JS

HEAR YE, HEAR YE, THERE WILL BE AN OFFICER'S CALL AT THE DIED THIS THURSDAY - ALL OFFICERS ARE TO ATTEND. Reliable information from an O-5 and O-6 indicate that the topics of discussion will be an increase in disciplinary actions (up 450%, allegedly), and a breakdown in discipline amongst the officer corps - particularly among captains, majors, and aircrews. These officers are failing to set the example for the E's with regards to good order and discipline after all of the rebellion and disrespect coming off the heels of the reflective belt and PT wear enforcement. Just rumors, though. More to come. Oh, forgot to post this when it came out a few days after the Vice Wing/CC email. It is more detailed direction from the Operations Group flowing down to the different squadrons. Units and names XX'ed out again: -----Original Message----- From: xxxxx xxxxxUSAF AFCENT 379 EOG/xx Sent: Saturday, October 31, 2009 11:15 AM To: XXXXX'ed out all unit CC's, DO's, etc. Subject: 379 EOG support to Uniform/Safety enforcement All: The 379 EOG has been TASKED to enforce uniform/safety regulations on base. Therefore, I am attaching a support schedule to ensure the 379 EOG fulfills this task. On the schedule you will find where each squadron is expected to enforce standards and during what time period. Here is the OG direction: - Sq Top 3 leadership, Chiefs, and Shirts are tasked with supporting this effort. - Each sq is assigned a 6-hr time period in which you are required to cover a total of 1 hour. You pick the vul that works for your schedule. For example on 2 Nov 379 EOG is tasked during the 0600-1200 window at the Ops Town DFAC...we can pick any hour in the window to show up to enforce standards. We can also split the vul into 2 different half hour shift. - Your call but you may want to send wingmen if they are available. - Your enforcement includes the correct wear of the uniform (i.e. PT shirt tucked in) and safety (i.e. reflective belts). - FYI: Don't expect cops on duty to be wearing reflective belts. - If you experience any pushback from ranking officers or experience call outs on other examples of extreme "queepery" forward those examples to the OG front office. As always, SQ/CCs can also speak directly to Col Xxxx if required. - If req'd you can swap vuls between squadrons, just let me know so I can stay current on the plan. - Review email trail for further direction. First vuls start Mon so have your schedules built to support 4 Nov 09. Currently programmed through the EOM Nov 09. Standing by for any return shots. Xxxxx

You are waaaaaay off on that one because A) They are wearing reflective belts at NIGHT to make themselves more visible, and B) They are using a little logic and common sense in wearing them in a low-visibility environment. This is much more of a realistic scenario:

For the visual learner.... Note the diamonds on their rank. This is a picture circa Sept, 2009, of the "Desert Diamonds." The thing that strikes me the most about the picture is that most of them could probably care less about the flag hanging at half-staff in the background as compared to busting people's chops about reflective belts and sunglasses on the head.

Just got forwarded a copy of this email from a First Shirt to "AUAB First Shirts." Names and units xx'ed out: -----Original Message----- From: xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxx/CCF Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 4:49 PM To: xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx/CC Subject: FW: Check this out May want to check this link out. -----Original Message----- From: xxxxx,xxxxxx SMSgt USAF AFCENT xxxxx xxxx/CCF Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 1:58 PM To: AUAB First Sergeants Subject: Check this out Fellow Shirts, This is out of control. Still getting push back from different angles. https://militarytimes.com/blogs/flightlines/2009/11/01/hate-reflective-belts/ xxxxxxx xxxxxxx, SMSgt, USAF First Sergeant, xxxxx xxxxx -------------------------- For those who don't want to argue with idiots on this blog, I suggest you reconsider and takethe time to post concise, valid, and mature arguments against the stupidity ofthe reflective belt debacle in the very near future. I have NO doubts that by tonight(middle-east time), the blog on the militarytimes website will be viewed by numerousgenerals and colonels at the Deid, if it has not already been viewed. This is either going to end in one of two ways - like Prohibition, with thedumb-ass laws being tweaked back or repealed all together, or like Tiananmen Square, with hundreds of non-reflective beltwearing Deiders getting sent to the gallows and the rebellion being crushed. Either way, it should beinteresting.

I was thinking the same thing. The 77 pages of Deid stupidity and the 8000 Facebook reflective belt members are not exactly helping your recruiting cause. I just hope that nobody from that "What are my Chances" group reads those threads, or potential new guys may wind up asking themselves "is all this really worth it just to fly a remote-controlled airplane for the Air Force??"

I think more people need to email the address listed in the AF times article and post on that blog. For no other reason than to clarify the reasoning as to why so many people have a problem with this reflective belt obsession - not because of the ass-pain or the disclipine involved, but because of the loss of mission focus. Worth writing a letter or a post on a blog if you ask me, because eventually this overy-cautious, overly-stupid mindset is going to get someone hurt.

Was told by a sqaudraon mate that he was stopped at the entrance of the Caddilac (a day fefore the exercise, and he confirmed it had nothing to do with the exercise) by a guy in PT gear checking for reflectvie belts. I wish I were making some of this stuff up, but it seems now that not only can you not eat, but you can't piss or shit unless you have a fag belt on as well.

Please note that this email was sent out less than 24 hours after 30 of our fallen warriors transited this base and were given full military honors by hundreds of people. Quite a sobering and somber event, I must say. Names erased to protect the innocent and names XXXXX'ed out to hide those who have lost mission focus. I am no Mao Tse Tung, but I am open to suggestions on our next move in this "resistance" movement of ours. Letters to any newspapers??? Legal actions with regards to being denied food (you can tell how he is trying to cover his legal ass by saying they are not denying food, simply enforcing uniform rules)??? By the way, does anyone have the regulation that says a base can't deny TDY people food for any reason? I heard it exists, but I am not a reg expert.

WHOOOAA. Slow down! Said douche-bag was only an O-4 when he put those signs and emails out. He was recently selected for O-5. We have to start these "junior officers" out early to keep them on the right track of leadership. Baby steps, baby steps. On a side note, it was his boss and his bosses boss who pushed this crap.

Along those lines, it has been interesting seeing how the denial of food has receded over the past week. About 8 days ago, there were two signs threatening "no belt, no service" and people had trays ripped out of their hands. Two days later, only one sign of "no belt, no service." Two days after that, that sign is gone, and a new, tiny sign inside says "you must have a reflective belt during hours of darkness" (emphasis mine), and not actually wear it indoors. Two days after that, no signs at all anywhere in the chow hall. No roving patrols, no tray grabbings, no hassles about getting food without a reflective belt. It seems that things have calmed down and the "rebellion" is having some effect. I am no conspiracy theorist, but unfortunately I think (have written proof) that the so-called leadership is taking a lesson from the Taliban and simply pulling back to regroup and hit the base with an even fiercer attack of stupidity in the very near future. They are simply licking their wounds about the legality thing and have already devised plans to further the attack of the REMF's. They will probably have their legal ducks in a row this time and will make an even harder stand. What else would the management here have to do? I guess attending the multiple Fallen Warrior ceremonies and having to process 30 caskets in 24 hours really gave them the initiative to help "fight the war" with more rules. After having seen all those caskets, one can't help but wonder how the managemnt here can think about anything else but reflective belts and other ways to win the war. More to follow as details become available.

Yeah, in post # 1460 when I said "Rumor has it that denying food and/or forcing TCN's to enforce the faux indoor reflective belt policy is not quite legal and is being investigated," I meant to say that it was not quite legal and was being investigated. Let me tell you, the Marines here are not fucking around. I saw said O-6 having a nice chat with the girls trying to enforce the policy at the chow hall the other night (he was actually being nice, and had them laughing - after all, it is not their fault that their commander is setting them up for failure). I also couldn't help but notice that all 8 Marines who came in several separate groups did not have reflective belts on. I am no Marine, but young Marines just don't take it upon themselves to disobey rules like that - especially the "coincidence" that each and every Marine I have ever seen in the chow hall was not wearing their fag belt indoors. Obviously, something came from Marine Corps high above about not wearing the fag belts here. Good on them.

Since I made a special trip over there for these pics I'll post them. Good thing is that my PT-wearin' captain ass only had to salute 4 senior officers on the 200 yard walk there and back. I mis-typed on my post about the grammar. I guess there is a colon in there, but no comma in the "no reflective belt no service" sentence.

Just saw the sticker last night - fucking classic. I will try and get a picture of it today if it is still there. Side note: I went the entire night without a fag belt as well. Nobody stopped me and I got two servings of food with no questions asked.

The huge dry-erase board message is gone. Now the only thing left is the 8 1/2 by 11 sheet of paper in the door plastic holder stating "During hours of darkness no reflective belt no service" and then under that in smaller letters it says "Per EFSS/CC." I believe it is even written as grammatically wrong as I have quoted it - with a total lack of commas when there should be at least two. Way to set the grammar example for our "young airmen." I guess I can still get a picture of the sheet of paper, though, but it is not as sensational. It also seems that the roving patrols are gone along with the TCN's trying to act like the soup nazi. We were watching guys come in and trying to track the guys without gay belts or with their shirts untucked. They all got served. Rumor has it that denying food and/or forcing TCN's to enforce the faux indoor reflective belt policy is not quite legal and is being investigated.

Correct. There are lots of stars at the Died who wear green uniforms. Some of those folks have many more starts than the base commander; they are pushing the saluting in PT gear and reflective belts for everyone. Now the services commander going off the deep end in the CC chow hall - that is all him.

There is a normal size paper (8.5 x 11) in the plastic holder on the outside of the door saying the same thing. About the indoor sign - I am over 6' tall, and this dry erase sign is pretty freaking big, with each letter about the size of my fist. And I too thought it funny how it is now in the middle of the floor area, right by the door so you basically have to either run into it or turn sideways to sliver by it in order to sign in. I will try and take pictures tonight and post them. I think the post a few above had it right - these pics will look real good in the NY Times, Stars & Stripes, Foreign Policy, and AF Times. The good news is that the paper in the plastic holder is easily hot-swappable and the dry erase board is written in, well, easily erasable/alterable marker. Details to follow.

Yeah, I got to thinking while at the gym after I put my reflective belt in the locker - if it is required indoors at the chow hall, isn't it required indoors at the gym and in any office that folks are working in? I think the rule is simply being misinterpreted as being required indoors. Tonight I am going to bring mine to the chow hall, but drop it off with my backpack at a table before getting food. If they can point to the page in the regs where it says I actually have to wear it indoors, I will concede. And yes, I think that the one stripers enforcing the rules are just as bad as the management who is making the rules up. I always thought that we all had a duty to refuse to enforce unlawful orders? Kind of like the CBT that says you can't shoot prisoners simply because your commanding officer tells you to. Well, if the regulation does not call for indoor reflective belt wearing, and I blindly follow a superiors order to enforce said policy, isn't that the same?

Where the hell did this come out of, and from whom? Is it policy?

So the million dollar question is: does the 36-2903 actually call for the fag belt to be worn while indoors? When it reads "all hours of darkness," does that include indoors? I realize they will just change the regs to match the highest level of stupidity, but if we can score a few small victories here and there, it can only help morale. So, Slacker, do you think the right thing to do is just give up on this whole thing? Along the lines of bitching out the people who bitch you out, the General (at the CGO meeting I mentioned a few posts ago) specifically said he doesn't want to see his CGO's jacking up the airmen who are out there correcting people on the rules, simply because they are outranked. Sets a bad example.

I agree with the lack of focus. Here is a timeline of major events at AUAB in early October: Saturday, October 3rd - The largest firefight in years occurs in Waristan, Northern Afghanistan. 8 Americans and over 100 bad guys are killed Monday, October 5th - there "happens" to be a large Fallen Warrior ceremony here outside of a C-17 returning from Afghanistan Wednesday, October 7th - another Fallen Warrior ceremony with 4 caskets passes through AUAB from Afghanistan Thursday, October 8th - AUAB 36-2903 "Change 1" comes out to highlight the importance of why we are here and what we are fighting for. That is where the fucking priorities are these days. Here's to the guys who passed through here on the way home to their final resting place while the management was thinking up new stupid regs:

Oh, also note that the Wing King himself personally is aware of, endorses, and defends these policies. I went to two CGO meetings where he had an open forum, and it got brought up in both of them. His response was that we all need to be standardized with the Army and everyone else on the base. He also spoke to use at Right Start and was asked again about the stupidity (saluting in PT gear, reflective belts, etc). He gave the same response, and threw in something about "it is just not that hard to wear a reflective belt and salute, etc." I then ran into one of our senior NCO's who just returned from a Senior NCO dinner/open forum with the general similar to our CGO meeting. I asked him if anyone brought up the stupidity factor at the dinner. Nope; the general preemptively brought it up with a "I know people are going to ask about reflective belts and saluting in PT gear, but...." and gave the same responses. Bottom line, making him aware is not the issue. Changing his mind is (although I have a sneaking suspicion that one of the multi-stars at AUAB might have prodded him a little to support the stupidity rules). One would think that after your CGO's, your NCO's, your squadron CC's, and your airmen all bring up how the mass stupidity is watering down the credibility and effectiveness of the military leadership, you would act. Instead, they increase the intensity of the stupidity and give Major doucebags like the services CC more support. I agree that the gay belt and saluting in PT gear is not that big a deal, but putting a stop to the stupidity train before it really runs off the track is important, so I say fight this one and keep bringing it up to the so-called “leadership.”

I thought about doing that, but I figured a 70-page thread from an "unofficial," semi-anonymous website coming from little old me would probably not be the best thing. Nor do I think that my Sq CC would be very keen on provoking the general with said 70 page thread from the internet. What about someone emailing this thread to him from a commercial gmail/yahoo account back in the states? I can provide email addresses for those interested, even though it would not be that difficult to figure them out on your own. On a side note, a lot of people here probably know that the base commander/wing commander here is a pee-on when it comes to rank compared to some of the other brass at AUAB. There are numerous "higher headquarter" type organizations located here that are run by multi-star commanders. They make the one-star base commander look like a new LT as far as rank. It would be great to happen to include these higher officials in on the email that goes to the base commander with this thread.

I still can't believe he grabbed the tray you were holding. What did you do after that? I would consider the tray an extension of my person and assume the universal right to self-defense applied. Honestly, I don't know how I would have responded to that situation, but I think there is a good chance that I would have at least told the clerk that if he puts his hands on any part of my person again, I will defend myself and he will find himself on his back. I would be curious to see how that one would be sorted out. Clerk and pilot are arrested for chow hall fight - pilot claims clerk initiated conflict by enforcing indoor reflective belt policy that does not exist.

Dude, If you want to simulate going to OTBH, buy yourself a reflective belt and some croc sandals, read and then pay someone a healthy salary with benefits to bitch you out about how you wear said reflective belt and sandals.

I think the services CC is a dude (major) and the mission support group CC is also a dude. The MSG CC was a chick about a year ago.