US Navy Seaman wears uniform at High School Graduation. Is that ok?

[Chaotic42]

I don't think that there is much of a link available since this happened here in Bedford, IN.

Anyway, a US Navy Seaman wore his whites to the Bedford-North Lawrence HS graduation, even though rules state that you must wear your BNL robe. He was reprimanded and his new CO called and informed of this. It did not affect his graduation and a story was run in the paper. We did 2 hours worth of call segments at our station. Very hot topic here.

He says he did it for love of his country, which is fine. Thing is that Channel 12, and Indianapolis station, was there. There is no way that someone from the graduation could have called, as it's at least 1 1/2 hours to Indy. He wore it under his robe, and took it off during the graduation, at which time Channel 12 showed up. That makes me think that he called them.

What do you all think? I think he was wrong, as military personnel are required to follow both military and civilian rules. He was not required by the military to wear his uniform in public.

 

[BDawg]

He was required to wear his graduation robe? I thought only the Army accepted High School dropouts...

 

[Czar]

I think wearing a navy uniform is not a good way of showing you love your contry, too much alike to the dictators that always wear their militery uniform no matter what they are doing. But thats just me and my opinion on this matter.

 

[UltraQuiet]

You will have to explain to me in great detail why it was wrong of him to wear his dress whites anywhere in this country. And then you will still get an argument out of me.

Chief

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: BDawg
He was required to wear his graduation robe? I thought only the Army accepted High School dropouts...

Yeah, BNL rules state clearly that one must wear the uniform. There is a dress code. It seems like he should have been smart enough to just wear the robe. Oh well.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
You will have to explain to me in great detail why it was wrong of him to wear his dress whites anywhere in this country. And then you will still get an argument out of me.

Chief

I see no reason why should not be able to wear them. But i agree if while he was up there getting his diploma then that is kind of tacky.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
You will have to explain to me in great detail why it was wrong of him to wear his dress whites anywhere in this country. And then you will still get an argument out of me.

Chief

Whoa now, don't get me wrong Dave. All of my life I've been a die hard military brat and I'd give anything to be able to enlist.

I have *no* problem with people wearing dress whites or any uniform to a graduation. The problem is that they specifically stated that no other dress could be worn. I think they should make an exception, and they might, but they didn't this year. If they had not said anything, people of (insert group here) would say that they should be able to wear what they want because the Seaman was allowed to.

He still broke rules, probably a Naval Regulation, I'm not sure as I was a USAF kid.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I think he was wrong, as military personnel are required to follow both military and civilian rules. He was not required by the military to wear his uniform in public.

...And I'm sure you're read the UCMJ several times...

 

[gopunk]

what is the BFD? jesus, i can't believe people actually cared enough about such a small thing to "reprimand" him.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: b0mbrman

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
I think he was wrong, as military personnel are required to follow both military and civilian rules. He was not required by the military to wear his uniform in public.

...And I'm sure you're read the UCMJ several times...

No, but I do know that much.

 

[BDawg]

I don't get it...was he graduating? If so, he should wear the graduation robe.

But I didn't think you could get into the Navy without having a HS diploma.

Generally, I don't have a problem with service people wearing their dress uniforms. We asked my father-in-law to wear his navy tuxedo (he was an admiral) to our wedding. Unfortunately, he couldn't fit into it anymore and he had to wear the normal tux.

 

[UltraQuiet]

He still broke rules, probably a Naval Regulation, I'm not sure as I was a USAF kid.

What regulation? We are encouraged to wear our uniforms, sometimes required, to civic functions. I would like to know the whole story. If he wore it onstage to get diploma and not his robe, I think he was probably wrong, but he broke no Naval uniform reg. by doing so.


Czar-- I will refrain from responding to your post until this thread has run it's course so it does not get locked. STAND BY!

 

[Aves]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer

Czar-- I will refrain from responding to your post until this thread has run it's course so it does not get locked. STAND BY!

I am adding this thread to my favorites now.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
Czar-- I will refrain from responding to your post until this thread has run it's course so it does not get locked. STAND BY!

why, what are you goint to say? please by all means start now before I go to sleep

 

[Red Dawn]

czar

I think wearing a navy uniform is not a good way of showing you love your contry, too much alike to the dictators that always wear their militery uniform no matter what they are doing

I think this might be a foriegn concept to you czar but maybe he was proud of his country and proud to be serving in her Navy.

 

[gopunk]

ok, maybe i'm just the only one who thinks this is a big pile of nothing...

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: BDawg
I don't get it...was he graduating? If so, he should wear the graduation robe.

But I didn't think you could get into the Navy without having a HS diploma.

Generally, I don't have a problem with service people wearing their dress uniforms. We asked my father-in-law to wear his navy tuxedo (he was an admiral) to our wedding. Unfortunately, he couldn't fit into it anymore and he had to wear the normal tux.

I know you can enlist into the Army w/a GED and I'm sure you can sign up for the reserves/guard the year before you become a HS senior, go to boot the summer, then advanced training after you graduate. Either that, or he enlisted and was going to leave for the navy after graduating...

As far as I know, there's no place where the army forbids* you from wearing the uniform. They recommend against it when you're going through hostile places...but I've never been specifically told I couldn't wear it at any time

ok, maybe i'm just the only one who thinks this is a big pile of nothing...

No, I'm right there with you...if I was at a HS graduation and saw some kid in the uniform, I'd say to myself "Good for him" and not think twice about it...

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer

He still broke rules, probably a Naval Regulation, I'm not sure as I was a USAF kid.

What regulation? We are encouraged to wear our uniforms, sometimes required, to civic functions.

Here's where I got that at: I had quite a few friends who were stationed at the AF base about a mile from my house in Mississippi. I asked them about their uniforms, as I was trying to enlist. They told me what my ROTC seargent told us. "You can wear your uniform wherever you want, in any functions that you want as long as it's allowed, as long as you do it to the specifications in the book....."

I assume that those would be general rules and not specific, but since I can't be sure, I take back the "it breaks Naval rules argument". It does still break school rules.

I would like to know the whole story. If he wore it onstage to get diploma and not his robe, I think he was probably wrong, but he broke no Naval uniform reg. by doing so.

He wore it on stage, the principal handed him his diploma and asked him to talk after the graduation was over. He was then reprimaned.

I'm not trying to start crap here, I just thought it would be an interesting thing to debate. Like I said, he should have been allowed to wear it, but since he wasn't allowed to, he shouldn't have worn it.

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
czar

I think wearing a navy uniform is not a good way of showing you love your contry, too much alike to the dictators that always wear their militery uniform no matter what they are doing

I think this might be a foriegn concept to you czar but maybe he was proud of his country and proud to be serving in her Navy.

most likely but the way I see it through the news most people who show their "patriotism" by wearing militery uniforms are most likely dictators in some way or another. But thats just how I see it in the news.

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Czar

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
czar

I think wearing a navy uniform is not a good way of showing you love your contry, too much alike to the dictators that always wear their militery uniform no matter what they are doing

I think this might be a foriegn concept to you czar but maybe he was proud of his country and proud to be serving in her Navy.

most likely but the way I see it through the news most people who show their "patriotism" by wearing militery uniforms are most likely dictators in some way or another. But thats just how I see it in the news.

i don't think anybody confused him with castro...

 

[Czar]

i don't think anybody confused him with castro...

neither do I, but its a pattern that I see.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Czar
most likely but the way I see it through the news most people who show their "patriotism" by wearing militery uniforms are most likely dictators in some way or another. But thats just how I see it in the news.

Interesting...I've been told a few different things about how I look in the uniform but being called a dictator is a new one

 

[gopunk]

Originally posted by: Czar

i don't think anybody confused him with castro...

neither do I, but its a pattern that I see.

btw, being a dictator and patriotism are not necessarily mutually exclusive. you can be stupid and love your country too

czar, i don't really see why you take issue with this... it's pretty clear he is just a grunt that likes his country... where's the harm in that?

 

[Czar]

Originally posted by: gopunk

btw, being a dictator and patriotism are not necessarily mutually exclusive. you can be stupid and love your country too

czar, i don't really see why you take issue with this... it's pretty clear he is just a grunt that likes his country... where's the harm in that?

I see no harm in it realy, just that there are better ways to show your love for your country than wearing a militery uniform, one good example, finishing high school

 

[Tiger]

My cousin, a major in the marine corps, was prevented from wqearing his dress blues to our grandmothers funeral. Some regulation or something.