I dunno, Lurch did do this with his uniform:
Posted on 07/21/2006 11:23:18 AM PDT by americaprd
PA GOP: SESTAK'S GOT NO R-E-S-P-E-C-T FOR UNIFORM
Violates Military Uniform Code by wearing uniform while campaigning,
Wears officer's uniform that does not match rank at which he retired
HARRISBURG - Republican State Committee Executive Director Scott Migli today questioned Joe Sestak, Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, for his repeated violations of federal law and U.S. Navy regulations as it relates to appropriate conduct for the wearing of military uniforms. Those violations include wearing his uniform while engaged in campaign activities and wearing a uniform that displays a rank above what the grade at which he retired from service.
"Joe Sestak's improper use of the military uniform for partisan campaign activities demonstrates a lack of respect for the uniform," said Migli. "You would never catch a veteran like Senator John McCain, or even Senator John Kerry for that matter, wearing their military uniform while on the campaign trail or inflating the rank at which they retired. The fact that Joe Sestak would stoop this low shows how desperate he is for attention."
Title 10, Subtitle A, Part 2 Chapter 45 Section 772 specifically states that retired military officers are only permitted to "bear the title and wear the uniform of his retired grade." Although he retired at the grade of a two star admiral, candidate Sestak has been photographed in the district wearing the uniform of a three star admiral, a clear violation of federal law. (Photograph available upon request).
Sestak, after declaring his candidacy has also worn his Navy uniform to various campaign events, including a parade in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania that he took part in and distributed campaign materials at, in support of his candidacy. Chapter 6, Section 10, Article 61002 of the United States Navy Uniform Regulations specifically states that "Retired personnel are prohibited from wearing the uniform in connection with personal enterprises, business activities, or while attending or participating in any demonstration, assembly or activity for the purpose of furthering personal or partisan views on political, social, economic, or religious issues."
"The only reason Joe Sestak took part in that parade is because he is an announced candidate and he was there in an attempt to attract votes," said Migli. "There is no excuse for that type of behavior. Everyone who has ever served in the military knows that there are very specific rules related to conduct that is appropriate in a military uniform. You wear the uniform of the rank at which you retired. You don't smoke or drink while in public in uniform. And you don't campaign while in uniform. Joe Sestak has demonstrated a complete lack of respect for these rules and the uniform itself."
It wouldn't be unusual to get a bump in rank at retirement.
I dunno, Lurch did do this with his uniform:
But did he serve in Vietnam?
As it turned out, those decorations were earned and the scummy accuser turned out to be talking out of his posterior - as was the scummy accusers wont.
If it's a federal offense, why isn't he arrested?
He was the top sailor, Chief of Naval Operations Mike Boorda, c. 1996.
I actually worked indirectly for Joe Sestak last year. What an imbecilic move to wear his uniform on the campaign trail! As far as wearing an improper rank, I don't think he'd be that stupid.
I don't know about the smoking/drinking thing. You don't do it while walking down a public street, but that's about the only restriction of which I am aware.
Yes, it's a big deal that someone wears a rank to which they are not entitled.
However, if the Admiral served as a 3 star while on AD, it may be an honest mistake, and nitpicking may look petty. If he never wore 3 stars legally then it would be an issue for me. If he had 3 and retired with 2 I would also like to know the circumstances under which that happened - there are many innocent explanations, and just as many not-so-innocent ones.
PING
What is it with your PA veterans/politicians? Straighten 'em out!!
Let me guess.He retired a Seaman Recruit and now wears a Bird.
And this is the guy who wants to replace Curt Weldon ...
Hahahahah
Lurch, eh?
Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrggghhhhhhhhhh.... urrrrrrrrghhhhhh.
FYI Ping
It was Admiral Mike Boorda, CNO..........
I can't imagine any military member THAT senior and in a public setting trying to fake a rank.
He didn't spend the appropriate time in grade to retire w/ 3-stars after CNO "reassigned" him (translation - gave him the Fredo Corleone kiss)
Since when? Most people retire these days when they fail to gain a promotion. Why on earth would the military send someone home because they failed to select for the next rank, but then give them the promotion as a 'lovely parting gift'?
Flag officers promotions must be approved by the Senate, as with all officers, but they are scrutinized much more closely. Additionally, flag officers must have a job that warrants the rank they wear and for which they get paid. There are only so many 3 & 4 star billets out there.
I have never heard of a flag officer from any service being given an extra star on the way out the door, and I would be highly suspicious of anyone who claimed they were given such a retirement award.
The gap between two-star admirals and three-star admirals is the three-star admirals have a better knowledge of what to kiss and when.
Kind of shows you the contempt for the military the leftist socialist revolutionaries (Democrats) have for the United States, does it not? Murtha is not far behind or maybe he is the leader for such despicable behavior. God save us if such people are elected!
Because he is a democrat.
Here's what I've heard and recall reading. Less than 24 hours after CNO Mullen took over last summer he bumped Sestak out of his senior Navy position for "poor command climate." As someone told the Navy Times, he was overbearing, people who worked for him were miserable, he was basically a tyrant. Morale was apparently horrible for most people under his command and personnel were failing to reenlist in huge numbers, etc.
So after getting canned he resigned at the lower rank of two star as opposed to three star.
On this link I have ... it lists him as a Rear Admiral
http://www.house.gov/hasc/openingstatementsandpressreleases/107thcongress/01-03-28sestak.html
Rear Admiral Joseph Sestak
Director
Navy Quadrennial Defense Review
Department of the Navy
Before the Military Procurement Subcommittee
of the House Armed Service Committee
March 28, 2001
It used to happen quite a bit. It was an honorarium. I don't know if that's the case here but my dad got a higher grade when he retired...
"It wouldn't be unusual to get a bump in rank at retirement." True, I know of a couple of cases where an 0-5 is promoted to 0-6 but is RIF'd out before he can hold or find a slot within 180 days. End result, 0-5 retirement pay grade. It saves the Gov't a bundle.
Yeah, but he was on active duty until about a year ago. PM and AP have potentially shed some light on this, that he had not yet completed his two-year (?? unless it's changed) obligation to retire at one's current rank. That would make sense. The resources I found likely listed his status while on active duty, as opposed to after his unceremonious retirement.
If he got canned from a 3 star billet and was an 'admiral in flux' he could not have worn more than 2 stars. As I said above, you have to have a 3 star job to get 3 star pay. Sometimes its not a bad situation, sometimes its a shady situation.
This information, if true, makes the appearance with 3 stars much more forgiveable. If he wore 3 at any time, and was allowed to retire, I don't see a huge issue with it. He might need a reminder, but the tone of that release from the PA GOP is probably going to make them sound like whiners looking for an issue. He's probably going to trot out a picture of himself wearing 3 stars and doing 3 star things, and most people are going to think this is a lot of nitpicking and desperation. It's not a solid political move.
All ranks above 2 stars (O-8) are appointive, not selected through promotion. When a 3- or 4-star retires, he has to have special permission from Congess to retire at that highest rank. Otherwise, he reverts to O-8.
But the part about him politicking in uniform is definitely still valid criticism.
I don't know what rank your father was, or when that happened, but in the modern world it couldn't be done for an officer without senate approval.
Weldon and Sestak’s former rivals inside the Navy made Sestak’s job performance an issue. The incumbent and his allies seized on a report in the Navy Times last July that the new chief of naval operations removed Sestak because of a “poor command climate.”
William Arkin, a blogger on defense issues at washingtonpost.com, suggested the same thing. Two Navy sources told The Hill that the working environment in Deep Blue, the Navy’s in-house think tank, which Sestak led, was harsh and that Sestak might not have always set the priorities of his assignments as well as he could have.
But Sestak said that as the designated policy adviser and administrator to Vern Clark, the former chief of naval operations, it was his job to revamp the Navy, a process that necessarily ruffled feathers.
“Change is very challenging,” Sestak said. “It did not sit well with a lot of people. … I work hard, and I did not ask anyone to work harder than me. I intend to do the same thing as congressman.”
Weldon said that a group of admirals will oppose Sestak and that he has received scores of e-mails and letters about Sestak’s leadership from sailors and naval officers.
“He’s running because he has a personal ax to grind with the Navy leadership,” Weldon said. “When you treat people like dirt, that’s an issue.”
Weldon attacked Sestak’s decision to continue owning a home in Virginia while only renting in Pennsylvania and questioned why Sestak did not move back to Pennsylvania when he was working at the Pentagon. Weldon commutes from Pennsylvania each day.
http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Campaign/040506_sestak.html
Absolutely.
Obviously CNO knew something about him that cause him to be reassigned.
Things that make you go, "Hmmmmmmmmmm."
In the Army, the practice is known as 'frocking'. During my 10 years of active duty, I most frequently saw it in circumstances where a Sergeant First Class (E7) was serving in the position of a Company First Sergeant, which is an E8 billet, and consequently, wore the higher rank. I'm also familiar with a few instances where a one-star general assumed command of a division (a two-star billet), and was 'frocked' allowing him to wear the second star, although frocked soldiers, officers or NCOs, are paid at the lower pay grade, revert to wearing their lower rank once they leave the billet (although many are promoted while serving in the frocked rank), and should they retire during or from their frocked assignment, will not be authorized to wear the frocked rank in retirement.
Senate approvals come by the pound and in the dead of night. The results come to light in the Federal Register months later and are polished up prior to being published.
Yeah, but to be able to retire at that rank, he had to have kept his three stars for a certain amount of time. But he was reassigned for poor command climate before that happened and then resigned (or was forced out, dpending on your perspective).
I guess he rather have, death before dishonor.
So you're saying he may be frocked?
Need some help with this one -- How about MOPHO - Military Only for Political and (Insert word with H here) Opporunity
If ANY Republican were caught doing this, the LameStream Media would be piling on like stink on tuna!!!
In that case his retired rank would be the one he got bumped to and it would show as such on the records. He evidently didn't get bumped at retirement, or if he did it was to 2 star, not 3.
Ideas:
I'm not even sure if the Navy has a practice analogous to being frocked, but if they do, it's possible that he is wearing the rank he was wearing at the time of his retirement, but would no longer be authorized to wear in retirement. A 'frocked' individual may only wear that rank while serving in a certain position. When they leave that position, either due to retirement, reassignment etc., they are required to go back to wearing their old rank (unless they were officially promoted in the interim).
How about Military Only for Personal Honor and Opportunity?
Easy. MINO= Military in name only.
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