underjeep said:
This forum isn't very forgiving to dissenting opinions, but ok, you guys win. I'll get my non issued PT shirt when I go into town and get that custom shirt made. Thanks for the healthy argument guys, I appreciate it and no hard feelings.
I disagree. Dissenting opinions that are well-thought and presented logically, with good supporting arguments are indeed respected here. However, one of the realities of life in general (and not just in the military) is that there is always a heirarchy and decisions are made at higher levels that don't make sense at lower levels. This doesn't mean that the issues raised at the lower levels are wrong or are being ignored. It simply means that the higher level authority has (hopefully) taken other things into account when making his/her decision and has issued instructions, which (hopefully) provide the best
overall course of action. Get used to it. This is how a heirarchy works.
Over the years (almost 30 of them in the CF in fact), I have been in many situations where my advice has been followed and in other cases ignored. The results have been mixed. Most, but not all of the time, when my advice has been followed, things have turned out as expected. Sometimes, when my advice has not been followed (note I didn't say ignored), things have gone south. On other occasions, it has proved fortunate in retrospect that my advice was not followed. My point is that leadership is a burden as one often has to take conflicting advice into account and make a decision. Never take it personally that your advice seems to have been ignored. Your boss may have a different picture of the situation than you do and act accordingly. Since he/she is the one reponsible for the outcome, that is his/her perogative.
I get a little uptight when folks talk about "ridiculous rules." There are no ridiculous or stupid rules. Every rule has a reason. It was put in place at some point to deal with some situation. Does this make it sacred, to be followed without question and never changed thereafter? No, of course not, but be very carefull about labeling a rule as stupid or outdated unless you fully understand the reason it was there in the first place. A rule may very well be in need of amendment or abolition, but before you can do that, you need to be absolutely positive that the original reason for the rule has also changed. Just as there are many examples of rules that need to be changed, there are also rules that have been changed, only to cause more problems than the change was supposed to solve, simply because the folks pushing for change did not understand why the rule was there in the first place.
Now, in your case in particular. I happen to agree that you should be able to wear your green t-shirt for PT. I don't understand why you want to because I think it's ugly, but I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to. However, I'm not your course staff and I don't know all the details. There may be very good reasons why they want you to dress a certain way, but that is THEIR perogative and if you wish to have a successful career in the CF, you need to understand that. Just because the Dress Regulations permit what you want doesn't mean that the Chain of Command cannot place an additional restriction on your situation. Yes, this is allowed. What they are doing does not contravene the Dress Regulations. The Chain of Command sets dress policy at the appropriate level. Guess what happens if they tell you to fall in on parade with bathing suits and snowshoes?
My advice to you in dealing with this is to stop raging against the machine and do your best to comply with your staff's direction. What they are asking of you is not unreasonable. Trying to mock them with custom t-shirts with provocative statements won't end well for you. The best way to fix this is to keep your nose clean, be best course candidate you can be, excel in your training, get promoted and then one day come back as an instructor. When you are on staff, you can then make the changes you see fit - or, you might realize by then that your instructors were right all along....
When I was 20, I thought my father was an idiot. When I turned 25, I was amazed at how much he had learned in just five years. (apologies to Mark Twain)
rancing:
