Style over Substance.

U.S. Air Force pararescuemen transport a simulated casualty to a Marine Corps MH-53 Super Stallion helicopter while conducting a combat search and rescue exercise outside of Camp Lemonier, Djibouti, June 1, 2010. DoD photo by Master Sgt. Jeremiah Erickson, U.S. Air Force


I've been monitoring a conversation occurring on Kit-Up Blogspot.  You can read the articles here, here and here.  But instead of adding just my voice to the debate, I think a pic is worth a thousand words.  Click on the picture and blow it up.  What do you see.  I'm talking gear wise, nothing else.

I see multi-cam, pro-tec helmets, what looks like 3 different types of packs, a soft cover, some type of civilian high speed pants and 4 different sets of boots.

Kit-Up has taken the position that a soldier with the 101st should be allowed to wear the multicam gear that he purchased.  This NCO, in my opinion, is seeking style over substance.  In small units ... read SOCOM...they can get away with dissimilar uniforms.  The average Soldier, Sailor, Marine or Airmen is older, more mature and to be quite honest is supervised at a much closer ratio of Officer and SNCO to troop ratio.  Conventional forces are not.  Unit cohesion and discipline will be put in jeopardy by lax uniform standards.

But to add fuel to the fire we have this item from SoldierSystems.net.

On Monday, LGEN A.B. LESLIE, Chief of the Land Staff for Canada, released a message entitled, “Prohibition on Acquisition of Soldier Personal Equipment, Clothing and Camp Stores.” The point of the message was to remind units that they cannot use Operations and Maintenance monies to procure Soldier Systems items. Specifically, guidance was issued that, “THE LF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT REMAIN WORLD CLASS. AS SUCH LOCAL PURCHASE OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT WITH O AND M FUNDS BY LF UNITS IS PROHIBITED.” The list of equipment units CANNOT use O&M to purchase is pretty extensive and includes basically everything that is covered on SSD.

 It seems that the goochie gear craze has spread.

Does anyone remember standing for an inspection and being asked by the inspecting officer...How much did you have to spend to get ready for this inspection??? 

In the Marine Corps if you answer anything more than a few dollars for polish or to replace a broken insignia then you were wrong...and your immediate supervisor was wrong too.

It seems that that type of thinking is not in vogue with certain NCO's in the 101st or with certain members of the Canadian military.  Thank goodness they have Officers and SNCOs that will square this away.