BinRat55 said:
Not quite sure how you came to the conclusion that if the CANEX sells boots, we can wear them. Well, partly true - just not in uniform. :
The CANEX does not write the dress regs, nor does the CANEX attend the CWO Conference.
Do you mean the National Defence Clothing and Dress Committee (NDCDC), [ The Chief of Defence Staff is advised on dress policies by a National Defence Clothing and Dress Committee (NDCDC), and, on matters which apply only to members allocated a specific environmental identity, by the principal commander of the applicable force].
CWOs might recommend and actually write/determine the DIs, but Command signs off on it. Our Wing DIs are signed by the Wing Commander, which then gives subordinate commanders the authority to enforce.
You are only permitted to wear in uniform what the regs allow, or what your CoC is willing to overlook or authorize, IAW CAF Regs and Orders.
FTFY ;D
Now don't get me wrong - there are many many many soldiers from every rank and trade wearing non-issued boots. If your RSM is ok with you wearing SWATs or Magnums, then sure.
Knowing DIMSUMs rank, this is why I say that COMMANDERs (Wing Comd, COs, etc) have to 'sign off' on DIs. Might seem unimportant but does a CWO have the authority to order a Capt or Maj to do something? Put the COs signature on it...now its a different story. Might seem like semantics to some, but this 'semantics' are important in the military IMO.
BUT... the fact is, by the book, we should not have anything on our feet other than issued boots. And if you have a medical chit, Clothing Stores will LPO you a pair of COTS, bur even then we still have to conform to a certain standard.
There are issues even in this though; I had to tell the people I was dealing with at Clothing why the list of boots they provided me to 'pick from' didn't meet the applic standards (IAW the SAM) for the issued boots they were intended to replace. A CWWB has to be both insulated
and waterproof to be a CWWB; they had none on the list. :
I am going to be honest with you; Clothing stores SHOULD be issuing the boots. But THIS is where the Medical and Supply worlds have been fucking over people for so long now, some of those people have said "FUCK THIS SHIT" and either (1) gotten a chit so they can buy/wear their own boots or (2) just bought their own boots and wore them, not giving 2 shits what anyone thinks about it.
Before, special boots were a Medical system issue and paid for out of the Medical world fin codes. Then the medical world pushed back and said it was a Supply issue and Supply would pay for it. THIS is when the fucktardedness all started and people like me, who have been in LPO boots since 2003, have been getting the goddamn run-around every time I need new boots.
Case in point; I have been
TRYING to get my LPO winter boots replaced since JUNE 2015. It is December and I DO NOT HAVE CWWBs. That is NOT acceptable. NOT ACCEPTABLE. I have also been trying to get 1 pair of my LPO TCbs replaced. I got those recently, just after the time I actually needed them. WTF over? I needed TCBs in July and August. I got them in November. In November, I needed CWBs. Nope, none of those yet.
[size=10pt]6 months.
[/size]
I have been asked by multiple people...'why would you need CWWBs in July/Aug/Sep?". Well, because planes can fly north and its cold up there? :
Or hey, here's one; BECAUSE WHOEVER DECIDED MY SOI DECIDED I SHOULD HAVE THEM. Same as my parka that I have issued to me in June and July. :brickwall:
Then the 'LPO boots are only SOI of 2 pair max'. I'd heard that before as well; "show me on my SOI or the SAM where it says that". :crickets:
The ONLY reason I did not staff a memo (which would have been supported with ref's and numerous emails over the last 6 months to accurately display how retarded this 'system' is when it is dysfunctional) is I was aware that the problem wasn't actually the Wing Clothing Stores staff; the REAL issue was with 1 person at DSSPM who obviously knew SFA about how flying Sqn's operate.
The way I see it, simple form is this: someone has decided my SOI. That part has been done. If you are working at Clothing, no offence but I don't care what you think of that SOI. The Air Force has said "you should have 2 pr of CWWBs, all the time". If you work at Clothing, you really only need to do whatever you do to make sure I have my SOI. You don't think I 'need' 2 pair of TCBs? I don't care! Someone already decided that. :2c:
The fact that a member of the CAF could even ask the question "If the CANEX sells it, can we wear it?" is just... well.. wow.
In at least some parts of the CAF, common sense is allowed into the equation; if the CANEX SWATS look like military boots and others are wearing them (I am guessing you haven't been around a flying Sqn much) or other boots (I've seen SWAT, Magnums, Oakley, Matterhorn, etc) are being worn, then what is so surprising? One thing I like about the RCAF over the Army when it comes to some kit, what matters more is if it works than "if it is the exact issued kit as Bloggins next to you has".
Some of our stuff, we are required to wear; ALSE, flying jacket/gloves/dual layer. But I have a 4-color flashlight I bought at a PX that is superior to the issued one we get. Should I have to use the issued one? White light in an observer window is a bad idea sometimes. Red is better; I personally don't believe it is smart for me to potentially endanger a crew, aircraft and mission because I followed official policy and used only my
issued white flashlight, IAW 'policy'.
Lots of people wear oxfords and windbreakers from the CANEX. A lot of mess kit stuff is now available at the CANEX. There are racks of belts, watch covers, FMP covers, boot bands, you name it, that are available at the CANEX for mbr's to buy; I've used some of it in the past in garrison, or in the field, without anyone batting an eye.
To extend that to include SWAT boots as well, especially for those who work primarily with flying Sqn's, isn't much a stretch at all when you think of it.
Now we have the LOTB. I have been issuing them out for about a month now, and you know what? Just more kit that everyone is bitching about.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, the same way, over and over and expecting a different result. ;D
Until the CAF and PWGSC and whoever accept that you can't make 1 kind of boot for 10,000 people, people will complain. in 1995 when we had the old combat boots, before the days of TCBs and CWWBs and even Gortex socks, I dropped $125 USD on a pair of Matterhorn 10" Gortex field boots [which are frickin awesome boots!] while at the US Calvary store outside Ft Knox KY; it was the best $ I had spent in a longggggggg time. Was I authorized to wear them at the time, officially? Nope. After years of cold, wet feet did I particularly care? Nope! I didn't give a shit what anyone thought about my non-issued
military looking, black, combat boots.
20 years later, and we are still seeing people complaining that the boots don't work for them, buying their own, and the Uniformity Police reporting to sick parade with high blood pressure.
Insanity.
