Being hooah.

[KoKoOnaJo]

Bluf: how to fix my IdGAF attitude?

Recently was walking slightly out of uniform (wrong socks in PT with visible adidas) and several people really got pissy.

Another example was hair slightly touching ears..

Uniform issues, tons of military jargon. I just don’t give a hoot.

Am I alone in not caring nearly enough ? If not what do I do?

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[DLorNoBalls]

No one really cares, some grumpy SNCO was just looking for someone to bully. The tactical response is "my mistake, I didn't realize, thank you for bringing that to my attention" if it's some rando, then you can continue on as usual. If it's someone who is likely to see you again, then maybe you can say "oh no no it's OK the regs were changed recently" or "I have a waiver." If they have the regs memorized like a freak, then just deescalate and avoid them. These are one liners meant to fire back as you continue to power walk away, forcing them to jog at you if they want to continue accosting you over absolutely mundane bull****.

Or you could just be in regs.

 

[pgg]

Consider the possibility that by being out of uniform regs because of apathy, you're casually insulting everyone who is in uniform. Don't be that guy. Cut your hair, wear the right socks, get your **** together. Get out when your ADSO is up, but while you're there, it's the least you can do.

 

[Apollyon]

Consider the possibility that by being out of uniform regs because of apathy, you're casually insulting everyone who is in uniform. Don't be that guy. Cut your hair, wear the right socks, get your **** together. Get out when your ADSO is up, but while you're there, it's the least you can do.

Yeah, what is it? If you can't even wear the uni right, or be in regs, what else aren't you doing correctly? What else are you doing halfway?

 

[DrMetal]

Bluf: how to fix my IdGAF attitude?

Recently was walking slightly out of uniform (wrong socks in PT with visible adidas) and several people really got pissy.

Another example was hair slightly touching ears..

Uniform issues, tons of military jargon. I just don’t give a hoot.

Am I alone in not caring nearly enough ? If not what do I do?

It's potential HPSP students like you, that I am actively trying to de-recruit. You joined the military, not some qu#$# fraternity that wears uniforms.

Now, I'm not saying you have to be total Hoorah and constantly drink from the Kool-Aid (I certainly don't). But at the very least, you need to be respectful, wear your uniform correctly, PT and stay within weight standards, pee for the UDS, and don't stick your genitals where they don't belong.

If you don't care, that's fine, fake it. If you don't, you'll get placed under a microscope. Even if you're the greatest clinician in the world, the first time you make a mistake (like Rxing yourself Adderall), they will pounce on you.

 

[DMBandFan86]

When I was in I had a sense of pride to be in the correct uniform. Sure I made mistakes at times. But even if you didn’t care, wouldn’t you just want to avoid people yelling at you and just follow the dress code? Makes life easier.

Also you must have watched at least a military movie before you joined. The dress code is taken very seriously by some.

 

[xffan624]

Consider the possibility that by being out of uniform regs because of apathy, you're casually insulting everyone who is in uniform. Don't be that guy. Cut your hair, wear the right socks, get your **** together. Get out when your ADSO is up, but while you're there, it's the least you can do.

The Soldiers in your unit don't see an HPSP doc who doesn't give a hoot and has been in for a year or two. They see a captain. That's an officer who is senior enough to know better. Try to live up to that if nothing else for their sake.

 

[Correlate Clinically]

The Soldiers in your unit don't see an HPSP doc who doesn't give a hoot and has been in for a year or two. They see a captain. That's an officer who is senior enough to know better. Try to live up to that if nothing else for their sake.

What they said above. I have my issues with my career choices and can rant with the best. But when you are on duty, no E-2 sees a doctor walking past them on base. They see an O-3/O-4/O-5/whatever.

Way back, I got a chewing out for something from a senior physician who was also my commander. At the end of a brief (but colorful) conversation, he pointed out that if any of my techs did or acted the way I did that day, they would immediately get papers. By disregarding the regs, I was inviting them to think it was ok, and then they would suffer the consequences (not me).

So, sure, there is a metric ton of crap I don't give a flying f!@# about. I do it, though. And if I'm going to do it, I try to do it the right way. It gets worse as you make rank. You meet standards because your folks expect you to exemplify the bar that they will then hold themselves to, whatever that ends up being.

When you have a serious case of IdGAF, the answer is: you fake it. You don't fake it for your own sake, but because a bunch of 18-20 yr olds will watch and in at least some way you end up as a role model (regardless of if you want to be or not).

Despite all of that; it is also perfectly acceptable to bitch, privately, among peers when someone gets obnoxious about the wrong socks or because you ran to the parking lot in scrubs. They may be right, but it is still really annoying when it happens.

 

[Dr. Wexler]

Fix the uniform issues. You want to fly under the radar.

I was not "hooah" but did my job, stayed in regs, passed APFT, and did the dumb required trainings. My life was easier than my peers who looked sloppy, couldn't pass APFT, and were always in the naughty list for delinquent training.

 

[Just Call Me Doc]

Remember, it's not about the hair or the clothes, it's about discipline and leadership. A lot of these regs seem silly to you (and us) but the discipline to keep within regs for stupid stuff translates to discipline to keep things spot on for things that really matter, especially for these kids straight out of high school. The purpose of the military is to prepare and fight in war and really can be life or death. These kids don't know what is important or not so have to start with folding underwear, blousing boots, etc... And since you're in a leadership position you have to maintain the standards for them to follow. Don't have to be hooah, but as mentioned need to fake it for those under you.

On another note, there is another more practical reason for maintaining strict standards for uniform and grooming. If the someone not in the US military tries to put on a stolen uniform and sneaks onto a base, there's a good chance they'll stick out like a sore thumb if they don't know all the regs. Easier to weed out the enemy.

 

[Saddleshoes]

Its all a big game
Were we all look the same.

But if you are taking the Eagle's money.
You need to play the by the Eagle's rules.

 

[DeadCactus]

This isn't military specific. Use power and authority to advocate for others, not to skate by rules others lower on the totem pole are held to.

 

[TheEarDoc]

How do you fix it? Well you act like a US Army officer not some kid with a chip on his shoulder. As others have said, others do not see a medical officer of HPSP student. They see an O-3 and for a lot of the combat arms community that is a pretty high officer rank that does not always come easy. You need to set the example. If you make it to 0-4 get ready for a whole other world and a whole other level of inspection and knowing your stuff.

No one cares that you are medical or a student. They only care what your rank is on the uniform. I suggest you un$%@^ your attitude ASAP, play the game (even if you don't care you need to act like you do!) and stay in regs, and pray that you never run into one of those line officers that are an 0-5 or above on say Fort Hood or Fort Bragg because they will destroy you. I have seen it happen to medical officers.

 

[LLB226]

There are a ton of silly rules in the military. Depending on the situation, some you can skirt and some you can't. Unfortunately, knowing the difference only comes with experience. It's probably easier to just make some effort to meet the standards and you won't have to worry about standing out and getting corrected.

 

[HighPriest]

As a long term advocate for not joining HPSP, I can’t agree enough with pgg. Not even attempting to wear your uniform correctly is an insult to the people around you who really do care, and it’s bad for morale. You wear a uniform, in part, to show respect and appreciation for everyone else. You can hate where you are and you can hate being in the service. If you don’t respect the soldiers around you, I’d wonder what you were thinking by joining in the first place. Those people are the one thing that’s great about milmed. You don’t have to be perfect, but try to be better.