The Air Force is the only one of the military branches involved in President Donald Trump's mandated border mission to not disclose publicly the number of service members or what units they're coming from.
No names, no unit numbers, no way to definitively recognize any given individual at a glance?
So… hypothetically… someone who’s not part of one of the active units, but who has the uniform, the ability to act the part, and the information required to make it happen, might be able to blend in with the oppressors during a military operation? Hmm.
o but pfft don’t listen to me. I’m just a wild-talking stoner with ADHD
If someone’s got all that, then they’re active military members. Also, the squadron would instantly recognize you as a new face and you’d suddenly become the center of attention within minutes. Even if you have a convincing story, everyone wants to know where you sit in the chain of command. Hell, the way civilians stand would make you stick out.
Sometimes, even active military members disagree with what they’re being made to do. If multiple units interact for the first time, would a new face still stand out? What if a person isn’t dressed the part long enough to even be spoken to? Or if someone in this scenario has military experience?
These questions are rhetorical, of course. I left the details open-ended in the first comment for a reason - I don’t know what exactly is going to happen every minute in the coming future. But, I can imagine scenarios occurring where lacking immediate and accurate ID of an individual in uniform can be taken advantage of. That’s all.
Going without identifying markings isn’t anything new. OSI & special forces operate like that all the time already. Every single military member is going to have a CAC card and generally you’d be integrated with some unit. Outsiders stick out because no one seems to interact with them or know them. Military members are trained to identify and call out people that don’t belong. In the air force the saying used is “every airman is a sensor”. Basically, civilians, even if wearing the uniform correctly (hard to do) stick out because their mannerisms are all wrong. The way you put away/put on your cover (hat) looks weird if you haven’t done it thousands of times.
Active military members are accounted for. You can’t just “pop off to the Mexican border real quick”.
I just don’t really see the scenario that you’re trying to insinuate.
As a person from a military family, they’d clock you instantly. Once you live among military people, you begin to be able to spot who is or isn’t military instantly. Even not being in the military myself, I can almost always at least guess their branch and get within a rank or 2. I’ve never seen my dad not get branch and exact rank within a couple seconds of talking to someone
On the other hand, I am a disabled adult who has never served or even been eligible for military service and yet I am still asked a handful of times a year 20 years after the last traumatic event I experienced if I have served, and with what branch. It’s not always a sure thing. Traumatized neurodivergent people get close enough to fool some.
No names, no unit numbers, no way to definitively recognize any given individual at a glance?
So… hypothetically… someone who’s not part of one of the active units, but who has the uniform, the ability to act the part, and the information required to make it happen, might be able to blend in with the oppressors during a military operation? Hmm.
o but pfft don’t listen to me. I’m just a wild-talking stoner with ADHD
#stonerthoughts #hypothetical #justgirlythings #lol
If someone’s got all that, then they’re active military members. Also, the squadron would instantly recognize you as a new face and you’d suddenly become the center of attention within minutes. Even if you have a convincing story, everyone wants to know where you sit in the chain of command. Hell, the way civilians stand would make you stick out.
Sometimes, even active military members disagree with what they’re being made to do. If multiple units interact for the first time, would a new face still stand out? What if a person isn’t dressed the part long enough to even be spoken to? Or if someone in this scenario has military experience?
These questions are rhetorical, of course. I left the details open-ended in the first comment for a reason - I don’t know what exactly is going to happen every minute in the coming future. But, I can imagine scenarios occurring where lacking immediate and accurate ID of an individual in uniform can be taken advantage of. That’s all.
Going without identifying markings isn’t anything new. OSI & special forces operate like that all the time already. Every single military member is going to have a CAC card and generally you’d be integrated with some unit. Outsiders stick out because no one seems to interact with them or know them. Military members are trained to identify and call out people that don’t belong. In the air force the saying used is “every airman is a sensor”. Basically, civilians, even if wearing the uniform correctly (hard to do) stick out because their mannerisms are all wrong. The way you put away/put on your cover (hat) looks weird if you haven’t done it thousands of times.
Active military members are accounted for. You can’t just “pop off to the Mexican border real quick”.
I just don’t really see the scenario that you’re trying to insinuate.
You make strong points. Thank you for providing that insight.
As a person from a military family, they’d clock you instantly. Once you live among military people, you begin to be able to spot who is or isn’t military instantly. Even not being in the military myself, I can almost always at least guess their branch and get within a rank or 2. I’ve never seen my dad not get branch and exact rank within a couple seconds of talking to someone
On the other hand, I am a disabled adult who has never served or even been eligible for military service and yet I am still asked a handful of times a year 20 years after the last traumatic event I experienced if I have served, and with what branch. It’s not always a sure thing. Traumatized neurodivergent people get close enough to fool some.
This comment is a delight.