On 10/19/03 8:40 AM, in article , "John Miller"
wrote:

Doug "Woody" and Erin Beal wrote:
Keeping in mind my only contact with the black shoe Navy was limited--an
occasional AW conference with the small boy crews in San Diego during my
CVW Strike Ops tour and the assorted bump-intos with staffers assigned to
the CVN, my view may be a bit skewed (not to mention my Neanderthal
pilot-monkey bias), but even the standard light-weight Nomex jackets were
coveted by these guys and immediately festooned with DESRON, DDG, CG, etc
patches (just like their aviator counterparts).

Sounds like you object to being admired! Remember, what makes you a Naval
Aviator isn't the clothes you wear. And no matter how salty their jackets,
you've got one thing those guys never will: your wings.


John,

I don't object to being admired. I do object to folks that aren't in my
line of work who want to wear the same clothes I do (in uniform) and then
out of the other side of their mouths tell me where I can and cannot wear
mine.

Don't play in MY sand box while trying to dictate the sand box rules.

Kinda makes me wanna hurl.

I gotta stop responding to these posts. I feel like I'm just ranting and
beating a dead horse. Truly, folks, I don't lie awake nights freaking out
about this stuff.

Here I am not heeding my own advice again. I do what I shouldn't do, and
don't do what I should do.


Life's definitely too short for that sort of thing.

Here's one: I've got a pristine G-1. I've also got a collection of patches
from commands in which I served, passenger traps on the Lex, a VIP ride
with Blue Angel #7, you get the picture. I am a pilot, but not a Naval
Aviator. Do you take any comfort in knowing that I haven't festooned my
jacket with the patches? (Just asking, but asking sincerely.)


John, I don't mind you festooning the jacket like a Winnebago... wearing it
to the Food World... whatever. Have at it. In fact, I bought one and
patched it up for a dear friend of mine who would NEVER have physically
qualified to fly in the military.

The problem I have is with uniformed military non-aviators or folks not
within the aviation community dressing like aviators. (I thought that was
an understood point... My apologies.)

Keep in mind, my opinion on this is more of a pet peeve--even less than
that--a slight objection, but I don't understand how these folks that
haven't earned the wings (and hence the flight attire) want to run around in
the flight clothing.

Doesn't that lead to the slightly embarrassing "JAG moment?" e.g. (from a
real conversation between an civilian who had obviously seen the T.V. show
and a JAG wearing a flight jacket):
"You're a JAG then?"
"Yes, I am."
"What kind of airplane do you fly?"

I guess if folks want to deal with that kind of mild embarrassment, you can
be my guest. Granted, the question was as much about the T.V. show as the
jacket, but the jacket added to the illusion, and all things being equal, he
was legal to wear the jacket because he was working on an aviation flag
staff. I relate this story for the humor as much as the evidential value.

By the way, when I retire, I plan on wearing both of my "Winnebagos" out in
town with the rotund gut I intend to grow and thick, short gray hair, so
everybody can spot me as a ustabe. Fragile ego. Needs fed. |:-)

--Woody

Hey, sitting around Trader's maybe I couldn't drink as much as you guys, but
I could get just as drunk.

I don't do the drunk thing any more. Not worth the cost in the cost/benefit
analysis. |:-)