Best places to wear a uniform...

[Stubby]

I didn't know they still issued uniforms to officers.... I though you just wore flight suits all the time.... :icon_smil

I think that any airshow is a good place for a uniform, especially a "small" or "midwest" town. I did an airshow at the Redding Airport in Northern California once; They picked us up in a limo and put us up in a hotel. Every night the parties were great. I don't think I spent one cent in three days.

 

[DocT]

I had a bad experience the night of my commissioning. My friends, family, and I went out to some local bars. My brother and I were in blues. Immediately upon entering the bar three girls told us to go change and turned their backs on us. As we drank at the bar more girls continued to say things like, "lose the uniform", or "what's that all about". Only one person bought us a drink all night...a Lance Cpl who was home on libo from Oki. At close outside of a different club there was an altercation when some guys implied we weren't in the military and were imposters only get girls.

Needless to say it kind of soured my hometown to me.

 

[HighDimension]

Needless to say it kind of soured my hometown to me.

Ouch, what hometown is that?

 

[DocT]

Grand Rapids, MI. A traditional conservative bastion.

In keeping with the thread, I'd say it's NOT one of the best places to wear a uniform.

 

[A4sForever]

We all know some places are better to be seen in uniform than others. ....

Since no one's said it .... how 'bout Oak Harbor ... ??

 

[FMRAM]

Since no one's said it .... how 'bout Oak Harbor ... ??

Unfortunately Oak Harbor has a bad reputation for being less than accommodating to military people. The dynamic is that the town depends on the Navy to survive, but I believe that many of the non-military residents and business owners resent guys in uniform. Myself and the vast majority of bubbas I know there frequently feel like second-class citizens.
My solution to this was to move to Anacortes...one of the best decisions I have made...
It's really sad considering that in some areas, you are treated almost like a quasi-celebrity at times.

 

[A4sForever]

Unfortunately Oak Harbor has a bad reputation for being less than accommodating to military people....

HUH ??? You must be talkin' about Oak Harbor, France. Anacortes is for Hippies ....

 

[FMRAM]

^^I can only speak for the enlisted side of the house, I hope it is better for the JOs.

 

[A4sForever]

^^I can only speak for the enlisted side of the house....

Ummmmmmm ..... is that why in (J)Oak Harbor, the former "E" retirees outnumber the retired "O's" by a factor of something approaching 10 to 1 ???

 

[Brett327]

^^I can only speak for the enlisted side of the house, I hope it is better for the JOs.

Yeah, must be an E thing. That's what you get for hanging out at The 'Fin.

Brett

 

[nittany03]

Yeah, must be an E thing. That's what you get for hanging out at The 'Fin.

Bar? Strip club? E hangout? Place to overall avoid?

 

[Stubby]

Since no one's said it .... how 'bout Oak Harbor ... ??

I wore my blues to a funeral in MountVernan (about 45 minutes from OakHarbor). That morning we went to a restaurant for breakfast and people were getting up to shake my hand as I walked out. Later I stopped at Starbucks and a lady offered to pay for my coffee. I was a First Class at the time....

I had lived in OakHarbor years before when VP moved up there from Moffett Field. OakHarbor seemed pretty good to military back then.

 

[Brett327]

Bar? Strip club? E hangout? Place to overall avoid?

The Blue Dolphin is a bar in Oak Harbor - nothing special. Generally a TED bar, but it can be fun once in a while. Most of the cooler places where Os hang are in Anacortes.

Brett

 

[nittany03]

The Blue Dolphin is a bar in Oak Harbor - nothing special. Generally a TED bar, but it can be fun once in a while. Most of the cooler places where Os hang are in Anacortes.

Brett

Yeah, I was just there househunting. Guess I missed seeing the Blue Dolphin, though I did hit up the Brown Lantern in Anacortes for lunch and saw a few other good-looking places on the main drag. Some cute girls on the wait staff there at lunchtime, but I imagine they're probably sick of Navy guys hitting on them.

But I do have to ask what the deal is with people in Anacortes ordering double shots of Jaeger at 12:30 in the afternoon. On a Wednesday! Is this the Pac NW version of the six-martini lunch?

Edit: Totally random, but props to whoever put the Shocker zapper on Deception Pass bridge . . .

 

[FMRAM]

Ummmmmmm ..... is that why in (J)Oak Harbor, the former "E" retirees outnumber the retired "O's" by a factor of something approaching 10 to 1 ???

I guess what I have been getting at all along is that Oak Harbor is not that great for SINGLE enlisted guys. I understand the appeal for retirees and it is a very beautiful place, but there is a reason why the E-club is dead and most of the younger guys would rather drive 2 hours to go to Seattle/Vancouver B.C.