The SAs require uniforms a lot the first few years (I think most SMCs follow pretty close to these rules with slight variations). Plebe year that is all you are allowed, except when on leave. Sophomore year is pretty much the same except outside a certain radius from campus. Junior and Senior year are more liberal, but pretty much M-F is uniforms. The last thing we wanted was to wear uniforms on leave! I think I wore mine once; my grandfather's funeral. This probably also attributes to why most of us are fashionably challenged when we graduate and can wear clothes every day!
At the time I was there we were required to travel to/from training in uniform. We actually were waiting for an ROTC Mid to show and he was in civilian clothes and they tore into him pretty good, made him change, then let him report. From the sounds of it, they require business casual now, I like that change! Last year I was actually going through BWI and there was a VT Midshipmen in summer whites trying to go through TSA screening. He kept beeping and the TSA agent was nearly screaming at him to check his pockets again. The poor kid was freaking out. I finally told him his shoulder boards, name tag, and shirt stays were all going to keep beeping and they were going to have to pat him down and scan him with the wand, no way he would make it through. The agent then started yelling at me. That gave me a good laugh. I fly several times a week and am used to the amazing TSA service.
