First Female Ranger School Gaduates

[Bengalzona]

(08-20-2015, 01:01 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: The "appearance of credibility" is a funny thing.  I would show up to a new unit in a sterile uniform on day 1.  I'd wear all the boy scout badges on day 2 and the way I was treated was totally different.

Believe it or not, that trend is far worse among the officers. I was a battlion S-1 and part of my groups' job was write up the unit award recommendations for the LTC. The higher the rank, the less they had to do to get a recommendation to the point that it was ridiculous. And from talking with other people, that is pretty much the way it is throughout the military. Awards are handed out sometimes (not all the time) for the flakiest reasons that it is hard to know if it was deserved or not. But tabs and training badges are a little different. A Ranger tab means you went through that course and it is a rough course. It does symbolize a certain degree of physical and mental toughness. And the Army wants you to feel good about earning it so they can get more people to try the course. But outside of knowing that someone went through a tough course, I learned early on to look for what the guy was wearing on his right sleeve (or if they have a CIB or equivalent). That had a higher credibility for me.