I hate seeing a dirty American Flags on the Army Combat Uniform. I do realize some people work for a living in the Army under vehicles, but when I see one on an FNG (*ucking New Guy/Girl), I remind them they are a professional Soldier and it is time to retire their hook-and-loop patch from Basic Training. When I see one on a Soldier who should know better and doesn’t know what GAA is for, I make a tactful on-the-spot correction and follow-up with a courtesy conversation with their NCO. A dirty flag on a specialist can indicate underlying problems (such as excessive drinking/substance abuse, motivational and plain dirty private problems).
I can be quite blunt: “You are a professional Soldier. You need to look and act like one. Your American Flag is dirty and worn and needs to be replaced. You will have a new one on tomorrow. If you have difficulty following this simple order, I will offer you corrective training to help you improve your substandard performance. Do you have any questions?”
