Not long ago I received a private message, one that I have received, in essence, a few times before over the years. However, this time it was from an O-6 (Colonel/Captain). I’ve been meaning to write this article for several years now and this just seemed to be the perfect time to do it in response to the officer. Our messages are reworded for the sender’s anonymity and to ensure that this applies, as it does, to everyone.
See also The DrillMaster Response.
In the image at the top of the page, an Army General has a set of colors posted behind him. The display should conform to military standards which would be 1) fringe on all colors, 2) the Space Force color should be to the left of the Coast Guard color, 2) flag spreaders are not authorized. See also POW/MIA Flag Protocol.
The protocol issues in the photo at right, 1) the gold-colored cord and tassels is not authorized on either color, 2) fringe on the national is not authorized for the Navy, 3) colors cannot be attached to anything other than the flagstaff.
The Message
My question for you is why do you publicly comment on posts without privately going to the unit first?
From your time in service, praise in public and critique in private?
Look forward to your thoughts.
What in Private?
I need to address this here before I continue with the conversation. There are a handful of people who constantly get this phrase wrong. Yes, you get it wrong. I understand that you can now look up the phrase “Praise in public…” and have a list of words that finish the statement. This is because all the “leadership gurus” have taken it to sell you on the latest and greatest twisted the words in leadership education to fit their needs and your itching ears.
Our society is increasingly weaker. Not that I am some stoic stalwart, I can see the wording we use getting softer and softer so as to not ruffle any feathers and make sure everyone is OK as they clutch their blanky.
“Critique”, criticize” and anything else other than the word “punish” has never been the second part of the phrase.
Stop taking things personally and getting upset. Get tougher, because as Rocky Balboa once said, life is going to hit you hard. Those hits are not going to stop, either. Take the punches, get back up, and move forward because you have people to lead and take care of. People who are relying on you.
On with the conversation.
The protocol issue for the massed colors formation of the US Air Force Academy is the second rank of the color guard is made up of private organization colors (Association of Graduates), called novelty flags. No one in our out of uniform while in the service, including ROTC, service academy, JROTC, Sea Cadets, Civil Air Patrol, and Young Marines cadets, is authorized to carry non-government colors/novelty flags. The only one authorized is the POW/MIA flag as the personal color for a funeral. That is the only time. Carrying a novelty flag violates DoD Instruction 5410.19 Vol 4, TC 3-21.5, MCO 5060.20, and AFI 34-1201.
See also All About the Color Guard.
My Reply
The phrase is praise in public, punish in private.
Every time a post is made on social media, one like yours, others (conservatively, let’s say 2 individuals) see the flag display error(s). They don’t understand that there are errors and think it’s a great idea to display the colors like that. This assumption comes from the thought process of why would an official Navy page post images with such egregious flag protocol errors in them. So, they do something similar with their flags and post it. The process repeats again and again, and the numbers keep growing of those who see incredibly bad colors displays and think there’s nothing wrong with them. This is because no one reads. We see, we do, because that takes less time. Less time spent on issues that “don’t really matter” means time we can spend on things that actually do matter.
Critiques are educational. They may not be received well, but that’s because our ego can be bruised. The definitions that apply to my critiques:
- Critique: to examine critically.
- Critical: exercising or involving careful judicious evaluation.
If you only look at one of my critiques or comments and take it personally, you have completely missed the point.
During my studies, I happened to read this just this morning. 1 Timothy 5:20 NASB95, “Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”
I’m not equating the errors in the photo with sin against God, sir. But the original Greek meaning of sin is “miss the mark” and the image does show a mark clearly not understood.
The flag protocol issues for this display are the 1) gold-colored cord and tassels on the colors and 2) metal flagstaffs (must be light ash wood guidon staffs.
His Reply
Thanks… it would appear that we simply have different views of leadership and of what is most important. I will get with my senior enlisted and get the display taken care of.
My Reply Here
I am well aware that I will not change some hearts and minds by my style of education. I knew it was useless to write back to him after his response. I’m sure he will see this article, however, because I receive messages from all kinds of people who pass along the information I provide. Do my posts get seen by the units in question? They absolutely do.
No, you cannot merely write this off as a difference of opinion on leadership. That is a simply a dismissive way to deal with someone who calls you to task.
The protocol issues here are 1) colors are not in the correct order (US, CA, MC, N, CG), 2) colors must be on staffs that are the same length, 3) finials should be the battle-ax since this is a sea service event, 4) flag spreaders are not authorized, 5) the gold-colored cord and tassels is not authorized, 6) the top of a US government color is draped only to the right.
Leadership
It has many definitions based on context with one of the most common being influencing people to accomplish a common goal. There are both negative and positive motivational factors in leadership and both need to be used at different times.
Can you honestly say that you would have given me the time of day had I written to you privately? I seriously doubt it. Sometimes we need a kick in the backside to get moving in the right direction.
Protocol issues here are 1) no fringe on the national for the Navy, 2) only the red, white, and blue cord and tassels on the national, 3) flag spreaders not authorized, 4) staffs should be guidon flagstaffs, 5) finials should be silver-colored spades. Gold-colored spades are not authorized.
What is important
Everything, at a point in time. Your colors display was in front of high-ranking US and foreign military with official military photos being taken. The display was extremely important then. However, it was even more important BEFORE the conference when it was set up. It should have been set up according to military service standards. Opportunity missed.
Protocol issues here are 1) all staffs should be guidon flagstaffs, 2) all finials should be silver-colored spades because the Army, Marine Corps, and AF colors are in place. The spread eagle is only authorized for those whose gun salute is 19 or higher.
It is Someone’s Job to Know This
I shudder to think of the amount of money we pay people to be the experts in this area—protocol—and the resources we allocate to them. The vast lack of knowledge of their jobs is illustrated in many photos I post. Many other areas in the military would not tolerate let alone condone such ignorance and incompetence.
Are lives at stake because someone screwed up a flag display? While some countries do take extreme offense at their flag being mistreated in any manner, most likely no one is going to die. Think of it this way. We enlist or commission in the military and take an oath. Part of the spirit of the oath is to follow the directives, regulations, instructions, and orders that originate in the Constitution, the basis of US law. It’s not a buffet. We don’t pick and choose which standards we follow and which ones we ignore because we don’t have time to review them, or we just can’t be bothered. We follow all of them. All of them.
Military Regulations
Need to have better and more explanative language.