Originally Posted by sigtauenus

I wear the utilities every day for work, the two times in the past 3 years I wore my charlies was for a promotion picture and a change of command. We did have a CGI a couple months ago and I had to break out the alpha's, first time I wore them since I reported almost 3 years ago.

Technically, since utilities are a "field" uniform, my uniform of the day should be charlies. But, its not. Everybody at my command wears utilities, except the career planner.

So, I change my clothes twice a day. Add in PT during the work day, and its easily 4 or 5 times a day. That's a lot of wasted time. The NEX gas station is more expensive than the Wawa down the street, so I don't use it except when I'm no kidding on empty.

This past weekend my wife drove my truck and left me with less than a quarter tank, and I wore my utilities home on Friday so I wore them on Monday morning. I was swamped at work and forgot about it, then PT'd at the end of the day, and left work right after PT, got in the truck, saw the gas gauge and thought "oh ****." I made it home, but geeze, what a pain in the butt. And my wife wonders why I don't like the cars getting below 1/4 tank.

I really don't have a problem with the new rules except for the part about pumping gas. ATM, food, even dry cleaning you can use the drivethrough. Not too many full service stations around any more. I just really need to hawk the gas gauge now and probably cut my wife off from driving my truck.

Contrary to the article in the original post, in 10 years in the Marines I've never been able to walk in to a fast food joint, or go grocery shopping, or go shopping anywhere. It was my understanding that we could use the drive-through, use an ATM, pump gas, and make stops at daycare or buy necessities such as milk or bread. That's it. I don't have a problem with that.

If Marines were violating those rules they were wrong and their leadership should have taken care of it.

There is a rational application of this. The whole issue comes down to discipline. You tell a Marine to do this or that, regardless if it makes sense or not, because it instills discpline. While today he may ***** about not being able to stop for gas in his uniform, tomorrow you may need to tell him to take a machine gun nest, and just as much as he learns some discipline from it, you also learn who you can count on by how much they obey the rules that don't make any sense.

Originally Posted by scrapdog

Sig - *** is a charlie? Remember, we're not on the BO-AT with you. English please. Ay, ay skipper!

Plus, you want to fly with us here in the ANG, you better drop that charlie garbage quick!!

Originally Posted by sigtauenus

LOL, Scrappy, you crack me up, man. Don't worry, I'm practicing with family and non-military friends on dropping words like "bomb," "head," and "box" from my vocabulary, and getting used to saying "b-word," "skulling," and "so to speak." Another year or two of dedicated practice unlearning my backwards ways, and I should be able to buy a blue "hat" to go with my flight suit and fit right in.

BTW, for the benefit of those who don't know, these are the uniforms I mentioned (and NO, that is not me modeling these, just a pic I linked from the Marine Shop).

Charlie



Alpha

Originally Posted by scrapdog

Take your blinders off. We're human beings who happen to serve in the military, we have personal lives, and most importantly CHOOSE to serve in the military - not the other way around. Way to go Marine Corps...brilliant.

Originally Posted by Spartan07

If a majority of the Marine Corps didn't want to prohibit wearing cammies off base then the regulation never would have been implemented.

Originally Posted by Spartan07

See, there is one of the fundamental differences between the Marine Corps and other branches. I do not CHOOSE to be a Marine. I CHOSE to become a Marine. A lot of blood and sweat later I actually became a Marine. We are taught from day one that we are not civilians running around in a uniform that just happen to be serving in the military. A Marine is a Marine down to his very bones for life. Yes we do get held to a much higher standard than the other services, and to them it might not seem 'brilliant' but that is how it is and that is how we want it.

Originally Posted by HercDriver130

Spartan... Thanks for your service... I have worked on joint op's with many a marine. But I take PERSONAL offense at your suggestion that those of us who did not serve in da "Corp" are just civilians serving in the military... that my friend is a slap to every man or woman who has proudly served.

Originally Posted by Hacker15e

Uhhhhh, what? It's a democracy now?