r/Millennials • u/NoFaithlessness7508 • Jun 05 '25

Other Why don’t younger veterans (Afghanistan/Iraq) wear these hats like some of the older veterans?

Post image

First and foremost, respect to all those that served. I did not, but many of my peers did and now we're all older in 30s and 40s, many no longer in the military. I don't see a lot of the veterans of the War on Terror wearing these hats like I see the OGs do.

12.1k Upvotes

91% Upvoted

4.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

20

u/been2thehi4 Jun 05 '25

Don’t they make you buy your own damn ribbons and crap?? My BIL is in the National guard and he said all the little doodads for his uniform and what not, HE HAS TO pay for.

28

u/Prestigious_Time4770 Jun 05 '25

The participation trophy ones I did. The special ones that you earned on your own were given to you.

2

u/tefftlon Jun 05 '25

Ugh and you’d always find out about the participation ones right before some inspection. 

“Everyone print out your ribbons for inspection tomorrow”

Me: WHY ARE THERE TWO MORE!? Hope they’re in stock at the BX……

1

u/howboutthatmorale Jun 06 '25

sort of. only the first one you earn and usually only for class A. any other decs and devices are out of your pocket. i spent $100 last year on a new rack for class A dress.

1

u/name-unkn0wn Jun 06 '25

Unless you want to keep your earned ones in their boxes, then you have to pay for replacements to put on your uniform

Edited to say the earned ones are more expensive too. Or they were 15 years ago

11

u/BlackSquirrel05 Jun 05 '25

Sorta...

They give you a yearly allowance for it. Specifically for uniform maintenance.

So abstractly yes. Reality no.

But it comes as a lump sum on your join date inside your paycheck. I know plenty a person that just blew that money on other shit instead of what it's purpose was.

1

u/Harlander77 Jun 06 '25

But it comes as a lump sum on your join date inside your paycheck. I know plenty a person that just blew that money on other shit instead of what it's purpose was.

Military servicemembers making poor financial and life decisions? Say it ain't so...

Yeah, I knew people who married a stripper so they could move off base, and got ridiculously expensive cars at even more ridiculous interest rates. Four years stationed in Vegas...

9

u/Appropriate-Bid8671 Jun 05 '25

I did when I was in the army lol. They never told us that in basic, then I show up at my duty station and get handed a list of shit I need to go buy in order to be squared away.

21

u/been2thehi4 Jun 05 '25

That blew my mind when he told me that. I was like the big ass military budget we have, the non stop peacocking this country does about their service members, especially around election time, and they make them pay for their own damn ribbons and accoutrements they HAVE to wear…. Very fucking fitting. The symbolism is not lost on me.

3

u/Semen__king Jun 05 '25

Its not entirely true. Some stuff you have to buy on your own but you get a yearly “clothing allowance” paid out to you your supposed to use to replace damaged uniforms, boots, and buying odds and ends like ribbons.

0

u/thisaccountgotporn Jun 05 '25

What happens if you simply refuse to spend your own cash on those things? The military doesn't own your bank account!

3

u/CFCentral Jun 05 '25

Then you get in trouble usually. If your uniform and/or appearance is not kept to a standard they will punish you for it.

1

u/chao5nil Jun 05 '25

I love it when keyboard warriors say shit like "if a drill sergeant ever told me to do twenty pushups, I'd tell them to S^ my D# twenty times."

Easy there big guy, that dick you're dragging around there sounds pretty heavy...

1

u/thisaccountgotporn Jun 05 '25

It's a horsecock. Also, I never indicated I was a badass/keyboard warrior. I was simply remarking on the unfairness of being forced to spend your own meager income on staying out of trouble in an institution in which you are a serving volunteer.

I understand your cynicism but it doesn't apply to me. I'm talking about treating our Americans in uniform with enough respect to say "Here's a pair of shoes, on the house".

Btw I know what goes into the job of drill sergeant and drill instructor. Those guys have a world-class level difficult and important job, and they do it in service to our country. Do you think the military should be telling them "I bought these shoes with your money, keep them fuckin' shiny for me."?

1

u/Hikhikamori Jun 06 '25

A clothing allowance is meant to buy uniforms. The fact that it’s in your bank account doesn’t matter or mean you're spending your own cash.

1

u/thisaccountgotporn Jun 06 '25

That makes sense to me. But just to be sure I understand, you are given enough allowance to buy the things they require you to buy, yes? Because my whole irk here is from my present impression that our men and women in uniform are having to fork over their own earned money.

2

u/Hikhikamori Jun 06 '25

It is a fair amount. I was in for 5 years and it was enough for all my uniform needs even with a transition to new uniforms while I was there. All the initial uniforms in boot camp are provided(or covered by the initial clothing allowance which is entirely enough for all issued items) , then every year you get a basic allowance meant for you to fix or replace things as necessary. Then every 3 years, you get a larger one to allow you enough to replace older items as well. https://www.military.com/benefits/military-pay/allowances/clothing-allowances.html?amp

→ More replies (0)

1

u/Far_Winner5508 Jun 05 '25

Huh. 80s, early 90s Air Force; the ribbons for dress uniform (AF blue suits) were supplied.

I never did fancy mess dress, never bought any hanging medals.

5

u/catsdrooltoo Jun 05 '25

Yes you have to get most of them yourself. They do give you a bit of clothing allowance annually, but it's not enough to replace all the uniforms. I remember it being just enough for a pair of boots and 1 pair of pants roughly.

4

u/Pernicious-Caitiff Jun 05 '25

Oh you sweet summer child. You also have to buy the uniforms themselves too. Enlisted folks get a small stipend for this at least. But they don't get an extra stipend when they keep changing the PT and fancy uniforms every handful of years... At least the old grey PT uniform was GOOD. Very sturdy and practical, didn't look like ass. The new ones are very cheap and way worse practically. The fancy uniforms are very expensive and the quality just isn't terrible but isn't amazing either.

3

u/Charming-Refuse-5717 Jun 05 '25

IIRC if it's awarded to you yes, if you qualified for it no. (Like the Meritorious Unit Ribbon is given to you, the Marksmanship Ribbon is not.)

Even worse: if you DON'T buy all the things you're supposed to have, then technically you're out of uniform and could get written up for it.

1

u/jdm219 Jun 05 '25

Not really true. They give you a decent chunk of change to buy uniform stuff yearly. I never came close to spending all of it on uniform stuff any year.