Democrat administration kills Army's morale -- give them new hats to make it better!!

[AndrewR]

This site was referred to me by my VMI classmate -- the guy who did the cartoon is another former classmate. Black beret for all Army troops.

In case you are unfamiliar with the Army, berets have always been reserved for elite troops like the "green berets" (Special Forces), airborne (red), or Rangers (black). The reference to "legs" is to all other troops who are not airborne certified -- since all of the troops who wear berets receive airborne training, it basically means all non-"elite" troops in the Army.

Well, now that the Dems have reduced the Army and the rest of the military to very poor states of readiness and just about succeeded in ruining morale, they have decided to give EVERYONE in the Army a beret -- ripping the exclusive privilege right from the Rangers in the process. So, now just the elite troops are pissed. Good going!!

Four more years of Gore and his cronies? We'll have a revolt in the ranks at this rate. We need another 12 years of Republicans in the White House to fix the problems from the last 8. It worked after Carter.

 

[konichiwa]

It's just a fuckin' hat! Take it easy...go get the elite or whatever a big three-cornered hat like Napoleon.

 

[AndrewR]

konichiwa: I take it that you have never had any connection with the military whatsoever.

 

[Russ]

konichiwa,

It is so much more than just a "hat". I'll try to explain it in terms that a non-military person will understand.

It is like passing out Gold medals to every Olympic athlete just because they showed up for the Games.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Aceman]

I personally find it stupid. But then again a high majority of career soldiers with more than 10 years in do. When I was in an Arctic Light Division, they wanted to issue us white berets. Thank God the General smoking that crack retired before it could become a reality.
I also feel that the berets should be abolished from the Army and all soldiers should wear a bdu cap. I'm sorry to say, but just because you jump out of an airplane doesn't make any better than a foot soldier. They got their tab or badge, that seems enough to me.

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Great, class warfare in the military. Don't you just love Democrats?

 

[BoberFett]

konichiwa, say that in a room full of Rangers and see how many seconds you live.

 

[Steve Guilliot]

What a non-issue. Konichiwa is right. It's just a hat. As for the inevitable challenge to my military experience, yes, I am a veteran. The prestige is all in the tabs (except the SF's green berets, which are another issue altogether). Anyway, for those with an apparent hat fetish, the color of the beret is just as important as the style, so you'lle still be able to masturbate to the green and red ones.

Give me a break.

 

[glenn1]

i'm a former military man myself, and as a former beret wearer, i can tell you, that i certainly preferred wearing the bdu cap (or better yet, the floppy hat in an environment out of the garrison). The beret does nothing to keep the sun out of your eyes, the rain out of your face, etc.... the things a hat is supposed to do. If they issue berets out to every member of the Army, so be it.... although i don't see why the beret was chosen as the new official headgear - although anything would be better than the old "c*nt cap" they issued back in the day. I'm sure that other folks who wear the beret now or did in the past, might feel differently than i do.

 

[BoberFett]

glenn

I guess I didn't figure they were replacing the BDU cap with the beret. I thought they were talking about dress uniform only. The cnt caps suck, those are the ugliest piece of military clothing in use.

 

[thebestMAX]

I didnt have THE BERET when i was in but I sure as hell respected those who did. I like Russ's analogy but thats the way Dems think. Try earning something for once.

Hated the C*** cap myself but a lot easier to deal with than the billed variety.

 

[Kanly]

Old news

 

[BoberFett]

Awww, poor DukeLeto. He still is having a hard time coming to grip with the fact that Gore will lose.

 

[Kanly]

Ha ha, funny Bober.

I was just using Russ' standard reply as this news is from 10/17.

I served, got a "c*nt cap" somewhere in my posessions. (glen1, is that not a hideous piece of headware?)

It probably still fits, don't think the uniforms do

According to Army Link News

this decision was made by the Army Chief of Staff.

Personally, I think it's a stupid decision.

Ascribing it partisan politics is something else.

 

[BoberFett]

If they really want to improve morale, how about a raise. My wife and I went out last night with her friend and her friends husband, who's an engineer on the USS Arleigh Burke. He's about to be deployed for 6 months to the Mediterranean.

Among other complaints, one was hazard pay. Do you know how much extra pay he's getting for being in a hazard zone? $100. That would make me want to re-up. Nothing like risking your life so you can send that extra $100 back to the wife and kids. :|

Second was the speed at which raises take effect. He took his tests to become a Petty Officer 2nd Class. After waiting to actually get the rank, he'll still have to wait 6 months for the pay raise to take affect. And he said there's no back pay. So he'll have the duties, but not the pay. Granted, this is just the military as usual being dog slow. But if they were paid decently to begin with, maybe waiting a bit for a raise wouldn't be so hard. As it is, he's trying to support a wife and 2 kids on an E-4 pay scale.

I'll give up part of those [empty] promises of a tax break to pay more to servicemen.

 

[Kanly]

The Clinton/Gore Administration, and Congress, passed the largest military pay increase in history. There was squabbling over the size of it, and how to pay for it as usual but it was passed.

When Bush left office, 20,000 military families were on food stamps.
In the last 8 years, that number is now around 5,000.

I am all for paying these guys more, btw.

 

[The Wildcard]

Wow....cool fact DukeLeto. Anywaz, I am also all for paying more money to the men and women in our armed forces. And if anybody disagrees, they should be sent into a " hazard zone " .

 

[Eug]

It's just a hat. Get over it.

 

[zippy]

Ehhhhh...I don't like it...and I'm a democrat!

 

[konichiwa]

If the issue of the Army's morale lies in the different types of hats they wear, then it is a sad, sad day. Maybe the General's should get to wear pink tu-tu's, that would set them apart from the rest of the group.

 

[thebestMAX]

Without calling any of the idiots above names, I will reiterate, try earning something!!!

Its not about a stupid hat, it is about the EARNED RIGHT to wear that hat and be respected by your PEERS, not the unwashed masses. You have to experience it to really get it. Go see "Men Of Honor" or "Saving Private Ryan" or even "Full Metal Jacket" and maybe you will understand 10% of what we are saying. Know all those movies were made by BHLs and Hollywood but they will give you a slight idea of REAL MEN.

 

[konichiwa]

The fact that you're inferring that the "people" who disagree with you aren't real men baffles me. I have a serious problem with people who feel that you must serve in the armed forces to be considered a "real man."

First of all, who are you to tell me that I'm not a "real man?" Second of all, look at a person like, oh I don't know. Okay, how about Socrates? Do you consider him a "real man?" He never served in any army.

I could come up with about a hundred other names, but I think you understand my point.

And secondly, why do you need a hat to be respected by your peers? Why can't you be respected by your peers because you're a good soldier, or whatever this hat represents?

 

[thebestMAX]

Sorry, maybe a bad choice of words and I do understand your point.

This is not about the hat but what it represents. Do you think they salute clinton or any officer, no, they salute the office or the HAT with the Symbol of the US on it. Any enlisted man will tell you that.

Its not about the hat but what it represents. Anyone who has gone to jump school, dive school or any other specialty has EARNED the right to wear that hat or medal or badge. If it is not so important, why did a high rankng member of the military commit suicide when it was found he was wearing medals he was not entitled to.

Even the liberal democratic program WEST WING regognized this, alluded to it and used it as an influence on one ot its characters.

The hat indicate to your peers your accomplishments and motivates them to achieve the same or better. It acheives your point.

 

[Eug]

My uncle was a lieutenant commander at an army base (artillery, but not in the US). He couldn't care less what people wore, as long as it was still within regulations and the person was respectable looking, unless it was for a formal function.

I am not a military man and never will be, but was in the youth program with the reserves until I got appendicitis (missed much the training, again not in the US). I had a beret as part of my uniform. (Pretty stylish too - I liked it, but it was pretty damn useless as a hat.) Is that an insult to US soldiers that leap from planes? No, because it was simply part of a different uniform. My superiors wore berets too. They didn't have to have a different hat to earn my respect. As for identification, surely badges, etc, should suffice.

Okay, I agree, it's a little inconsiderate to make the hat already used by one group the hat of everyone, but perhaps a different solution would be to give the non-"elites" a different one. But when it comes right down to it, its just a hat. Personally, I find it sad that some people consider this a big issue. I would be more pissed about closed military bases or the like. Items of clothing should be last on the list of issues. It's sad when a man (like that unfortunate officer you mention) depends so much on an inanimate object for his sense of self worth.

 

[pg22]

"konichiwa, say that in a room full of Rangers and see how many seconds you live."


mwuahahahahahaha............