Spicer reports for duty
CBS News reports that they spotted Trump White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer when he reported for drill this weekend at the Pentagon in uniform;
Spicer, a commander in the Navy Reserve, is currently assigned to the Joint Staff’s naval reserve contingent in D.C. He joined the reserve in 1999, and graduated with a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College in 2012. Spicer in the past has worked as a media planner for joint exercises in Guam, Germany and Sweden, and oversaw media coverage of Navy operations at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, according to the Military Times.
The Spicer sighting comes as President Donald Trump is away at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, weighing the possibility of intervening in North Korea if that country tests its nuclear program in the days ahead.
Category: Navy
Ahhhh. Didn’t know this. His being a reservist explains a few things – in a good way.
Sure, his being on duty at the Pentagon can be interpreted as his simply needing to get some active duty time in, to the inevitable convoluted silly conspiracy the left will concoct.
Sorry, according to that picture the man is NOT a Navy Commander, he is a Lieutenant Commander LCDR!!
Scandal! I bet this’ll be front page news on Monday across the nation!
Old picture or is he a Lieutenant Commander (O-5) instead of Commander?
Make that O-4. Damn fat fingers
Old pic. Made CDR in 2014, IIRC.
Commander, Upper Half
Aaaaand…how/why is this news?
Not news. Posted for educational purposes for all us knuckle dragging non Navy types.
We learned today that O-4’s in the Navy are not yet considered Field Grade Officers so they don’t get to wear scrambled eggs on their covers./smile
An Army knuckle-dragging explanation for the hat is there are no “fields” involved with floaty boats, and therefore no chickens to lay the eggs…
So the leftist media can make something of it that it is not?
In this particular case, I’m sorta glad that they are doing it. I’d missed the fact that his is a serving member of the military, a fact I am grateful to have.
^^^Word^^^ he certainly doesn’t have to do it so that speaks well of him IMHO. Sure there are other things he rather do on a weekend esp given the job he has.
Yeah, I didn’t know that he is in the Navy Reserves and I thought it was interesting. This was the only picture I could find of him in his uniform. Too often we don’t know about these guys’ military service until they’re dead.
Couple more pics of the Spice Man in his Navy whites (one has him w/ his wife).
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4413560/Sean-Spicer-arrives-Pentagon-fulfill-reserve-duties.html
https://www.flickr.com/photos/seanspicer/4650303902
STILL a lieutenant commander in that picture lol
Definitely interesting, thanks for posting this one. I wouldn’t have known otherwise.
I believe the photo is atop USS Intriped NYC. He is wearing his Fleet Week New York PUblic Affairs Officer (FWNY PAO) credential. Fleet Week New York preps are well underway and lasts approx 1.5 weeks before and after Mem Day.
I’m waiting for people to say that he was trying to sneak into the Pentagon in a costume for some nefarious purpose…
I like the image of admirals standing in line to suck up to a subordinate.
I liked him before learning about his Naval experience. This part of his life may explain his commanding authority over the pitiful press mongrels.
17 years service and no overseas service. Chickenhawk coward
Judgement much?
Looks like he has an overseas service ribbon.
He has overseas on bottom and has several Joint Unit awards so he has been some places and part of Joint Task Forces. I also believe you have to do 90 Consecutive days or 120 calmative. The Navy does not like to call Reserves up for more than 90 Days. They do as in IA’s and units, but usually not like the Army does.
CDR Spicer has a Navy and Marine Corps Overseas Service Ribbon showing in the photo above.
Have no idea if the Navy does this or not, but USAF cycled through several periods where they made absolutely certain that a reservist would be off orders by 179 days if 180 days was required for some medal or another, for instance, even when it left a mission essential position vacant for a few days. Really was stupid, but something we came to expect and learned to work around.
Stuff can be manipulated when you have folks who want to waste time doing it. Didn’t always happen but it did much too often to just be coincidence.
It almost sounds like there’s some sort of entitlement or something that happens if someone is activated for 180 days or more, maybe that’s what the 179 days thing is about?
For reserve components 180 days is the magic number for making them “active duty” and getting more benefits as active duty. So, 179 day tours were always the magic number for long tours. Meaning, you are getting ‘mobilized’ because you’re on duty for 6+ months.
Though it is more complicated than that. In the old “pink card / green card” days, you could get a green ID card for doing 139+ day orders. You could also get a DD214 for 140+ active duty days. Less than that, they’d usually not want to deal with it.
However, since 9/11 so many things have changed. No more pink/green ID cards, more benefits for reserve component personnel, etc. If you do 30+ days of duty you get all the normal stuff, BAH, BAS, etc. (Annual Training orders are still maxed out at 29 days per FY)
Though, long tours on Active Duty Special Orders (ADSO, used to be ADSW) are still up to 179 days, unless you get a waiver, or you’re filling an active component position they can’t fill. Usually though, they do 139 day or 179 day orders, then the resrvist comes off orders for a day, then goes back on orders again. So, it remains the magic number. (They also do that because it is easier than asking for extensions, etc etc.)
For longer tour needs they were doing a lot of mobilization orders under Operation Noble Eagle, which was what they called stateside service ISO GWOT. Those were for a year and coud be extended for longer. (I knew a few who were on those for 3-5 years.) I haven’t heard of them doing those types of orders in a long time though. That was mostly 2001-2010ish.
I’m sure that was clear as mud, but it’s still morning.
I’d love to see you go out there and stand behind that podium facing a hostile mob of liberal journalists like this “coward” does on a daily basis, you ignorant putz.
Monkeyass, my ass; you should call yourself Baboonass, you flaming asshole.
EAFBOD. He’s a PAO in a Reserve unit. Not exactly tip of the spear.
Also, as noted, he does have Overseas Service Ribbon, so yeah, there’s that.
How about you bust the balls of some active duty E-9 who has yet to deploy (God knows, there’s enough of them out there.)
MonkeyASS: They can’t all be a war hero like you with a dozen ribbons for heroism.
Isn’t it enough he serves? Does he need to meet certain criteria you set for him?
I’d say more, but Poet did so quite well.
Yeah, hell in the Army you can be Commandant of the Drill Sergeant School without a combat patch.
MonkeyPoo, flinging itself……
Just curious: anything of note on his ribbon rack? I don’t speak Navy.
He has done mostly Joint Commands and or operations. The one thing that bothers me is NO zero warfare device, his job he could earn the Operations Dominance Warfare and should earn it or no moving up. I would say this is old and he should have one by now.
I was surprised he has none of the GWOT expeditionary or campaign medals.
I think he’s the only person I’ve seen with an Antarctic Service medal though.
The Information Dominance is relatively new, so it’s not surprising he wouldn’t have it in 2114 when picture was taken.
FWIW Mavy sends loads of RC officers on short tours to the box. Only need 30 days for the medals.
“I think he’s the only person I’ve seen with an Antarctic Service medal though.”
I was thinking, “Is that an Antarctic medal?” when I saw the picture, then read the article. I think that one is pretty cool.
Pun absolutely intended.
True – but how many of those “short tours” were for O4/O5 PAOs?
I’d hazard a guess that the answer is “not many”. And I’d also hazard a guess that the same is true of how many USN in-theater IA slots since 2003 were coded USNR O4/O5 PAO.
Depending on one’s seniority and career field, getting a tour “in theater” may not be particularly easy.
PAOs weren’t a huge draw since so many units have their own PAOs already. When the unit deploys, they take a PAO with them, or assign someone the extra duty of PAO. They just go to the MOS-type PAOs at higher HQs for guidance and help. The Army especially loves “additional duty” memos for unit members.
I recall within 6 months, they activated a crap-ton of Chaplains so that every unit had one. They even went into overdrive on putting more clerics into uniform. Now, every battalion and higher has one. Same as PAOs, whether it is extra duty or an MOS.
As I recall, even when Navy personnel were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, often it was as individuals going to augment other units. Doing joint missions was a big thing for their career diversity so they worked with AF and Army units, especially Civil Affairs. In ’06 our battalion HQ was replace by a composite of Air Force, Navy, and Army types working together. Definitely an interesting situation there.
I don’t disparage anyone who served honorably. He wasn’t an O4/5 his entire career, but understand that some tours are harder to come by than others.
O6 buddy of mine retired with no tours to the box (had 36 months in HF/IDP service in other theatres though).
CDR Spicer’s personal awards that I can see in the photo above:
– Joint Service Commendation Medal
– Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal
– Joint Service Achievement Medal
– 2 x Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals
Before the uniform madman Mcpeak did away with the wheel cap in the USAF they didn’t have farts and darts on the brim until Lt Col.
When they brought the wheel cap back, farts and darts became O-4 and above.
The only time I ever wore a heel cap was when my sister graduated from college and was commissioned from ROTC and I did the honors. I can’t remember how much I paid for it but only worn once.
I don’t care what awards he has or is missing or where he has or hasn’t been. Just the fact the he has served and is serving his country is more than the last few press secretaries.
Good on him. I’m proud of him and like him even better now.
A fucking amen Blaster!!!!! I asked about ribbons only out of curiosity. Seems he did good over the years…when he didn’t have to.
Sure we’ll read about his service in the NY TIMES tomorrow. /sarc
Roger that brother. That comment was just 100% my opinion. Not a swipe at you. I don’t speak Navy either.🇺🇸
Appears to me that he is exactly where he out to be (per the picture taken in 2014). Appropriate personal decorations most likely earned as a LT or LCDR. As I hope our USAF, and Army folks know, a LCDR is equivalent to Major. So I suspect he is now a full Commander and has 3 solid bars on his shoulder boards and “farts and darts” on his brim. Good for him to have military connection. Beats the crap out of the moronic Homo erectoids we’ve had to tolerate past 8 yrs. I doubt if they were ever in the Boy Scouts CAPT “Bones”
With all of the joint service time Navy does now, we non-Navy are finally learning some of the rank structure (although they do make them wear our officer ranks, probably so Army/Air Force knows they are officers). Still hate the subdued Navy E-4 rank – looks like a fat Army/Air Force/Marine Corps full bird in bad light – nothing like saluting a freaking Navy E-4 🙂 .
Perfectly honorable service IMO. Maybe I should not but I always put people who served honorably in the profession of arms in a different category.
Those who serve have only so much say in where they go and what they do.
Can’t recall the last time (if ever) we had a serving WHPS.
I’m a little confused on Navy uniforms. Is this the Formal Dress White he is wearing in this pic?
http://media.silive.com/latest_news/photo/22484448-mmmain.jpg
It is very snazzy.
Spicer does an excellent job. He represents the President, Navy and America in an honorable, truthful fashion.
Quite a switch from the last 8 years.
He really rocks that uniform. Really squared away.
Jonn, you might consider removing this post before IDC SARC sees it and makes his obligatory remark re the CDR’s wife.
She is one damn fine looking lady.
Hell yeah she is.