As an active
duty Army major and a professed lover of “Army Wives,” I consider the show to
be a civilian-friendly version of some of the events that might happen in “everyday”
Army life. (Life that might happen in situations with gross generalizations and
high-drama one-hour solutions…yet totally addictive!) However, I must take a moment to address an ever-present issue
that continues to surface each season: Col. Joan Burton has worn pearl studs
with her Army Combat Uniform (ACU) in several previous episodes and did so
again in the May 6 “Fallout” episode! Yes, this really happened in television
life even though Army Regulation 670-1 prohibits women from wearing earrings
with the ACU. (And even though I still quietly pray for the glorious day when the
Army finally allows females to wear studs with our ACU…So far 13 years in and
still a no-go. I’ll keep hope alive. I digress…)
Section 1-14
of Chapter 1 in AR 670-1 specifically states, “Females are not authorized to wear earrings with any class C (utility)
uniform (BDU, hospital duty, food service, physical fitness, field, or
organizational).” http://www.apd.army.mil/pdffiles/r670_1.pdf
Col. Burton
is an awesome character. She is a very positive representative of a soldier,
not to mention a wonderful example of a female servicemember and a woman of
color. She does what’s right, is awesome in the workplace, and works well with
managing/balancing her family life as well. These are all great things for
servicemembers (regardless of rank or cultural background) to emulate…but her on-camera
uniform should reflect reality – as is the case with the male characters on the
show. Producers and/or costume designers should respect the uniform for which
so many are honored to and privileged to wear.
So rewind: What
if real life could imitate art? Why is it that the Army is the only U.S.
military service that doesn’t allow its females to wear earrings? The Air
Force, Navy and even the Marines (yes, I said “even”) allow females to wear
earrings with their service uniform. What’s with the Army…especially in a
garrison environment?
Several of
my male Army comrades have noted that Air Force and Navy females overall
present themselves in a much more polished and ladylike manner than in Army
females. Sadly, I too have noticed this time and time again (apart from myself
and a few other Army females). Apart from the misfortune surrounding stud
earrings, women in the Army can often appear…rough. As did Mama Morton and
Velma E. in Chicago, dare I ask,
“What ever happened to class?”