Pentagon guidance on ice bucket challenge
Apparently, there are too many lawyers at the Pentagon who are not engaged in rewriting the rules of engagement every minute of every day for the troops who are involved with fighting the war against terror, so some of them got together and wrote rules of engagement for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. From the Stars & Stripes;
An Army spokeswoman, asked to clarify the service’s position on the trend, cited the Defense Department’s Office of General Counsel Standards of Conduct Office. She said uniforms and civilian clothes “clearly showing an Army relationship” cannot by worn by employees performing the challenge and posting a video online. A soldier also can’t give his Army affiliation aloud or his rank, the spokeswoman, Tatjana Christian, wrote in an email.
“ALS Association is a national non-profit organization,” Christian wrote. “As such, participating in this event is subject to concerns about implied endorsement.”
But I think of all of the things over the last 13 years or so in which people in uniform have been used inappropriately, this is probably the least offensive. I see beer commercials, USAA commercials, Wounded Warrior Project, political campaigns, etc…, which all have people in uniform talking about their rank, jobs, and so on, but this is where they’re going to draw the line? Seriously?
I just think that it’s strange timing – because earlier this week, I challenged Sergeants Majors of the Armies (I wanted to make sure I got enough plurals in there for you USASMA grads) Ray Chandler to the Ice Bucket Challenge by email and I think this is his way to get out of it.
Category: Big Army
And yet as far as I know, senior military personnel can – and still do – address organizations such as AFCEA when invited, and do so in uniform. Ditto those attending same.
Someone can probably explain the distinction, but it does seem to be a bit . . . odd.
Whew! I’m glad they got all those shenanigans stopped. Because you know, the ice bucket challenge is the most important issue that the Army has going on right now. Ugh!
I guess their rules are their rules, it seems unusual to look the other way for some uses of the uniform though and suddenly find a voice regarding this use.
In any event the ice bucket challenge can go wrong if safety rules are not followed….http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/21/us/firefighters-ice-bucket-challenge/
Let’s see , march in Gay parades in uniform but not no ice bucket in anything that looks or says Army?Screwed up values much? Joe
So its okay to wear your uniform and march in a Pillowbiter Parade but not okay to openly support a charity for research? Wow I am so happy that the Pentagon has finally gotten it’s priorities straight. Whats next? Let me guess, it will be a violation for troops to return fire at an enemy if the enemy is openly gay or financially challenged? (sarcasm people, get used to it)
Yeah, but there’s just enough truth in your statement…
I don’t see what is wrong with doing the ice bucket challenge in uniform, nor do I see the issue in marching in gay pride in uniform. So long as the soldiers show proper respect to the uniform and act accordingly.
We have become a country that is led by attornies… no offense to honorable ones like TSO, who are actually performing a fucntion. Those employed by the government apparently on exist to create chaos and confusion.
I think we have just too many lawyers.
The late Robert A. Heinlein apparently agreed. In one of his alternate universes, 1965 was the “Year They Hanged the Lawyers”.
http://www.heinleinsociety.org/concordance/XYZ_HC.htm
So you can’t wear your uniform to support a non-profit like ALS research. Does that mean the annual strong arm tactics for Combined Federal Campaign will go away?
Dream on, amigo. (smile)
Does this mean the uniforms have to come off during the CFC Campaign??
I guess I was redundant adding “Campaign” there…
For the love of God, NO. There are some people I do NOT want to see out of uniform!
Further guidance just received states that CFC is an official fundraising activity.
There isn’t enough ice water in the world to wake SGM Chandler from his stupidity. By the way, the Army sponsors an entire high school football all-star game. Nothing wrong with that? Glad that they’re showing the warranted concern of ice buckets.
Just look for the guys following the SMA’s directives for appearance in civilian clothes (clean shaven, to standard hair cut, and no tattoos) and assume that they are in the Army.
No reflective belts, probably no safety brief either. That’s a big NO GO in today’s Army
Not just that, they’ll need to fill out a Risk Assessment Form before engaging in that as well!!
BTW, the last update I saw for ALS is around $44 million and counting. Compared to something like $2 million last year.
Let’s hope they use all that money wisely and find some solutions.
“A soldier also can’t give his Army affiliation aloud or his rank, the spokeswoman, Tatjana Christian, wrote in an email.” For a charitable event. Well…okay. But then why…
Is it’s okay for the administration through “unnamed DoD sources”, to release tactics used by Special Forces during a supposed incursion into Syria to look for hostages?
The former might cause some unforeseen health problem, the latter gives operational intel to our enemies. I watched this on the news last night as retired Generals, former intelligence officers and most folks with common sense were saying in effect, “what the hell, you NEVER disclose operational details in any way, shape or form to the public. It’s dangerous to future similar operations.” But what does Obama care for American lives? Nothing as he has proved time and again. It was a planned political, poll playing ploy to benefit him. But what am I asking for here? After all he couldn’t take the time from vacation to attend and pay respects to a Major General killed in action, by the folks we’re there to help…again. He couldn’t take time to talk about Foley because he was back on the links within the hour while the Foley family was giving their press conference to the media. He came out to support another, “if I had a son, he would look like Michael Brown” then back to vacation. Worthless bag of dicks, him and his whole crew!
G.W. Bush did it, and it was a pretty funny video too. Then he challenge his esteemed colleague Slick Willy to do the same. I heard B. Hussein Obama copped out and wrote a $100 check, but I haven’t looked into that one to see if it was true. Maybe someone here has further info on that one. But if it is true, then seriously bro? A $100 check? Hell, even Charlie Sheen gave $10,000, and he’s a coke head. Then he challenged his old boss, Chuck Lorre, and a few others to do the exact same. So of it’s true….$100, seriously? Someone doesn’t play well with others…..
Very unsurprising. I’ve heard that B. Hussein 0bama & Family typically give what, maybe three percent of their income to charities?
Technically, by doing the challenge in uniform or using your rank and position, you would commit two fouls:
1. You would be using your rank/position to potentially compel someone else by name to give money (challenge)
2. You would be potentially endorsing a charity on behalf of your branch of service or DoD when you don’t have the authority or approval to do so.
If thats the case why is there a CFC?
Every year officers IN UNIFORM stand in front of formations of service people IN UNIFORM and hit them up to donate on the spot and fill out CFC forms.
Strangely enough one of the charities in CFC is ALS research.
Fucking officers with nothing better to do came up with this shit.
You want to RIF the Officer Corps call in the cocksuckers that had nothing better to do than address this non-issue.
In the dark ages when we paid the troops in cash (Pay Day Procedures), there was a line of vultures the trooper had to get by with hands out for AER, join the Club, 82nd Assoc, AUSA, Savings Bonds….
But I had a break in Service after VN and worked for Ma Bell. Same drill. Every Swinging Richard, management and union, locked in a room until they “volunteered” to buy a Savings Bond. It could be 5 cents a pay period but Ma Bell was going to get 100%.
I guess with that thought process, we’re endorsing homosexuality over Christianity, the Wheel of Fortune over Who’s Smarter than a Fifth Grader (I can tell you who’s not), and USAA over State Farm. The PC MPs need to think before they act and get with the program.
What’s next, NO ice bucket dumping without a PT belt and K-pot?
So, if I were to stand on the local parade field in my workout clothes and point out to potential viewers that I’ve got a stupid hitler youth haircut, I’m clean-shaven on the weekend, and I’m very uncomfortable wearing my “non-work outfit” without a reflective running belt, that my position is somewhere between 11B2P and 11B4P, and that the “organization” I work for has forbidden me from mentioning its name…
I haven’t specifically mentioned my rank, position or association with the Army, and also haven’t specifically mentioned a particular charity, so I guess I can tell Ray to suck it after I dump ice on my head.
I thought the whole idea of dumping water on people’s head was kinda dumb to begin with, but now I want to do it just so be a pain in the ass. Given the extortion of junior enlisted that happens every time CFC rolls around, and given that servicemembers were allowed to wear their uniforms in gay pride parades, I intend to find some loophole here and abuse it.
IMO the CIA needs to pay up the ten dollars for every time they water boarded a very bad person in Gitmo. And our dear leader can pay the $100 bucks for every one that he stopped. Unless he is to dirt poor to pay up.