Can you tell what rank someone is in Civilian clothes?

[Mediman14]

I have been living on the same street for 11 years now, I have seen 3 Commanding Officers come and go on this street. It's not often that I see anyone of them outside. In fact, I always seen their respective others outside with the kids playing or even operating the snow blower. Often their wives are very friendly, outgoing and humble.
One day I brought my father in law to the music store, while he was playing guitar I notice a commanding officer that I recognize walked in and pick up a guitar and started playing. My father in law is a gifted musician recognized the song and approached the CO to give him a tip on playing a certain guitar chord since the chord was not ringing out correctly. My Father in law was very polite and offered a tip, I watched the CO, the look of grotesques he had was obvious. As my father in law walked away, the CO gave him the finger. Several other people witness this and said to the CO, that was inappropriate. The response was "no one approaches me like that", do you know who I am? and left the store.
I knew who he was, he was the CO of JPSU.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I have been living on the same street for 11 years now, I have seen 3 Commanding Officers come and go on this street. It's not often that I see anyone of them outside. In fact, I always seen their respective others outside with the kids playing or even operating the snow blower. Often their wives are very friendly, outgoing and humble.
One day I brought my father in law to the music store, while he was playing guitar I notice a commanding officer that I recognize walked in and pick up a guitar and started playing. My father in law is a gifted musician recognized the song and approached the CO to give him a tip on playing a certain guitar chord since the chord was not ringing out correctly. My Father in law was very polite and offered a tip, I watched the CO, the look of grotesques he had was obvious. As my father in law walked away, the CO gave him the finger. Several other people witness this and said to the CO, that was inappropriate. The response was "no one approaches me like that", do you know who I am? and left the store.
I knew who he was, he was the CO of JPSU.

... and an utter shitbird by the sounds of it.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

I have been living on the same street for 11 years now, I have seen 3 Commanding Officers come and go on this street. It's not often that I see anyone of them outside. In fact, I always seen their respective others outside with the kids playing or even operating the snow blower. Often their wives are very friendly, outgoing and humble.
One day I brought my father in law to the music store, while he was playing guitar I notice a commanding officer that I recognize walked in and pick up a guitar and started playing. My father in law is a gifted musician recognized the song and approached the CO to give him a tip on playing a certain guitar chord since the chord was not ringing out correctly. My Father in law was very polite and offered a tip, I watched the CO, the look of grotesques he had was obvious. As my father in law walked away, the CO gave him the finger. Several other people witness this and said to the CO, that was inappropriate. The response was "no one approaches me like that", do you know who I am? and left the store.
I knew who he was, he was the CO of JPSU.

You want to know that someone is A. A Senior Officer or B. A member of the Intelligence Community .... You need to look for visual cues:

Classic giveaway:

I present to you the 25 year old Corduroy Jacket with patches on the sleeves.

 

[dimsum]

I could smell that picture.

 

[Pelorus]

Sometimes you can indeed get a pretty good sense of what rank someone is while they're in civilian clothes...

 

[daftandbarmy]

I have been living on the same street for 11 years now, I have seen 3 Commanding Officers come and go on this street. It's not often that I see anyone of them outside. In fact, I always seen their respective others outside with the kids playing or even operating the snow blower. Often their wives are very friendly, outgoing and humble.
One day I brought my father in law to the music store, while he was playing guitar I notice a commanding officer that I recognize walked in and pick up a guitar and started playing. My father in law is a gifted musician recognized the song and approached the CO to give him a tip on playing a certain guitar chord since the chord was not ringing out correctly. My Father in law was very polite and offered a tip, I watched the CO, the look of grotesques he had was obvious. As my father in law walked away, the CO gave him the finger. Several other people witness this and said to the CO, that was inappropriate. The response was "no one approaches me like that", do you know who I am? and left the store.
I knew who he was, he was the CO of JPSU.

These kinds of people are easy to pick out of the crowd.

For some reason, they're the first ones to go down within about 30 seconds of crossing the Line of Departure

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Sometimes you can indeed get a pretty good sense of what rank someone is while they're in civilian clothes...

View attachment 64448

That is freakishly accurate. Especially the running shoes.

 

[dapaterson]

Not sure how accurate that is. None of those appear to have a 46" waist.

 

[dimsum]

Not sure how accurate that is. None of those appear to have a 46" waist.

One Halloween at work, one of the officers dressed up as a CPO by having a fake moustache, C2 rank on NCDs, and a pillow stuffed underneath the shirt in the stomach section.

We thought it was hilarious. The C&PO mess, less so.

 

[dimsum]

Random question - what's the deal with the other strap in front of the helmet (just below the Capt rank bars)? He's already wearing a helmet strap...

 

[mariomike]

That's the chinstrap for the liner inside the shell.

 

[FJAG]

Random question - what's the deal with the other strap in front of the helmet (just below the Capt rank bars)? He's already wearing a helmet strap...

It kept the helmet's front a bit tighter to the liner so it wouldn't bounce around and served as a chin strap if you only wore the liner without the helmet.

 

[blacktriangle]

Good day,

I'm a mediocre guitar player who has never acheived less than an 80% grade at RMC. I suffer from expensive taste, and poor dress & deportment. I don't play well with others. Poor understanding of military strategy, and utterly embarrassing performance at the tactical level. Willing to lie about my time spent as an NCM. Seeking immediate appointment to CO of a CAF unit.

For your consideration sir/ma'am.

 

[mariomike]

It kept the helmet's front a bit tighter to the liner so it wouldn't bounce around and served as a chin strap if you only wore the liner without the helmet.

Our unit eventually issued us the M1. But, prior to that, we wore the old "tin hats" left over from the war.

 

[Haggis]

Sometimes you can indeed get a pretty good sense of what rank someone is while they're in civilian clothes...

The most hurtful thing ever said to me when I worked at NDHQ (other than "You're from NDHQ? Eww! Sorry.") was on dress-down Friday when a co-worker told me "You dress like a sergeant-major.".

 

[dapaterson]

Pro tip: if you, as a LCol or above, on your own salary have a household income in the top 10% of Canadians, you can afford to buy a belt and shoes, and not show up on casual Friday wearing dockers, a plaid shirt and polka dot tie, a corduroy jacket with faux leather elbow patches, and a CAF issue web belt and CAF issue oxfords.

 

[FSTO]

Pro tip: if you, as a LCol or above, on your own salary have a household income in the top 10% of Canadians, you can afford to buy a belt and shoes, and not show up on casual Friday wearing dockers, a plaid shirt and polka dot tie, a corduroy jacket with faux leather elbow patches, and a CAF issue web belt and CAF issue oxfords.

These are the same clowns who get free DEU's and cannot be bothered to get the pants and shirts tailored so that they actually fit. You don't have to show up in an Armani suit but for the love of god at least make the attempt to not look like a submariner at their first day alongside Amsterdam!

 

[daftandbarmy]

Good day,

I'm a mediocre guitar player who has never acheived less than an 80% grade at RMC. I suffer from expensive taste, and poor dress & deportment. I don't play well with others. Poor understanding of military strategy, and utterly embarrassing performance at the tactical level. Willing to lie about my time spent as an NCM. Seeking immediate appointment to CO of a CAF unit.

For your consideration sir/ma'am.

Dude... you're ticking all the boxes for a job out my way!

 

[dapaterson]

You don't have to show up in an Armani suit but for the love of god at least make the attempt to not look like a submariner

Removed the redundant part

 

[Navy_Pete]

These are the same clowns who get free DEU's and cannot be bothered to get the pants and shirts tailored so that they actually fit. You don't have to show up in an Armani suit but for the love of god at least make the attempt to not look like a submariner at their first day alongside Amsterdam!

I used to get DEU shirts tailored but they are now so cheaply made I don't see the point. That seems like clear coating over rust. Instead I got some shirt tucks (the magnet ones) that kept it tucked in and that seems to work okay. I normally hem my own pants but even tailoring them can only limit how crap they fit.

Used to have a few tailor made shirts with the accountrement and whatnot on them it which I outgrew (at the neck and shoulders, to buck a trend), so probably will do the same post COIVD, but honestly doesn't seem worth the effort for the DEUs as they fall apart pretty quickly (and don't even make very good rags because they are weirdly un-absorbent for cotton).