Saluting Mids

[Renegade One]

I have come to understand that Marines hate themselves and push more extra requirements on themselves as a group, than a chief who forgot his coffee below deck.

Verified historical fact…you simply cannot "out Jesuit" the Marines. If every other service deploys their units/troops for 12 months, you can count on the Marines to be there for 13+. If grooming regs allow decent hair length and mustaches, you can bet on the Marines to "hooah" it all to high and tight and no facial hair. But…I'm always glad they're on our side...

At our unit there was a decent [did you mean RECENT?] push back when us Officer Candidates would wear a black backpack on BOTH shoulders while in Khakis because they believe it is "nasty" to wear a backpack over more than just their left shoulder, even though naval uniform regulations specifically states that it is permissible. Now to wait for the dog pile of additional inter-service disparities that we each think is retarded.

Can't believe you went rogue and "double-strapped" in a "single-strap" environment. Sometimes you just have to pick your fights.

PLEASE tell me you weren't carrying anything in your trouser pockets…like, EVER. Everything you carry on your person…wallet, car keys, pocket comb, handkerchief, loose change, etc. had GODDAM BETTER BE STUFFED IN YOUR SOCKS!!! (which should also be held up "high and tight" with your elastic shirt stays…which sometimes make a nice place to clip your car keys…assuming you like that cowboy spurs-like jingle-jangle when you walk…)

"IS THAT A PLEDGE PIN? ON YOUR UNIFORM?!?"

 

[Renegade One]

A GREAT VIGNETTE...Didn't get beat up over it, but the asshole in question stopped stalking in our area.

Good for you. Good outcome. I'm pretty sure your soldiers noticed, even though you never gave them the "behind closed doors" de-brief.
Please accept a virtual salute from me.

 

[MIDNJAC]

The above (from Kilroy) is a pretty accurate assessment of how I remember NROTC being.

 

[Spekkio]

I have no idea where this "staff who trains you" assumption came from,

The language you used in your post...'decent push back'... if it was fellow OC or MIDN, why even pay any attention to them?

Regardless, throttle back. You wear a uniform to drill like what, twice a week? My point is that you can deal with holding a backpack with one strap for a bit if that's what Gunny wants you to do. Just be glad you don't have to do some of the more ridiculous stuff in other commissioning programs, like hold your backpack like a rifle at shoulder arms. I'm fairly certain all the Marines knew that wasn't in the regs and they didn't give a shit. They expected the priors to take the lead in enforcing what they wanted and help everyone look squared away, not causing a sea lawyer revolt over proper backpack wear.

"When in Rome..."

 

[blackbart22]

When I was a fleet NAVCAD in ATU-301 (VA-prop) we met a group of visiting middies on our way to chow and they demanded that we salute them since the gold chin strap on their covers was 1/16th of an inch wider than ours. One of my roommates, Jerry, replied " Oh, sir, I'd love salute you, but I had two AD dive bomb hops today, and my right arm is really tired from pulling all those G's." The middies stared at us and said "They let you guys fly AD's?" To which Jerry replied "Let us? It's our job, man." Of course we all cracked up and the mids departed. Never heard any thing more about NAVCADs saluteing middies.

 

[CWO_change]

Not a midshipman story, but pretty funny nonetheless. Back at OCS, some of the ODS (i.e. already commissioned officers) saluted me as a candidate officer; we were told always salute back, but then follow up with an explanation that we were not yet commissioned officers (and, even if we were, we certainly wouldn't outrank any of the ODS folks). But you saw a lot of that from the ODS ladies and gentlemen, as they were just in training as well. One particular funny story told by my class officer is that a new O-5 medical doctor (he was a brain surgeon or some sort) popped to attention and saluted my class officer (and O-3), who was taken aback, but politely corrected the commander.