I feel a little awkward responding because I don't want to go out of my place here, but I'm currently an MSIII in an ROTC program, and I can attest that while schools do have different SOPs for uniform wear/etc, there are some standards that I believe are universal.

My school, for example, has the MSIVs wear our unit patch on their right shoulder and the ROTC on their left, basically to identify them as seniors. They all hate it, naturally, because they feel like they're wearing something in a place only a combat patch belongs, but it's SOP, and the reasoning does make sense. It's basically so that other cadets/cadre can differentiate them as MSIVs. To my knowledge, a lot of schools have cadets do that.

As per the ROTC patch on that shoulder, I haven't heard of any school doing that. My guess would be that she belongs to one of the schools that does the same thing with the unit patch on the right and the ROTC on the left, but mistakenly put them on backwards. It is definitely something that I, as a fellow cadet, would have brought to her attention, especially seeing how she is at a PX and, intentionally or not, representing ROTC as a whole badly.

As per the subdued flag, I can't explain that. To my knowledge, we do not have IR flags in supply (seeing as we really have no need for them). We are issued the full color ones, and I haven't seen anyone wearing subdued ones. My guess would be either they ran out of the proper type in supply and for some odd reason happened to have one of those in stock, or she somehow came across one of the subdued ones and thought it didn't make a difference. For the former, not really much you can do, for the latter it will definitely be addressed the next time she's on campus.

Honestly, I've seen cadets do some knuckle headed things (name-tapes on backwards, patch upside down) because they either weren't paying attention or didn't know any better, but these things are quickly corrected. If we receive word that one of our cadets was walking around doing something inappropriate in uniform, then it is addressed immediately at the next formation. But, then again, my ROTC has a few ex-DSGs and plenty of prior service folks, including a few NCOs, plus a pretty substantial veteran student community at the school itself, so it may just be that I'm lucky enough to attend a school where we have plenty of experience to draw on and people who will correct us if we look all jacked up!

Not sure what's going on this picture but its great you make the on the spot correction, but please do not get fooled into thinking it's our ROTC cadets or our Reserve Components folks that the only ones jacked up.

We had a small team going on mission with OCP as the uniform. Three different flags on the right shoulder, three different. One was full color, one was subdued and one was a cloth variant of the subdued. I spoke with the Soldiers and they said all three flags were issued (they had went to the issue point at different times).....sometimes there's more to the story and we cant just run around screaming and yelling like a raging lunatic assuming we know what's going on.

SSG (Join to see)

ROTC cadets and units are no different than active and RC units when it comes to individuals failing to follow uniform regulations or leaders failing to enforce them.

As far as the cadet in the picture, I assume she is wearing the uniform exactly how she has been instructed to by the chain of command. I also assume that she is probably under cover, therefore not wearing her headgear. I also assume she is probably at Advanced Camp, as she is obviously at the PX. Typically, ROTC cadets don't just run around military installations in uniform unless they are there for training.

I am not sure to what extent ROTC instructors teach the proper wearing of the uniform. I assume it is different at each school and depends on both the motivation and professionalism of the ROTC cadre and the amount of time allowed on the POI.

When I was an Army ROTC instructor at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, many years ago. I was astounded by what was not taught to cadets. The basic military subjects were pretty well covered (map reading and land navigation, military history, basic military tactics, leadership, etc.), but there was certainly a gap in what a new officer needed to know upon entering active duty and what was being taught. I discovered this by the questions that my cadets were asking my wife and me. Basic information about life in the military, pay and allowances, customs and courtesies, wear of the uniform, branches and assignments, etc., etc. simply were not covered by the POI.

As a result, I started teaching an optional course a couple of hours each week that cadets and their significant others could attend, if they wanted to. I opened it to all cadets (MS-I through MS-IV) and strongly recommended the MS-IV (seniors who would soon be commissioned) attend. The classes were held on campus, after hours. My wife always brought food and was present during certain topics to provide the military spouse perspective. I used the "Army Officers Guide" as the textbook for the course and initially paid for them myself (I later convinced the university to fund them for me, out of a supplemental budget they provided to us). Although we did not have 100% participation in the classes, it was damn close, especially among MS-III (junior) and MS-IV (senior) cadets. I also provided one-on-one instruction/discussion for cadets who could not make the classes due to work or other conflicts or who just wanted more information. My wife was very involved with the spouses/significant others of the cadets and actually had coffees and other social activities to show how to do them.

I am convinced that such a course is essential to expose future officer to what I assume the Army thought they should get by osmosis or something. I tried to get Cadet Command (not what it was called back then) to adopt it as part of the POI, but was not successful. They recognized the utility of having it, but stopped short of adopting it, instead, advising other schools across the command about my initiative and recommending they consider doing the same.