Standing Watch.
With the shooting that has happen many people are on edge. One father is doing something to try help bring back peace of mind.
Thanks to Stolen Valor for finding the link.
Category: Real Soldiers
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Are Marines allowed to wear their uniform after they’ve been discharged? I know what the Army says or else I’d be doing the same thing with mine. (That was the first thing I considered on Friday whem I first heard the news of CT and then began receiving emails frrom my daughter’s school reassuring parent’s of their security.)
No, guy is a tool.
@2 For wearing his uniform against regulation, maybe but I think the bigger tools are the news station that ran this and the idiot that alerted them to it. It’s understandable for a parent to want to do something but at a time when you shouldn’t be drawing attention to yourself, thanks to the media sticking their nose in it, now the whole world knows anbout this school, that some parents there are running scared and above all, they have minimal security features there.
I also find it fascinating that people aren’t calling him out for his abuse of the uniform but had no problem earlier this year all but hanging two Guardsmen out for doing a publicity stunt for breastfeeding awareness in theirs.
He just reminds me of a boot Pfc that thinks he’s a badass because he can wear cammies.
What’s “fascinating” about it? Those two broads were using tools… illegally… making them tools… for publicity.
This guy is sending a message. Don’t like it?
Sue him.
All those women managed to do was strengthen the argument that female parents of infants shouldn’t be serving. We ain’t paying them to be cows.
I think the more important point is that he’s standing guard unarmed. What good is that? So he can be the first one shot by the next crazy? Then the media advertises that he’s unarmed which I think makes him even more of a target.
Good intentions perhaps, but not very effective.
@5 Typical response. Please show me where in the regs, Marines or Army where it lists the exceptions to the policy or that discharged personnel are allowed to use their best judgement as to what constitutes as acceptable use of the uniform. Afterall those ,other broads” were making a statement too. If he wanted to make a statement he could have done it in a high and tight and a pair of jeans.
@6 Exactly. The whole point of security is to show people you’re not vulnerable. Alll this did was do the opposite.
Ill believe this is a legitimate marine when I see his dd214 and his shitbag ass getting the nip and ass chewing he deserves. Until then this is another phony wearing the wrong uniform for the season and breaking the most basic uniform regulation marines have. Any marine knows better active reserve or former.
According to MCO P1020.34G:
“b. Former Members of the Armed Forces. Unless qualified under another
provision of this Order or under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 772, former
members who served honorably during a declared or undeclared war and whose
most recent service was terminated under honorable conditions may wear the
uniform in the highest grade held during such war service only upon the
following occasions and in the course of travel incident thereto:
(1) Military funerals, memorial services, weddings, and inaugurals.
(2) Parades on national or state holidays; or other parades or
ceremonies of a patriotic character in which any active or reserve United
States military unit are taking part. ‘Wearing of the uniform or any part
thereof at any other time or for any purpose is prohibited.’
c. Medal of Honor Holders. Persons who have been awarded the Medal of
Honor may wear the uniform at their pleasure except under the circumstances
set forth in Subsection a., above.”
And
“b. Former Marines who are discharged honorably or under honorable
conditions from the Marine Corps may wear their uniform while going from the
place of discharge to their home of record, within three months after
discharge.
c. Former Marines not on active duty who served honorably in time of war
in the Marine Corps may bear the title, and as authorized by regulations
prescribed by the President, wear the uniform of the highest grade held
during that war (subparagraph 11002.1).”
Well, I don’t know what all the animus is about towards this fellow but it seems to me it is misplaced. He is doing something, if only to give some kids, teachers, and parents some hope and peace of mind. If he’s unarmed, a potential shooter would have to take him out first, presumably, thereby warning others. I don’t want to parse this or analyze this into the ground. My point is that whether or not you think what he’s doing is effecive, proper, or meaningful, what he’s doing is putting some action behind his good intentions. (And I didn’t view the video. I don’t do FB, drugs, or CNN.)
The better question for Ms gi_janearng would be; What would you do to insure your child’s safety and even other children’s peace of mind?
OC-LT & 2-17 AC pretty much nail it. Those two AD women posing for a public picture of breastfeeding their babies, was simply a publicity stunt. This man, donning his old Marine uniform and standing watch at his children’s grade school? I’m not going to knock him down for doing it. Better yet, how about he rounds up honorably discharged Marines that pulled Embassy duties or more veteran’s step forward?
Yah. I’m of two minds about this. I’m leaning more toward “good on ya” than “shame on ya”.
Yes. He’s knowingly and willingly breaking the rules. As a SSGT, he should know better. It is possible though, that he does not.
On the other hand, far more than any physical security he may provide, his actions are providing a degree of emotional security to those parents, and maybe those children. I can’t fault his heart in this case.
Wow freakin harsh comments.
I don’t think this does a disservice to the Marines. So while our gov’t and our media talk and talk and talk about doing something this guy has already acted.
It’s a good idea too and only adds to the Military’s public image if it provides volunteers (i think many off us would do it; although perhaps we don’t need to be in our old unis – a something like a nice police auxiliary type jacket or vest would do).
I don’t think you need to be armed either – would be nice but i think by putting yourself out there you know you would be the 1st one taken out.
Once a Marine … Alaways a Marine.
Nothing wrong here. His actions are just fine with me!
@14
Building off your idea, perhaps a program can be set up for ex-cops/ex-military etc.
Give them a background/sex offender check of course, then set them up with a jacket and a radio. Let them voluntarily stand watch at schools. Probably won’t be allowed to have anything more than citizen’s arrest powers, and the insurance probably won’t let them carry a weapon. Although, I would think anyone volunteering for such duty that has a CCW permit would be able to do so.
Nik – I agree with what this guy is doing. I would do the same if I wasn’t already employed. As for having a CCW permit, it would come down to their concious, as weapons are not allowed on school property, thanks to the anti gunners. I for one, would probably carry, saving the life of a child trumps getting into trouble, every day of the week. Then again, I would gladly stand there unarmed as it would give early warning to the occupants of the school. Either way, the children are safe.
Damn, some folks have some major hairs across their asses.
I could see if he was a Poser…. but he is a Parent seeking to bring some level of comfort to his child and others as well.
So, he is technically not supposed to wear his Uniform. The Marine Vet who wandered onto the Pile at the WTC on 9/11 who found those cops trapped inside it was wearing his Uniform despite not being active at the time….
Myself, I have only worn mine twice since I got out and it was to a veterans event at my sons school. I would put it on again in a heart beat if it still fit to stand watch outside a school if they would allow it.
All this whiney bitches screaming for gun control, that Marine showed what we really need more of and you have people bitching about it!!!
It’d be just as well if he stood there out of uniform. It’s not a good idea to be wearing your Marine uniform like this. See regulation above.
Yeah, I guess it’s a bad idea to have retired Marines in uniform collecting toys for tots, too. But, legally speaking, it’s apparently okay for a gay porn movie actor to wear parts of a uniform in a porn flick. This is bordering on the ridiculous now.
@20
Those guys are retired? I always assumed they were AD Reservists.
Once upon a time, as long as you removed the US Army tape and rank insignia, you were good to go. I still wear my field jacket occasionally, as it is warm an cozy, and didn’t get much use while I served.
I will wait for someone to come along and tell me I can’t….
This is not a dress uniform and it can be worn to change the oil in your car or as a school watch with no harm to the regulations.
I wear an old pair of Combat utility pants made of OD ripstop nylon. Sometimes I even get the blouse out and wear them together, yes they have the old USMC iron on still on them. I have removed the black buttons off my old Forest green service dress and had them attached to my “go to family funerals” suit.
Often I also wear woodland and Jungle cammies BDU and I have a pair of Digies the son gave me, I have three boonie hats, woodland, digie desert and digie woodland, I wear them in the sun, canoeing, fishing and as a rain hat, I also wear even in Public!
I did the time four years active, Deployed three times, I earned the title, I took the lumps, and I have the service connected disability I got for doing it.
It’s my uniforms, it’s my service, it’s my choice and it’s my business.
Make me stop.
Semper Fi Mac, I got mine.
So a Marine I used to work with posted this up on his facebook, and he apparently was in a unit with him, and have said he’s a tool.
In a little bit of disbelief some of my friends know the guy.
So Starfleet uniforms are okay, then? Can we carry phasers?
Objectively, if the cowards that pull the shootins avoid where they see someone looking possibly like a uniformed badass, that would have some merit. Whether the guy is personally a tool, from some of the comments like 24 is sounds like at least he didn’t buy the surplus bits at GI Joe’s Swap Meet and Military store. Anyone else attempting to do ANYTHING at their local school?
@20, but isn’t Toys for Tots an “official” program that the Marines participate in?
@12, every parent has been asking “what would I do” since this emotional media circus has began. I have been carrying a concealed weapon long before this ever occurred. I remain vigilant when I’m at my daughter’s school functions and picking her up at night in a dark parking lot. This guy himself said he’s doing it to make a statement, and I’m sure that he has a job to go back to eventually. I’d be surprised to see him still there after their winter break is over. And then what? Then the school will remain as vulnerable as it was before. So the real question is what is he going to do to ensure constant security? A few days standing in front of the school isn’t really going to do anything in the long term.
I also know that you can’t prevent bad things from happening, I can only help my daughter’s school where needed with their security features even if it’s monetary donations to upgrade it, keep what I know is in place to myself instead of plastering it all over the tv, and reassure my daughter that no matter what happens her, we love her and make sure that we make every second with her count since even the littlest life can be so fleeting.
I saw a photo of him yesterday on Facebook. While I’m not grabbing my tar & feathers, I sure didn’t “like” the photo either. My first thought, was that much like the Nidal Hasan meme that was spreading, the assumption that unarmed servicemembers can prevent a shooting spree is just kind of silly. The uniform alone doesn’t secure anything. To me, it’s no different than standing outside the school dressed as Batman or Superman.
Honestly, my bigger problem with him, is that he is just stirring the stew of hysteria. What happened in Newtown was tragic, and my heart goes out to those who lost their children. But on that same day we had over 80,000 elementary schools in this country that didn’t have a mass shooting. Somewhere there has to be a happy medium between ignoring the situation, and going into panic overload.
Every parent who belongs to the PTA (that’s about 5 active members per school, I think) should be asking their local school boards what they are doing “for the children” to best ensure the next evil moron who visits a school with murder on his mind does not succeed. It’s not D.C. that is the place we should be looking but, instead, to our own local and state education officials. It is they who are responsible for the safety of children at school. They ban tag. They ban dodgeball. What are they doing about the crazies?
@ 29 Spot on … Local school boards should be providing not just adequate protection … but as we say in the security industry “superior protection that is greater than the threat itself”.
Looks like they copycats are already out: http://www.businessinsider.com/marine-guarding-school-is-an-impostor-2012-12
He’s for hope… how can you not be for hope? /sarc
We all know darn well better than to wear cammies off base. If *protection* was his real objective, he could have put on Alphas or Bravos.
Nothing to see here. He’s fake.