Wearing Your Medals With Your Kilt

[Don Patrick]

This thread has taken an interesting turn.

The current question seems to be heading towards: Would you encourage a young man to join the Armed Forces?

Wow - is that a hard question. I feel every young person would benifit from two, three or more years in the service to his country. It teaches many things: self-reliance, dependablilty, accountability, independence and dependence at the same time. It forces a person to be true to his word. It exposes him to work with others he may not like. It shows him that sweat and hard work will not kill him, but that inattention may. It makes him realize that his well being is dependent on the actions of others and himself. It teaches him to be at work on time. These are all attributes that every adult should have, and sadly few do.

Would I encourage every young person to join? No. The service is not for everyone! If a young person is not ready to take the responsibility for his own actions, the service will only make his life worse.

Would I encourage a young person to join, who seems to have a yearning to learn and a strong curiosity? Yes.

I won't go into which branch of the service I would recommend, because my answers would be different for each person. Not every young man can be a Marine. But the same is true for the Army, Navy or Coast Guard. The jury is still out on the Air Force.

Other political questions also need to be asked. Should the US bring back the draft? Yes! Should there be any draft deferments? NO! \

What say you?

First let me apologize for so many posts in a row. It was not by design.

I must say I believe everyone should have the opportunity to serve their country. I think notion of the draft should be revisited by the US. Speaking as a member who was part of the transition from the draft to the All Volunteer Army, I am sorry to have to say we have so few members of the US Congress who have served in the military. I will also say some of the best soldiers I served with were during the draft.

[James MacMillan]

I must say I believe everyone should have the opportunity to serve their country. I think notion of the draft should be revisited by the US. Speaking as a member who was part of the transition from the draft to the All Volunteer Army, I am sorry to have to say we have so few members of the US Congress who have served in the military. I will also say some of the best soldiers I served with were during the draft.

Well said!

[Teufel Hunden]

This thread has taken an interesting turn.

The current question seems to be heading towards: Would you encourage a young man to join the Armed Forces?

Other political questions also need to be asked. Should the US bring back the draft? Yes! Should there be any draft deferments? NO!

What say you?

I encourage people to do the research on all the branches, and make the best informed decision they can. For people asking about the Marine Corps, i tell them if they have to ask me why they should join it, they probably shouldn't join at all.

If someone is truly looking for direction right out of HS, I might point out that 4 years of military service might be something they should look into, but i wouldn't press the issue beyond that.

As for the draft, my answer is a resounding NO. Unless the country is in need of one, such as in WWII, I absolutely think we should avoid a draft where ever possible. I think we've had resounding success with our all volunteer force, and we should not turn away from that. Being the Plt. Sgt. I was, i'm not so sure i would have wanted draftees under me, especially in places like Ramadi and Fallujah.

I could see requiring some type of non-uniformed service, such as working for a government entity (be it state or federal) for a certain period of time but I think the military needs to be left to those who want to serve, unless dire circumstances require a change.

[SingleBarrelBourbon]

Blazn and WSK,

Hello brothers! If you look at my avatar, you are seeing the Mr. Sam underway under nuclear power. My first boat, a boomer - the USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN635). I am a plankowner of my second boat,the New York City (SSN696), a Los Angeles class attack boat. I was honored to serve on both.

I have contacted A-Hay about having a sporran made with a set of dolphins. It has been a while and I have to get back to him. I did take a spare set of dolphins and attached them to a black kilt buckle I purchased from Jerry at SWK. It looks good when I wear it with my Nightstalker.

As soon as I get the funds together, I will be speaking with Alexis about an 8-yarder Polaris tartan. She can have hat pins made with a first class crow or other rates.

Sorry for getting off topic. I wear my dolphins and patrol pin on a vest when I am riding my Harley. I ride with the American Legion Riders, Patriot Guard Riders, other members of the USSVI, and have ridden the Run For The Wall (California to DC) the past three years. I count as friends (and family) vets from WWII to today's conflicts. Too many funerals in the past two years, but we are there to support those who make the ultimate sacrifice for all of us.

[dpseadvr]

I think the CG is still the highest not sure why hmm, any way you can get into all the services with low scores but you are limited to what you can do once you get in. Requirements for everything are being lowerd because of the low numbers of recruits. They still weed out the dumb ones all the Navy guys that have ever been on a ship know when they hear sweepers sweepers man your brooms who scored what

As far as wearing medals I don't wear any with my Kilt I wear my ribons on my uniform witch I very rarely wear anyway I do have a large DMT pin I use as a Kilt pin but that is it. I have a retired HMSC that I work with he wears a pin on his jacket for his PH and sometimes for his other medals he is the most decorated guy I know so it would take up his jacket to wear them all. If you ever watch the documentry on the history channel about the Battle at Cason he is the Corpsman running out and dragging the Marine back to the base.

[OFCJAX]

Here I am in my formal set up. The jacket is a Goodwill grab ($2.50!) and the Kilt is a XKilt I made.




I think it looks good.

[BoldHighlander]

Here I am in my formal set up. The jacket is a Goodwill grab ($2.50!) and the Kilt is a XKilt I made.

I think it looks good.

Nice! Very smart looking!

[SFCRick]

veterans always have the right to wear their medals and even their last uniform as long as it does not bring disgrace to the service- such as a class A coat with camo pants-

[Alaskan Kilted Guy]

veterans always have the right to wear their medals and even their last uniform as long as it does not bring disgrace to the service- such as a class A coat with camo pants-

I would say a veteran has the right to wear his or her medals or ribbons or uniforms as they choose, even if it is not according to AR 670-1. (Or the regulation that covers their branch of service.)

Their service has earned them that right.

Now that being said I would not personally wear my ribbons or uniforms with intent of being disgraceful, however, there are some that would find how I choose to wear them disgraceful no matter what I did. I am not one to go with the standards society expects for me, unless I choose to. Long hair, facial hair, piercings, and tattoos etc... Some folks don't appreciate that.

Above mentioned expectations should not preclude a veteran from wearing their ribbons proudly.

[Wolfgore]

I would say a veteran has the right to wear his or her medals or ribbons or uniforms as they choose, even if it is not according to AR 670-1. (Or the regulation that covers their branch of service.)

Their service has earned them that right.

Now that being said I would not personally wear my ribbons or uniforms with intent of being disgraceful, however, there are some that would find how I choose to wear them disgraceful no matter what I did. I am not one to go with the standards society expects for me, unless I choose to. Long hair, facial hair, piercings, and tattoos etc... Some folks don't appreciate that.

Above mentioned expectations should not preclude a veteran from wearing their ribbons proudly.

I agree 100%.
I have never served in the service,I feel that those that did have earned the right to wear those medals proudly in any way they choose.