General Questions for 2021

WI-Dad20/21 said:
On the contrary, we were treated like heads of state when tooling around NYC with our DS in his summer whites.:)
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The uniform is a chick magnet. All kinds of girls would stop my DS in the street to take a picture with him. It also got us a line jump and free passage to the top of the Empire State Building on Parents Weekend.
 
The 4 or 5 times which I did go out into the city in uniform, a few people thanked me for my service, I think. Didn't get anything extra than a couple of hand shakes and free train rides, and the empire state building. That said, I never went to a bar in uniform. People I know have said that going to bars in uniform is a really great experience.
 
Going in to Manhattan in uniform is a different experience than going in to Great Neck in uniform. Getting all dressed up to go a few miles down the road for a few hours is not worth the effort to everyone. Its also kind of nice to sit around school with the peace of a mostly empty campus.
 
KPEngineer said:
Going in to Manhattan in uniform is a different experience than going in to Great Neck in uniform. Getting all dressed up to go a few miles down the road for a few hours is not worth the effort to everyone. Its also kind of nice to sit around school with the peace of a mostly empty campus.
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Exactly...after a few times going to Manhattan in uniform gets old fast. People even harassed me once, called me gay, etc. New York is not the most appreciative city for military uniforms.
 
Do plebes have to wear uniform if they are off school grounds? When does that cease? I'm thinking Parents Weekend--I'm assuming they don't have to wear uniform at all times?? Breakfast in the hotel, etc. ;)
 
Most of plebe year liberty is not overnight so there is no "breakfast in the hotel" type of situations. My recollection of plebe year liberty was something around 0800-2000 on Sundays only.

On the rare occasion a plebe would have overnight liberty, as long as one is not seen hanging around Great Neck in civilian clothes your plebe will likely not have an issue.
 
Plebes get some overnights but not a lot. First overnight is acceptance/parents weekend. It was one night only. Warning: your plebe will be freaking out and worried about everything. There may be a couple more nights before recognition. When plebes leave they are in uniform. If you are in public within I think 50 miles you are in uniform.
 
golfindad said:
Plebes get some overnights but not a lot. First overnight is acceptance/parents weekend. It was one night only. Warning: your plebe will be freaking out and worried about everything. There may be a couple more nights before recognition. When plebes leave they are in uniform. If you are in public within I think 50 miles you are in uniform.
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^^^ this ... I forgot about the 50 mile radius
 
WI-Dad20/21 said:
On the contrary, we were treated like heads of state when tooling around NYC with our DS in his summer whites.:)
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kpmom2013 said:
The uniform is a chick magnet. All kinds of girls would stop my DS in the street to take a picture with him. It also got us a line jump and free passage to the top of the Empire State Building on Parents Weekend.
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All responses from parents...and not midshipman. :)
 
sevenrider860 said:
All responses from parents...and not midshipman. :)
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Sevenrider: sorry you disagree, but my son and all his friends loved going uptown in uniform. The only down side is trying to keep dress whites clean on the subway. He never had a negative reaction and constantly was thanked for his service and had drinks and meals bought for him.
 
kpmom2013 said:
Sevenrider: sorry you disagree, but my son and all his friends loved going uptown in uniform. The only down side is trying to keep dress whites clean on the subway. He never had a negative reaction and constantly was thanked for his service and had drinks and meals bought for him.
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I am not saying there are negative reactions from others. I am saying that after wearing a uniform basically 24 x 7 that it is fully understandable why Jmoney457 says that "Liberty in uniform kind of sucks". The reaction from parents then say "no it does not...its great". Two points of view...one from those who actually have to wear the uniform on Liberty and those who do not.

Having served in the military and also having a son who has worn a military uniform at school and when leaving to and returning from school since 8th Grade...I fully understand where Jmoney457 is coming from. It is not that they find wearing the uniform a negative experience, it is that on your off time, it is sometimes easier to decompress and relax in civvies rather than wearing a uniform. While there are always a few exceptions, my experience is that the majority will choose to wear civilian clothes on Liberty if given the choice of what to wear.

Again, I may be wrong and Jmoney457 may be the only USMMA midshipman who would prefer to wear civvies while on Liberty when given an option...but I suspect not.
 
kpmom2013 said:
He never had a negative reaction and constantly was thanked for his service and had drinks and meals bought for him.
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This is EXACTLY why I hated wearing the uniform out. As a KP mid (...or any mid) the thank you for your service/free stuff is non sense. You haven't done anything to warrant "thanks."

Also. Keeping whites clean is a pain in the but.
 
Beyond - That is a very broad brush statement and probably not correct as some mids may have and some have served before getting into any of the academies - so saying Thanks is OK
 
beyond said:
This is EXACTLY why I hated wearing the uniform out. As a KP mid (...or any mid) the thank you for your service/free stuff is non sense. You haven't done anything to warrant "thanks."

Also. Keeping whites clean is a pain in the but.
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Agree and disagree. As an old, retired sailor, I can tell you that you did do something to warrent a "thank you." You raised your right hand and volunteered to be the next generation of service members. I appreciate that there are young men and women that are willing to stand the watch so I don't have to anymore. But you are right...whites suck!
 
White uniforms attract dark dirt, as well as serve as a ketchup and BBQ sauce magnet. Dark uniforms attract mystery light smears and white lint. Fact of life. [emoji16]
 
2020Vision said:
Clorox pens and lint rollers will be your friends:cool:
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And my favorite fixer: Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and Peroxide toothpaste, the white one. Used with the damp corner of a wash cloth or towel, scrubs out smudges on white leather shoes, white combo covers, white uniforms, adding a mysterious minty fresh aroma. Black or blue pen ink can be dissolved in a bit of rubbing alcohol and blotted with paper towels. I'm not a hairspray user, but I did keep a small travel size because of the alcohol content in it - instant dry cleaning spot solution.

Sorry to unravel the thread a tad...uniform magic deserves its own thread.
 
Black Sharpies for emergency black shoe edge dressing.
 
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