Action line #80608 - Dressing conservatively

  • Published
  • By Anonymous
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint:

Recently, a friend of mine was down at Kizkalesi and brought back a story that disturbed both him and me. While he was enjoying the beach, an American from base was, how shall I say, displaying the U.S. flag a little too proudly. I for one am all about flying a flag in my yard, but seeing one emblazoned across a man's Speedo neither brings me pride in my country or mankind in general. This situation is disturbing for a multitude of reasons; however, these are the two that deserve mentioning:

1. AT/FP- Dressing conservatively as well as keeping a low profile are an important part of living overseas, especially with the current conditions in Turkey.

2. Maintaining positive civic relations with our host country should be everyone's priority. Flaunting our flag only shows the egocentrism that makes us a target to begin with.

In conclusion, this is a poor example to our Airmen and a situation that only makes living here more dangerous for everyone else.

Response:

You bring up an excellent issue, one that we all need to be aware of: displaying our patriotism in a high terrorist threat area like Turkey can be unnecessarily risky. We have all been trained in Force Protection, and to disregard it is equivalent to disregarding your personal safety. We are all proud of who we are and our tremendous American history, but there's a time and place for exhibition of this American spirit. Remember, when in foreign lands we need to blend in with the local culture and avoid highlighting ourselves. We should not to wear clothing that indicates we're Americans, to include "Hometown" T-shirts, college/university logos, and USAF embroidered wear. This includes your vehicle also. Refrain from placing bumper stickers with any form of logo that affiliates you as an American. This doesn't show a lack of patriotism. It's Force Protection: ensuring the safety and protection of the US Air Force's most valuable resource--Its people.

I will have commanders remind our personnel about this FP issue. Also, don't be afraid to gently remind your fellow Airmen about this when you see such blatent infractions. We can all use a good wingman from time to time. I appreciate your vigilence.