AF reflective belts draw jeers on Facebook

[CommunityEditor]

Thousands of Facebook users have joined a group called “I Hate Reflective Belts” to protest and mock an Air Force requirement that airmen wear reflective belts during hours of darkness.

What do you think about the service’s use of reflective belts? Is this a silly regulation that goes too far, or do the belts serve a purpose?

[ringjamesa]

Of course they serve a purpose....they reiterate the fact that apparently my six year old knows more about crossing the street than those in high places think we do... Speaking of which, I have yet to see anyone with eagles or above wearing one of the damn things...

[Michaep]

Originally Posted by ringjamesa

Of course they serve a purpose....they reiterate the fact that apparently my six year old knows more about crossing the street than those in high places think we do... Speaking of which, I have yet to see anyone with eagles or above wearing one of the damn things...

lol you have yet to see full birds wear them because

1) they get done with work while its still light out

2) were they to stay at work passed nighttime, they'd only have 3 steps to walk to their "DV" parking spot or reserved spot they usually park in

3) whos going to brief a Colonel or General?


Theyre merely doing this as a "cover your @$$" measure....just like issuing us a bunch of stuff thats not practical to use given the situation and then saying they "took measures" to protect us"

Just like technically none of us should have cuts on our hands because of gloves and none of us should have hearing loss because of hearing protection thats issued but they know good and well its not always practical to wear that stuff. I cant wear hearing protection for the rest of my enlistment period 24/7/365....but they covered their @$$ by issuing it

"its not our liability you got hit by a truck because of blackout conditions in the AOR....we gave you guys reflective belts to wear 24/7/365"

[MKopack]

It's not even a matter of safety for me though - reflective belts have their place, and I don't have a real problem with that - but the amount of "emphasis" put on them at some locations 'downrange', just leads me to think that perhaps some people have lost sight of the mission - of why we're really there and how each of us fits into that mission on a daily basis.

If you're a senior NCO or an Officer, and you spend any amount of time monitoring minor uniform violations at the gym or chow hall - or worse yet, you're ordered to - you should really ask yourself if your time could be put to better use doing something else. Discipline, whether it be in uniform wear, or in your job performance doesn't come from a Chief watching over our shoulders, it comes from pride, professionalism, and REAL leadership.

Back during Desert Storm, on the very first morning of the war - in Qatar - we had engines running during our squadron's first launch, when the sirens went off as our base went to "Alarm Red - MOPP 4". No one involved with the launches even flinched, no one ran for chem gear or helmets - even though at the time, based on previous Intel, we expected that we were likely to come under attack. Why? Did we have somebody standing over our shoulders telling us what we should or shouldn't do? No, we were treated like adults and we made our own decisions, and we stood there because we believed in what we were doing. We stood there because it was our mission.

Each individual deployed overseas might not be able to go out and win either of these wars for us, but collectively, if we lose sight of the REAL mission, we can lose them.

It's the MISSION that matters.

Mike Kopack

[bcoco14]

I really think you have no vision as far as the AF is concerned or the military as a whole for that mater.

Originally Posted by Michaep

lol you have yet to see full birds wear them because

1) they get done with work while its still light out

every full bird I have ever worked for, good or bad has put in well more than 12hr days and made themselves seen on weekends

Originally Posted by Michaep

2) were they to stay at work passed nighttime, they'd only have 3 steps to walk to their "DV" parking spot or reserved spot they usually park in

and would still be required to wear their reflector belt in those 3 steps if it were hours of darkness.

Originally Posted by Michaep

3) who's going to brief a Colonel or General?

Someone who knows what they are talking about and is RESPECTFUL about it. I had a A1C coined by a wing CC for pointing out a uniform violation. The CC had been wearing it wrong for 2 weeks to see who was the first to point it out.

Originally Posted by Michaep

They're merely doing this as a "cover your @$$" measure....just like issuing us a bunch of stuff that's not practical to use given the situation and then saying they "took measures" to protect us"

Everything you are issued has a practial use if your not intelligent enough to under stand what that purpose is then that's your fault, its been fully explained to you.

Originally Posted by Michaep

Just like technically none of us should have cuts on our hands because of gloves and none of us should have hearing loss because of hearing protection that's issued but they know good and well its not always practical to wear that stuff. I cant wear hearing protection for the rest of my enlistment period 24/7/365....but they covered their @$$ by issuing it"

Are you serious???? Really??? You are that dumb??? OK then I'll explain it. To take your hearing loss example. Hearing loss is a excepted occupational risk for alot of AFSC's and I would go as far as to say all of them, though I'm not 100%. Its not so much they are covering thier ass because of an occupational risk ,they don't owe you crap when it comes to retirement. You we're made aware and accepted that risk before you re-enlisted.

[ringjamesa]

Originally Posted by bcoco14

I really think you have no vision as far as the AF is concerned or the military as a whole for that mater.
every full bird I have ever worked for, good or bad has put in well more than 12hr days and made themselves seen on weekends
and would still be required to wear their reflector belt in those 3 steps if it were hours of darkness.
Someone who knows what they are talking about and is RESPECTFUL about it. I had a A1C coined by a wing CC for pointing out a uniform violation. The CC had been wearing it wrong for 2 weeks to see who was the first to point it out.
Everything you are issued has a practial use if your not intelligent enough to under stand what that purpose is then that's your fault, its been fully explained to you.
Are you serious???? Really??? You are that dumb??? OK then I'll explain it. To take your hearing loss example. Hearing loss is a excepted occupational risk for alot of AFSC's and I would go as far as to say all of them, though I'm not 100%. Its not so much they are covering thier ass because of an occupational risk ,they don't owe you crap when it comes to retirement. You we're made aware and accepted that risk before you re-enlisted.

Ok, generally I would be the last person ever to defend Michaep but...couple of points, I don't think he was saying that they don't work more...I do believe he was using a newfangled invention called sarcasm.
Yeah they would be "required" to wear the damn thing but they don't..
Respect has nothing to do with it. Unless you lay in wait, your chance of catching them between the door and their parking space...not good.
A Wing CC and some Col that is pissed off that he/she isn't a BG or a BG pissed that he/she isn't a MG or a four star that thinks he/she owns everything in the AF and that the AF couldn't possibly function when he/she is gone...is quite another.
Ummm last time I checked they DO owe you something when you retire...Pesky federal laws requiring them to give you a retirement check. You are correct though that some damage is expected in certian cases and that is what the VA is for...continued care after your final separation for any service connected disability...

[Silver Fox]

Originally Posted by bcoco14

I


every full bird I have ever worked for, good or bad has put in well more than 12hr days and made themselves seen on weekends

Don't know where you work.

and would still be required to wear their reflector belt in those 3 steps if it were hours of darkness.

Want another glass of kool aid? Are you fucking kidding me? No one would wear their reflective belt 3 steps.

Someone who knows what they are talking about and is RESPECTFUL about it. I had a A1C coined by a wing CC for pointing out a uniform violation. The CC had been wearing it wrong for 2 weeks to see who was the first to point it out.

Who apparently has way too much time on his hands if he's getting out of uniform on purpose just to test his people.

Everything you are issued has a practial use if your not intelligent enough to under stand what that purpose is then that's your fault, its been fully explained to you.

Has a use, yes. Is practical? No.

Are you serious???? Really??? You are that dumb??? OK then I'll explain it. To take your hearing loss example. Hearing loss is a excepted occupational risk for alot of AFSC's and I would go as far as to say all of them, though I'm not 100%. Its not so much they are covering thier ass because of an occupational risk ,they don't owe you crap when it comes to retirement. You we're made aware and accepted that risk before you re-enlisted.

And you're flat wrong. 1) If you do 200, they owe you quite a bit of crap at retirement. 2) Any documented hearing loss is evaluated by the VA and often times they will owe you something. As was explained to me by the guy that did my VA physical, "You made a commitment to the government to serve six years, and in return they made a commitment to take care of you during those six years and take care of you for any injuries incurred during those six years for the rest of your life." Were that not the case, there would be no VA. So calm down.

[sigecaps]

Originally Posted by bcoco14

Are you serious???? Really??? You are that dumb??? OK then I'll explain it. To take your hearing loss example. Hearing loss is a excepted occupational risk for alot of AFSC's and I would go as far as to say all of them, though I'm not 100%. Its not so much they are covering thier ass because of an occupational risk ,they don't owe you crap when it comes to retirement. You we're made aware and accepted that risk before you re-enlisted.

Medical disability is routinely given for hearing loss.

[smarg]

This is simply another example of the Air Force bending to the will of the Army. Our pilot leadership sacrifices every non-rated officer and every enlisted person to the Army without question, from deployment bodies and length of deployments to reflective belts now. What's new?

[MKopack]

Originally Posted by smarg

This is simply another example of the Air Force bending to the will of the Army. Our pilot leadership sacrifices every non-rated officer and every enlisted person to the Army without question, from deployment bodies and length of deployments to reflective belts now. What's new?

Rated or not rated isn't the question - do you think a pilot likes being told he has to wear a belt any more than anyone else? It's a matter of priorities, not even one of reflective belts, the command structure - rated and not - is putting more emphasis on these minor issues than on completing the real mission. If there's an E-8/9 or an O-5/6 out in front of the chow hall, gym, etc., checking anything it's taking time away from their real jobs - leading people and fighting a war (or supporting those who are).