Originally Posted by
etch5895
Retired Army/Navy/Air Force/Marines generally don't wear full dress uniforms when flying. If they do, why wouldn't they be subject to the same security measures as everyone else? Not trying to defend the TSA here, but what did they do outside of the normal scope of their duties?
Each uniformed service has different rules concerning retirees wearing the uniform. (First of all, you still have to be able to fit into it and you have to meet grooming standards!) If he was going to an official ceremony, whether or not he was an honoree or just an attendee, wear of the uniform is authorized. The only ways that a clerk would have known is was retired rather than active would have been: If the Marine used his retired ID card as an ID; or, if the Marine had told the clerk he was retired. For the TSA clerks to have deduced he was retired would have meant that the ID checker would have noticed it and that he yelled to the groping clerk, "He's retired!"
Originally Posted by
chollie
+1000
Wrong focus here. It shouldn't be about the guy being a vet or a decorated vet or a disabled vet.
It should be about anyone, any time, wanting to transit a checkpoint without undue loss of dignity or hassle. That includes someone who may not be able to assume and hold the position for an infinite variety of reasons: war wound, stroke, Parkinson's, sports injury, etc.
Originally Posted by
Fredd
This is all about (as I have written many times before -- sorry!) the TSA adopting something fundamental from the Communist "Playbook" about creating a system of privileges that can be granted or taken away at any time for any reason. By granting privileges, the TSA removes a class of people from the debate and creates a class of people who won't dare challenge their authority or rock the boat in any manner, because retaining their privileges is the most important thing on the planet to them.