Navy guy gets yelled at for wearing kilt into work!

[BLAZN]

As most of you know, I serve in the US Navy aboard a submarine.

One of the guys on the sub had me make him a Black Watch kilt pleated to the stripe (ok... it had the same effect... I pleated it with the seperation from blue to green centered in each pleat). He wanted it for the same purpose most of us want kilts... to wear as often as possible.
Anyway, he wore it into work Monday. Everyone remarked about how nice it looked, but still razzed the guy (for being Filipino, and wearing a kilt).
Today, he decided to wear it again. The Chief of the Boat (AKA: COB... the senior enlisted guy on the ship) actually yelled at our kilted friend, saying things like "this joke isn't funny anymore." The COB then went on to say "don't let me catch you wearing that here again.

I ride a bicycle to work everyday, so I wear pants to work. I vow, though, to wear a kilt to the next command function... like the command holiday party!

[JimB]

As a retired Senior Chief, I am embarrassed by the COBs actions. I know that most ships/boats have dress codes of what you can wear on liberty, but really....
My rule, was as long at it was neat, clean, pressed, and in good taste (as in not vulgar t-shirts) then it didn't matter.

I have been on ships where the officers were required to wear a sports coat on liberty, so I guess it's a ship by ship (boat by boat) thing.

Still...I would think he had more important things to take care of.

[Retro Red]

I'm evidently missing something here, but if you & your Filipino buddy are in the US Navy, don't you guys have to wear a uniform to work? :confused:
.

[cessna152towser]

Maybe I'm missing something here too but if you serve aboard a submarine how come you ride a bicycle to work?

[Tattoo Bradley]

I'm evidently missing something here, but if you & your Filipino buddy are in the US Navy, don't you guys have to wear a uniform to work? :confused:
.

Maybe I'm missing something here too but if you serve aboard a submarine how come you ride a bicycle to work?

These two things confused me to no end as well! :confused:

[sorcererdale]

Us sailors are a confusing bunch. I worked on 8th Army in South Korea, (M*A*S*H), but not during that time period, and I had an Air Force Seargent! I wonder if the Koreans could have made kilts, they made all my other clothes, but I didn't even know about kilts back then. haha

DALE.

[Retro Red]

Maybe I'm missing something here too but if you serve aboard a submarine how come you ride a bicycle to work?

Maybe he's using something like this... :rolleyes:

[JimB]

The way it works today, is that sailors park their car in the parking lot, walk up the pier to the ship, go down to their "at sea" living area and change into their uniform for the day. They stay in uniform all day during working hours. When the ship is in port, they change into their civilian clothes at the end of the day and go home to their apartment or house. Almost nobody stays in uniform for their off work time.

At sea is a different matter. It's uniform all the time then.

I've got to say though, that I would have come to work just like that lad in the picture if I could (or maybe I would have never made it)

[Will]

As most of you know, I serve in the US Navy aboard a submarine....I vow, though, to wear a kilt to the next command function... like the command holiday party!

I wonder how that will turn out. If you have problems, you might consider contacting the Diversity Manager @ PNS. The Navy has put out all kinds of stuff about diversity and how much they value it. Maybe this is where the rubber meets the road.

[BLAZN]

I'm evidently missing something here, but if you & your Filipino buddy are in the US Navy, don't you guys have to wear a uniform to work? :confused:
.

Yes, we wear a uniform while AT work. The guy wearing the kilt was on his way into work. Most of us come to the sub in civilian attire and then change into our uniforms. It's less restrictive that way... we're extremely limited in where we're allowed to go in our working uniforms. There's a rule that precludes us from stopping at a gas station or going grocery shopping on the way home, if in a working uniform.

Maybe I'm missing something here too but if you serve aboard a submarine how come you ride a bicycle to work?

We don't LIVE on the submarine.
I personally ride a bike to work for economic reasons as well as physical fitness reasons. Economically speaking, I'm not spending out my posterior for gas, nor am I putting the wear and tear on my car. I live so close to work that my car would never warm up completely on the trip... which is bad for the engine.
For fitness reasons... I get a workout every day, for the most part.

The way it works today, is that sailors park their car in the parking lot, walk up the pier to the ship, go down to their "at sea" living area and change into their uniform for the day. They stay in uniform all day during working hours. When the ship is in port, they change into their civilian clothes at the end of the day and go home to their apartment or house. Almost nobody stays in uniform for their off work time.

He gets it. Very true.

At sea is a different matter. It's uniform all the time then.

Also true. On long deployments, we sometimes get "casual" days where we get to wear non-uniform clothes.

I wonder how that will turn out. If you have problems, you might consider contacting the Diversity Manager @ PNS. The Navy has put out all kinds of stuff about diversity and how much they value it. Maybe this is where the rubber meets the road.

Well, if the COB throws flack for me going to a civilian clothed function in a kilt, I'll just have to talk to the CO... or file a grievance.