# High Heels at ROTC?!?



## Ooh-Rah (Apr 21, 2015)

Okay really?  REALLY?  Someone has to please tell me that this didn't happen the way I see it written...

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news...legedly-pushed-men-wear-high-h/#ixzz3XxHyoPyY







Army ROTC cadets are complaining on message boards that they were pressured to walk in high heels on Monday for an Arizona State University campus event designed to raise awareness of sexual violence against women.

The Army openly encouraged participating in April’s “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes” events in 2014, but now it appears as though ROTC candidates at ASU were faced with a volunteer event that became mandatory.

*“Attendance is mandatory and if we miss it we get a negative counseling and a ‘does not support the battalion sharp/EO mission’ on our CDT OER for getting the branch we want.* So I just spent $16 on a pair of high heels that I have to spray paint red later on only to throw them in the trash after about 300 of us embarrass the U.S. Army tomorrow,” one anonymous cadet wrote on the social media sharing website Imgr, IJReview reported Monday.


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## Grunt (Apr 21, 2015)

The only thing that walk served to draw attention to was the individuals walking and not the issue.

And to think that I would have been written up for being seen off base in my BDU's except for when I was walking from my car to my apartment.

We have come a long way....


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## Teufel (Apr 21, 2015)

That is one negative counseling I would have framed on my wall after changing my ROTC program from the Army to the Marine Corps


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## Il Duce (Apr 21, 2015)

I hope that PMS receives disciplinary action.  Making a bad judgment can be forgiven, having bad judgment cannot.  I cannot imagine how this sent the right message or was in any way acceptable within uniform regulations.  I've participated in a number of SHARP events for April in my unit and a suggestion like this would have gotten a CDR counseled, action would have gotten them relieved.


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## AWP (Apr 21, 2015)

"There's no place like home. There's no place like home."


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## pardus (Apr 22, 2015)

That is disgraceful. I would have refused that order.


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## Gunz (Apr 22, 2015)

There's no fucking way I would've done that. I don't care what's on the line.


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## reed11b (Apr 22, 2015)

I would have done it, and support the Army encouraging Soldiers to participate. Kudo's to soldiers that do so voluntarily.

What I do NOT agree with, is making it mandatory.
Reed


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## policemedic (Apr 22, 2015)

There are any numbers of activities even a halfwit commander could come up with to support the SHARP mission and increase the Army's visibility on this hotbutton issue that don't involve coercing troops into looking like idiots and breaking regulations.


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## Ranger Psych (Apr 22, 2015)

nope.jpg fuck you very much sir.

There's better shit to do, like train.


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## DA SWO (Apr 22, 2015)

(Old photo)
This is the MG who runs Army ROTC.
I hope some Congressional critter gives her crap over this.


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## racing_kitty (Apr 22, 2015)

Why does this not surprise me in the least?  Way to make females in a leadership position look like utter goat shit, ma'am.


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## Brill (Apr 23, 2015)

I fully expect similar "training opportunities" during upcoming IDTs.


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## Teufel (Apr 23, 2015)

DA SWO said:


> (Old photo)
> This is the MG who runs Army ROTC.
> I hope some Congressional critter gives her crap over this.
> 
> ...


I'm sorry but that General looks like a cheeto


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## Il Duce (Apr 23, 2015)

My suspicion would be this event was driven by the local Professor of Military Science (PMS) - a LTC - at the school.  If the regional ROTC commander were the driving force it would be happening at every ROTC program in the region and one would assume getting even more press.  I hope BG Combs stomps on this PMS very hard.  It's the sort of thing that causes a loss of faith in a leader to shape and train aspiring officers.

That to me is one of the most significantly disturbing things about the event.  I would expect a commissioned officer to push back on an asinine and destructive event like this - but I would not expect it of a cadet.  The cadet is learning what right looks like with very little experience by and large.  They're not going to have the experience to push back on idiotic things - just trust this is the way the Army does stuff.

I generally feel in 99% of cases there are no bad PV2s or 2LTs - just bad leaders in charge of those Soldiers.  Here's a case where someone can be ruining 2LTs before they've even had a chance.


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## AWP (Apr 23, 2015)

Il Duce said:


> That to me is one of the most significantly disturbing things about the event.  I would expect a commissioned officer to push back on an asinine and destructive event like this - but I would not expect it of a cadet.  The cadet is learning what right looks like with very little experience by and large.  They're not going to have the experience to push back on idiotic things - just trust this is the way the Army does stuff.
> 
> I generally feel in 99% of cases there are no bad PV2s or 2LTs - just bad leaders in charge of those Soldiers.  Here's a case where someone can be ruining 2LTs before they've even had a chance.



I think many would be surprised by the influence a commissioning process has on officers. I watched it in my OCS class and refuse to believe that was a statistical aberration.


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## BloodStripe (Apr 29, 2015)

I believe that its not limited to just young officers.


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## Beagle (May 11, 2015)

The only attention was how dumb they look.  Hey I'm all for them supporting it but take off their uniform, it's not something cute.  Since it's not Army sponsored they should not be pressured to walk in their uniform. 

http://www.army.mil/article/124146/High_heels_event_elevates_awareness_for_sexual_violence/
Garrett said even though this is not an Army-sponsored event it is very closely related to the Army SHARP program. Proceeds not only benefit the local civilian populations, but Soldiers and family members in need as well.


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## Il Duce (May 11, 2015)

@Beagle - huge difference between an optional event, not in uniform and a mandatory event in uniform.


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