The Declaration of Independence

[The Annoyed Man]

More recently, John Taffe graduated from Army Basic Combat Training, Ft Leonard Wood, at 55. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/55 ... 42821.html

Very interesting. Just an observation....... Sgt Taffe has a lot of fruit salad and bling on his chest for a new graduate of boot camp, including two airborne pins. Could those be from his prior service, and if you serve honorably in two branches, are you allowed to wear the patches, pins, and medals from prior service in the first branch when currently serving in the second branch? If not, then I'm thinking that this picture was taken quite some time after he graduated from boot camp.

(I think I might have just answered my own question when zooming in on the pin that has what might be the Navy's UDT emblem on it.)

Second question is, what is the significance of one jump pin being silver, and the other gold? Just curious......

According to the link you gave - he spent 14 yrs on Active Duty in the Navy - I am guessing that is why he has his rank and other badges.

For the record, that was oljames3's link, not mine. Yeah, I saw that he had been in the navy for a fairly long time; but I've never served in the military myself, so I am not familiar with the uniform display protocols concerning ribbons, pins, and medals awarded in prior service with a different branch than the one you're currently serving in. That's why I was asking....I was just curious.

[Keith B]

Those and the rank are from his time in the Navy where he was a Chief Petty Officer, equivalent to an E7 and spent most of his time as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal technician, diver, parachutist and instructor. https://www.army.mil/article/122708/55_ ... r_37_years

[The Annoyed Man]

I retired at 60 with disability. I'm still useful.

What I know from speaking with a lot of older veterans, my age and older (≥ mid-sixties), is that they are tough as barbed wire - physical condition notwithstanding - because toughness is as much mental as it is physical. And in the event of the kind of insurgency being hinted at here, I suspect that there are a lot of old men who are physically creaky, but are still very good with a rifle, from way far out. I can easily imagine that some of them would see this as as good a way to exit this life as any other, and be willing to get comfortable in a spider hole somewhere with a good bolt rifle, and just start killin' whomever they're PO'ed at. God help the traitor that blunders into their sights.

[Pawpaw]

Patches only have meaning for the unit you're currently assigned to. Ribbons, medals, and badges are forever.

Almost. If you served in the Army, and served in combat, you may wear the unit patch you were in combat with forever (on your right shoulder) while in Army dress. Also, you may wear unit citations (over right pocket) of your unit only while in that unit, unless you served in that unit during the date(s) for which the citation was issued. If you did serve with that unit during the date(s) issued, then you may wear it/those unit citations forever while in Army dress.

Yes I know every branch has their exceptions, but they only matter to those who still wear the uniform.

When explaining to those who did not serve, my statement will be right far more often than it's wrong. I sincerely doubt many of them are interested in the "fascinating" details of each branch's dress code.