washington himself!! :shake:
 
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patentesq said:
And to think that we once had a military whether nearly EVERYONE had a pony-tail, including George Washington himself!! :shake:
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Short hair in the military was a creation of necessity more than anything else. From my understanding, it came about during the stagnation of trench warfare in the First World War. Soldiers were in filthy conditions for extended periods of time, and in order to combat lice and other creepy-crawlies, hair was cut shorter and beards went away.

This is what I've heard at any rate.
 
I maybe dense, but I took Patent's post as tongue in cheek.
 
I've had my ear pierced since I was 14 and I've had different responses to it. I'm going for a new job and I don't want to give the wrong impression so I'm going to take it out as I want to get a good response. What's everyone's opinion on them, men? Do you like them or not?
 
ariannacraig said:
I've had my ear pierced since I was 14 and I've had different responses to it. I'm going for a new job and I don't want to give the wrong impression so I'm going to take it out as I want to get a good response. What's everyone's opinion on them, men? Do you like them or not?
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How does this issue relate with ROTC or military officer accession programs?
 
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