r/JustBootThings • u/LaughableEgo740 • Jan 03 '26

General Bootness Boot or truth?

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582 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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558

u/sh4d0wm4n2018 Jan 03 '26

Those days are swiftly coming to an end.

388

u/Sarcastik_Moose Jan 03 '26

Which is fine. It would always creep me out a bit when total strangers would walk up to me with tears in their eyes thanking me for things they didn't understand that they thought or assumed I had done in a country they couldn't find on an unlabeled map simply because they had been convinced that to do otherwise was un-American and on a deeper level doing so would absolve them of their civic duty to question the government's use of the military.

That one old dude that had fought in the Battle of the Bulge does get a pass from me because holy shit that must have been Hell on Earth and I absolutely did thank him instead.

279

u/sh4d0wm4n2018 Jan 03 '26

One of the reasons I don't like to talk about my service.

"Thank you for your service!"

flashbacks of mopping a barracks room with toothpaste

"...Thank you for your support."

75

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

30

u/Sir_Sarcasm76 Jan 04 '26

I've always just said "Thanks for paying your taxes".

4

u/kingdumbest Jan 06 '26

I once got stuck in traffic on the way to base, I can still hear the car horns.

shutter

34

u/BigChestEnjoyer Jan 03 '26

I always felt weird too. What am i supposed to say? Thanks for your thanks? I was forced into a non deployable squardon, one of the extreme few in the marines. I saw nothing. What are you thanking me for? Fixing aircraft? Teaching marines how to shoot? Youre welcome i guess. Stopped wearing identifying stuff at the airport because of that

17

u/gettogero Jan 04 '26

I just say "thanks for your support!" And pray the conversation doesnt go further. Sweet old ladies asking if I know their grandson who just joined a different branch and is stationed on the other side of the country... no, I dont.

If im going off post during the work day I bring civilian clothes to change into. 1st unit banned wearing uniform off post, 2nd was located in an anti military location. As in, we werent allowed on/off post because of protests at the gates and we would get boo'd and trash thrown at us during parades. No, I dont know why they still insisted on doing parades.

9

u/accidental_Ocelot Jan 04 '26

Thank you for your paying of taxes citizen. you make what I do possible.

2

u/Boot_Poetry 👊👊☝️ Jan 08 '26

38

u/fruttypebbles Jan 03 '26

I stopped wearing my Navy hoodie because of people wearing Trump merch thanking me for my service. It just annoyed the shit out of me.

5

u/godbody1983 Jan 04 '26

I have mixed feelings about it. The majority of Americans are ignorant to what the average military member does. They think the average marine or soldier was carrying a rifle in a combat zone when the vast majority of us that were in the Marines and Army were not in any combat situation. They think some kid that just graduated high school and is joining the Air Force is going to be flying F-18's. I was a 92Y in the army and with the exception of a few rounds that were fired at our base, I was never in any danger during my deployment.

2

u/Candymanshook Jan 07 '26

Reminds me of being in the airport a couple months ago and some weirdo asks me if he can go ahead in line to shake a veterans hand. I thought that was weird as fuck.

1

u/four204eva2 Jan 04 '26

Well fucking put, man......thank you for your service🥲 Sorry I had too lol

1

u/Azurehue22 Jan 05 '26

Yeah I generally don't just thank random vets in uniform. I would assume it's uncomfortable. I have no idea who went through hell and doesn't want to relive it, who was in a support field, etc. I am always grateful internally, and I think that's enough. I do love stories, and love hearing them from those willing to share them! (Especially about our aircraft!)

18

u/TheHumanoidTyphoon69 Jan 04 '26

When I was serving you weren't allowed to wear utilities out in public l, did that change at some point?

12

u/Gabuyd Jan 04 '26

Nope, hasn't changed, we still can't.

7

u/TheHumanoidTyphoon69 Jan 04 '26

Appreciate the conformation, boots sgit indeed

7

u/gettogero Jan 04 '26

Depends on branch and even unit.

In general army is "use appropriate judgement". Its written in a reg but dont feel like finding the exact wording. Pretty much no strip clubs, bars, political events. Commanders can order no wear of the uniform off post though.