Quote Originally Posted by Voodoun View Post
As far as the no name/no rank thing, just understand that its taught as a tactical procedural tool by the instructors at SWCS. I'm not saying its right or wrong, but given what I know about the targeting of SOF soldiers' families by cells here in the states, and the uniqueness of my last name, I get the name tape thing, while the rank thing has been explained by everyone from E5's back from deployment to Lt. Cols warning us that PFC's and E4's are going to be required to be able to walk into a room with tribal officials, wearing no rank, and present themselves with enough professionalism and competence that they come across as seasoned officers. I don't know one iota of how things work in the real world, don't get me wrong, I just think its important that you understand that on certain fronts you may be coming down too hard on the soldiers for making individual 'cool kid' choices when they're just following their unit SOP. During our CULEX the opposition used our pictures and names to distribute their own propaganda, and to counter our products.

But its good to understand all of your varying perceptions!
Your AIT may have taught you that, but generally speaking, a PFC or SPC won't be doing that- the PL or CO CDR will. The PFC or SPC will be there to support.

I'm not talking about a going without a nametape, or wearing a different name outside the wire- in my experience, its over the top, but whatever. Our HCT guys do it, too. What I'm talking about is NO, absolutely zero, patches, US ARMY, anything, except maybe some BS pirate patch, "becuase I have to blend in" (newsflash, you just got out of a HMMWV, you don't blend it), which, combined with a Grizzly Adams beard on the FOB (since you only went out for a leaflet drop, and the BN CDR's KLE), and absolute disregard for directed uniform standards, discredits your entire operation