U.S. Airman Got the Boot for Pointing Out that his Boots Were Made in China

[The Straight Story]

Master Sergeant Steven Adachi became the center of a military controversy and a congressional investigation because he refused to put his boots on.

Prior to his deployment to Afghanistan, Adachi—an Air Force reservist based in Hawaii—was given a pair of sage green boots by his unit, which, he discovered, were made in China. He complained, got another pair made in China, complained some more, and asked for boots made in the U.S.

He says he was told that it was impossible to get U.S.-made boots.

Eventually, the Air Force reprimanded Adachi, and he now faces administrative demotion or termination of his position in the military.

Congressional investigators are probing the matter with the Air Force, as is the inspector general for the military. A bipartisan inquiry is seeking to determine if Adachi, who has a 32-year career (pdf) in the armed forces, was retaliated against for being a whistleblower.

http://www.allgov.com/news/us-and-the-world/us-airman-got-the-boot-for-pointing-out-that-his-boots-were-made-in-china-130704?news=850469

[dkf]

1. Wow...all this coming out of Hawaii people. Adachi, Snowden!!!

Obama is such a disappointment.

[Fumesucker]

3. Tying this to Obama is just a bit much

I rather doubt the POTUS personally oversees contracts for military boots.

[dkf]

5. No I'm talking about Hawaii people in general.

I'm quite proud of them, except as I said Obama. My admiration is mostly gone. Authoritarian surveillance is beyond any boundaries I find acceptable.

[geek tragedy]

9. Most conservadems are disappointed.

He failed you guys by fighting your anti-immigrant bills, not immediately producing his long form, and of course the IRS 'scandal.'

And if course, he wants immigration reform which you and your hate group fellow travelers on the right rejected.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023113618

[galileoreloaded]

16. anti-immigrant or pro-wage supression/anti-american worker? i get all confuzled!

i'm fine with the world flattening, so lets just get to it already!

this is all an American (old, new, whatever right!) deserves anyway. at least we have the model that we think works right?

[Ed Suspicious]

25. Good god. That's not safe.

[Ed Suspicious]

24. I think you might be labeling the wrong group as "conservadems." I find the people eager to acquiesce

to authoritarian cold-war inspired policies much more on the conservative end of the spectrum.

[geckosfeet]

28. Ah. You mean all the survellience programs chEney dick and r0ve the sewer rat started

while letting addled ge0Rge play resident. Are those the authortaris programs you are pissed at President Obama for?

[dkf]

30. Continued and expanded by Obama.

He doesn't get to put this all on Bush. I voted for someone who said what Bush did was wrong. I didn't realize all he wanted was to make it entirely legal.

[geckosfeet]

43. Expanded under President Obama, not by Obama.

Once you give intelligence agencies have free reign, it is VERY hard to get them back under control.

They report to security oversight committees. They can pretty much say what they want and no one can challenge them.

The republicans in congress would never let bill through that would reduce oversight anyway. I would say any expansion was approved and overseen by congress - not the president directly.

So yes, I can lay all this at the chEney and r0ves feet. bUsh was a dupe, he was so far out of it.

[dkf]

44. Then maybe you need to reign them back in. Or cut them off.

[geckosfeet]

51. Of course. But thats when repubs start screaming about cuts to national defense

and security. The republicans hold the purse strings in congress. And they want spys working for them anyway.

But I agree that they need to be cut off. And I think that the only way is to cut off funding through congress. Maybe the president can issue an executive order but congress still needs to cut off funding.

[alfredo]

40. We all knew he was a conservative Dem with a touch of authoritarian mixed in.

Maybe you weren't paying attention, or you and many others projected your desires on him. He's a politician and you should not expect anything else from him. I voted for him because he was the best candidate at the time. Hillary is a bit too conservative for me, but if it came down to her and some Republican, I will vote for her.


I spent a bit of time in the intel world. Those who stay in it are good at just following orders. It is the perfect job for the passive agressive and the sociopath. I saw it, didn't like it, and got out.


The intel community is too big to nail, and too essential to our corporate leaders to allow any corralling by the president.

[Mojorabbit]

72. OMG, that is an oldie! :) nt

[alfredo]

75. I liked them until my mother said she liked them ;)

[atreides1]

77. Speaking as a Hawaiian

Snowden was a transplant so he doesn't count against us...

[dkf]

78. I'll claim him. :)

Can't believe I might have bumped into the guy downtown as he was working at the Davies Pacific Center! I had no idea we have NSA hackers around. Woweee.

I've become too invested in his wellbeing...I admit it.

[kestrel91316]

17. You never miss an opportunity to attack Obama, even when the subject has no relation to him.

[okaawhatever]

27. Another anti-Obama post from you. Yawn. nt

[bluedigger]

35. That's about the poorest attempt at conflation I've seen here in a while.

In order to attack the President you tie Adachi to Snowden by way of Hawaii. Snowden lived in Hawaii for all of three months as part of his job assignment. You really don't know fuck all, do you, dkf?

[hedgehog]

2. The story is unclear as to his actual actions -

a whistleblower informs the public, his congressional representatives and those in charge of enforcing the law when there is a problem. If he refused to do his duty by refusing to wear the boots, he clouded his role as whistleblower. Again, it would have been different if wearing the boots would have caused him physical harm.

[JackN415]

4. sorry. but I can't support him, however patriotic his intention is. World trade is a fact of life..

eversince humans had surpluses of goods and engaged in trading.

[Ed Suspicious]

26. Yay, neoliberalism. World trade and the invisible hand of the market is a force of god, unstoppable

and inevitable. We have no means of limiting trade. None whatsoever.



Oh yeah, that's snarkasm.

[James48]

29. World trade may be a fact of life..but not in military uniforms.

Part of U.S. military procurement law since before World War II is that military uniforms MUST be made in the U.S.A.

It's called the Berry Amendment, and is found at 10 USC 2533.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL31236.pdf

Whoever was the supplier of these boots- if they were made in China, it violated U.S. law.

I support the military airmen who pointed this out. He should have been honored for upholding the law.

[BrotherIvan]

55. +1

[bluestate10]

34. I purchased some USA made work boot for a home project. I owned a pair of boots

that were made in China. The USA boots are well built, but the Chinese boots have better design and as such, work better for the activities that I have to perform. USA clothing and shoe companies appear to not have money for designers and designers make a big difference in terms of utility of clothing, underwear and shoes.

[JackN415]

42. it's not so simple. Consider this:..

the threads of the boots or his uniform may come from India
the buttons may come from...
the dye for the leather may come from..
or one of the ingredients of the chemical used to make the polymers that are used to make the fibers or the particulates that are used to make....

you get the ideas...

You can't trace the molecules to make sure they come from the USA...

Just like there is a small probability that an oxygen molecule that once went into your lung was one in the last breath of Julius Caesar

[JackN415]

45. sorry my post was to reply the other and I made mistake replying to you. :) I agree with ur post

[brentspeak]

67. You characterize our commerce relationship with China

as "trade"?

http://www.epi.org/publication/counting_the_jobs_lost_to_china/

[bluestate10]

79. It is trade as long as Americans buy products that come from China.

I have nothing against the Chinese, I feel that they should live well. But with close to 1.5 billion people, China has more upside than our nation does if their leaders would realize the power of their numbers. The USA became a great nation during a period of relative isolation when it rebuilt itself after the Civil War. If Chinese leaders turned their focus inward and started doing meaningful rebuilding within China, that nation has both the brain power and people numbers to emerge from a period of internal renaissance as the preeminent economic power in the world. China being a large economic power would create opportunity for our nation and man others and bring about a period of economic prosperity never seen before in the history of the world.

[brentspeak]

84. You don't understand the definition of "trade"

When China starts allowing our made-in-the USA manufactured goods to be sold within its borders, then get back to us about "trade".

[Buzz Clik]

6. That's a lot of fussing over a pair of boots.

Sounds a lot like my knuckledragging brother.

[BrotherIvan]

56. Why are all the BOrG on this thread now defending Chinese made goods for our service people?

Why do pro corporatism and Obama lurve go hand in hand? Oh wait...

[Buzz Clik]

59. You are absolutely correct!

Every member of the armed forces should flush their careers over the origin of the supplies.

Pure fucking genius!

[BrotherIvan]

61. Or stand up for the country, people and their jobs

[Buzz Clik]

63. LOL! That's a joke, right?

You think that a member of the armed forces is not doing enough of that already?

Dude, you really need to think before you spew that socialist horseshit at every opportunity.

[BrotherIvan]

64. I wish more people would read this thread

So they can see what you and the other BOrGers on this thread are really about. Defending slave labor foreign-made goods for even our armed forces which are paid for by the public? Calling me a "socialist" for saying we should defend manufacturing and good jobs in this country? Yeah, we should all be happy to work at minimum wage fast food for our betters. Calling this man a coward for questioning the new world order? You all are truly delusional and should not be listened to, no more than I would listen to any other right winger which espouses the same as you do.

When you post on your regular sites, do you usually spell it "soshulist" or do you favor "libtard" or "librul"? You just outed yourself, Dude.

[Buzz Clik]

65. I didn't call you a socialist, just your response.

A lot of socialists at this site will be disappointed that you are so willing to puke their dogma but not willing to embrace the label.

No idea what a BOrG is, but if it's someone who shines on light on really dumb comments, then I accept that monicker.

[BrotherIvan]

66. I have no problem being called a socialist

by someone who thinks anyone left of Cheney is a dirty fucking hippie. I love it when ratfuckers out themselves!

[Buzz Clik]

69. That, my friend, is irony on a cracker.

If you get my drift...

[brentspeak]

68. "socialist horse$hit"

Yesterday's right-wing definition of "socialists": those who want an economy where the people refuse plentiful good-paying work and instead be able to live off the state

Today's right-wing definition of "socialists": those who want an economy where the people have the audacity to demand plentiful good-paying work and not be forced to live off the state

[Buzz Clik]

70. Fresh off the jury, in for the attack!

Seriously? Ratfucker is okay, but you can't bring yourself to spell out horseshit?

[BrotherIvan]

82. Nailed it

[itsrobert]

7. Congress has let him down

US Military clothing should be made in U.S.

Except in places where Women's rights are being dismantled like Texas, N.C., Ohio, and Wisconsin.

[Brickbat]

8. "It was impossible to get U.S.-made boots."

[bluestate10]

39. The problem is volume based. USA made boots will cost more, even if chinese workers

have the very same benefits as American workers. Chinese boot makers have Walmart, Macy's, Sears, JC Penney, and online retailers in their corner so that they can produce cheaper boots for the US military to buy. The equation is all about volume, when Chinese boot manufacturers get large volume orders from USA retailers, they can produce boots for the military for a prices that USA manufacturers can't match without subsidies or a decision by buyers to pay the higher prices. If the military choses to pay higher prices and that gets out, groups that pan military spending will be all over their asses. The problem of getting price competitive clothing and boots for the military that is USA made is made harder by the daily buying decisions of Americans, if Americans refuse to buy from brick/mortal and online retailers that offer nothing but products made in low wage countries and demand that those retailers stock USA made products, the cost equation will change such that USA manufacturers can make boots and other clothing and bed wear for the military at prices that won't have anti-military spending groups all over the military's ass.

[BrotherIvan]

57. Your post is disingenuous at best.

The boots are cheaper because they are made by SLAVE LABOR. Period. A factory in the US would have to pay minimum wage + benefits, but the volume of supplying boots for the entire Airforce would be plenty for economy of scale. There is no factory in the world that could supply a huge order for a gigantic client such as the military and Walmart at the same time unless that factory covered 5 square miles.

Bernie Sanders visited the museum gift shop at the Smithsonian and was shocked to find Chinese-made busts of American presidents and urged them to find made in the USA manufacturers instead. Surprise, he pressured them to find US manufacturers and they made it happen. You don't think a gigantic order from the military couldn't create hundreds if not thousands of jobs and reopen closed US plants?

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=1e3f0959-ed4c-4d07-a76c-194c6396fde1

[Buzz Clik]

71. You do realize that SLAVE LABOR has a specific definition that does not apply here.

But, hell. We're not worried about facts. Hyperbole and ad hominem are what make an argument, right?

[bluestate10]

80. The entire military could be shoed and that would be a fraction of what a chinese factory

build to sell to USA consumers and consumers around the world. What will we do, demand that other countries militaries buy the same boots that ours does to make them less expensive for our military - I would duck safely to watch the shit flying from so called "progressive" "purists" if our government attempted to tell other countries which boots to buy, the USA government get accused of enough stuff on DU as is.

[BrotherIvan]

83. Seriously: what are you talking about?

Did you put that through google translate before you posted?

So you are saying, at least from what I can glean from your post, that the US is absolutely INCAPABLE of producing boots and uniforms for OUR OWN military? But we can build the most sophisticated weaponry the world has ever seen?

I like how you and your fellow BOrGers use the same smears wingers use. Upthread I was called a "socialist" and you try to use the word "progressive" like a cuss word. So I'll ask you the same question: on the site you usually post on do you spell it "libtard" "libruls" or go for the short and snappy "libs". Dude, you just outed yourself.

[bluestate10]

81. The entire military could be shoed and that would be a fraction of what a chinese factory

build to sell to USA consumers and consumers around the world. What will we do, demand that other countries militaries buy the same boots that ours does to make them less expensive for our military - I would duck safely to watch the shit flying from so called "progressive" "purists" if our government attempted to tell other countries which boots to buy, the USA government get accused of enough stuff on DU as is.

[Journeyman]

10. Unfortunately, to get "American Made" military gear, it seems it must be produced by prison labor...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023162083

The industry that takes the cake when it comes to prison labor is military supplies.

It is estimated that the federal prison industry produces 100 percent of all military helmets, ID tags, bullet proof vests, canteens, night-vision goggles, ammunition belts, tents, shirts, bags and pants.

And what company is there to oversee production of all these items? UNICOR.

UNICOR was previously known as Federal Prison Industries, which is a for-profit organization, and the 39th largest U.S. contractor. It operates 110 factories at 79 federal penitentiaries and the Department of Defense is one of their largest contracts. In 2001, UNICOR sales were $583.5 million — about $388 million of which was to DOD or 66.5 percent of all business.

With wages as low as $0.23 per hour and no unions, safety regulations, pension, social security, sick leave nor overtime, prison labor is a growing and economically competitive sector. Prison labor is competitive with sweatshop labor prices and, since production is domestic, incurs lower shipping costs. Plus, overhead is pretty much paid for by U.S. taxpayers. With all these economic incentives, it’s no surprise that 37 states have legalized the contracting of prison labor by private corporations who bring their operations inside prison walls.

http://thecontributor.com/prison-labor-new-slave-labor

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

13. It's my understanding Firefighter Gear is made there too... nt

[bluestate10]

41. Prison labor is the only way that USA manufacturers can sell military gear to the

military at prices that won't set off the anti-military spending set. The world isn't a perfect place and it certainly won't get any better if the average American, including many that are virulent critics of all military spending, even that which is designed to help the country, continue their spending practices, buying products that originate in low wage countries.

[intheflow]

60. Bullshit.

The "anti-military spending set" isn't complaining about military clothes made in the US, we're complaining about the inordinate amount of money being spent on tanks, bombs, and planes we don't even need. Meanwhile, it's the fucking conservative warmongers who are also the conservatives who demand government be made so small it can be drown in a bathtub that demand contractors bid everything to the lowest fucking price, pennywise and pound-foolishly.

[onethatcares]

11. 32 years in the military

and only a Master Sergeant?

[Duckwraps]

14. I believe there is

only one enlisted rank above that.

[sarge43]

21. Two

Senior Master Sergeant (E8)

Chief Master Sergeant (E9)

There are nine enlisted ranks in the US armed forces

AF promotions have always been slo mo, reserve personnel even slower

[Duckwraps]

33. Well in the Army

a Master Sergeant/ First Sergesnt is an E8 with only a Sergeant Major (E9) above that. I see that the Air Force is different. Learned something today. Guess we need to clarify pay grade v rank.

http://www.defense.gov/about/insignias/enlisted.aspx.

[sarge43]

36. Using the pay grades is always a good idea, even within the tribe

Especially the enlisted ranks which differ from branch to branch. Moreover, they can change with the phases of the moon. Today an AF E4 is either senior airman or sergeant. In my Balloon Corps days, it was airman first class.

[Duckwraps]

53. Yep.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

54. As you point out, an E-9 in the Army is a Sergeant Major.

The Marine Corps, in addition to having a Sergeant Major rank, has an additional E-9 rank that is unique: Master Gunnery Sergeant, (aka Master Guns). The difference is that Master Gunnery Sergeants keep their MOS and are the top within their MOS. Marine Sergeant Majors, when promoted, are given a new MOS.

[Lurks Often]

18. He's a reservist

the rules are slightly different in the Reserves and National Guard

There has to be an opening in a unit for a higher rank, which might require him transferring to a larger unit and unlike the active duty military, there is no "up or out" policy. So a Master Sgt with 32 years isn't unheard of, especially if he likes what he is doing, is good at it and otherwise meets regulations.

Of course if he wants US made boots, he can spend some of his money and buy his own, although I think US Military equipment should be made in the US

[Mojorabbit]

73. My Pop was a master sergeant. He was a great man.

Perhaps this master sergeant was not great at keeping his mouth shut when something needed to be said. I am glad he made it an issue. Perhaps we will have jobs for people in the US making quality boots for our military because he did so.

[enlightenment]

12. Interesting.

30-odd years ago, I got my first pair of steel-toes custom made from a Boston shoemaker - because, at the time, the AF didn't order in women's sizes. They just gave women the smaller male shoe sizes, but the smallest size they had was a 5 (men). I needed a 4. So they called in this cobbler and they made a custom last for my feet.

Things have definitely changed.

[Progressive dog]

15. Sounds to me exactly like the chumps who didn't follow

orders because Obama wasn't born in the US.

[Rex]

19. Who fucking cares where your boots were made!?

NO ONE TOLD YOU TO THINK, TOP! YOUR ORDERS ARE TO KILL AND OBEY!

[allinthegame]

20. My Read

is that (as an employee of garments made in the USA) it is disappointing that we cannot even support a manufacturing structure in this country that can produce military uniforms top to bottom.
I happened to be in Europe for Thanksgiving last year and at dinner met a young man in the Army who told me in the course of conversation that he was so unhappy that most of his US uniform was made in Vietnam.
I think this thread should be more about why we can't do this at home than peeing on Obama and the soldier in question.

[BrotherIvan]

62. ^^This!^^

[pasto76]

22. hey master sergeant, put on the fucking boots and DEPLOY TO THE GHANI

the boots are ISSUED. means FREE. means that whatever supply chain it comes down, has the signatures of lots of people above yours. Boots made in China, SOMEONE way above us said that was OK. Were they defective? did they meet mil-spec requirements?

or if you dont like the boots they issue your for free, why dont you do what this lowly E5 has always done, go shell out 150 for boots you do like. Get back in line and do your job.

This sounds like the same old bullshit of trying to get out of a deployment.

he isnt a whistleblower. he sounds like a chickenshit. If his motive was other than getting out of a deployment, he would have found some boots at the surplus store and continued mission.

[James48]

31. the law requires USA made.

It is called the Berry Amendment. It dates from before World War II.

It says uniform items must be made in the USA.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL31236.pdf

He was correct.

[JackN415]

46. I didn't know this. But even so, there is absurdity in such law. What is the definition of "made in"

See this post:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3170182

many garments "Made in USA" were actually made in Vietnam, Bangladesh unfinished with just a few stitches or buttons. They are considered as "parts" that are imported and by putting a finishing stitch or buttons, they are considered made in USA.

It's really absurd economically.

Consider the iPhone. Made by Honhai Industry (Foxconn) in China. All the parts come from all over the world, with a lot of intellectual properties come from the US (chip design, engineering design), and the value a Foxconn Chinese worker adds to the iPhone assemby is worth only $8. So, even made in China, the value itself is not that much.

What's the point about "Made in USA" that is just an arbitrary definition with little economic sense in this complex world we live today?

[tkmorris]

37. Didn't research the story I see

Don't be so quick to call someone a coward. Especially when you don't know what you're talking about.

[HiPointDem]

23. kr. good for him. people should be asking these questions and making these points in every

walk of life. that our military gets its equipment from china is really telling, particularly as i've been repeatedly told by folks on DU that china is our ENEMY, and that snowden giving 'secrets' to our ENEMY is a terrible crime.

how much of a crime is it, if china is our ENEMY, that our own military gives china its military contracting?

something wrong with this picture, wot?

[bluestate10]

47. Spare me the outrage. If the military purchased USA made boots, clothing and blankets for

the prices those products would cost due to American citizen purchasing practices, people of your ilk would throw a god-damned fit about excessive spending by the military to protect their manufacturing friends, or some other creative fact bare charge will be lodged.

[HiPointDem]

48. no, people of *my* ilk would not.

[darkangel218]

32. I buy my shoes from Sears mostly, and i believe pretty much everything i own

Is made in China. Including my uniforms

[Initech]

38. 30 years of outsourcing has brought it to this.

[Gravitycollapse]

49. Maybe he should spend a little more time protesting against the unethical war in Afghanistan...

And a little less time worrying about his boots.

[Recursion]

50. You mean, "Master Sergeant in trouble for missing a movement"?

Pointing out that the boots were made in China did not get him into trouble.

[giftedgirl77]

52. He received a reprimand stemming

from a civilian misdemeanor. Which means his separation may very well have to do with that issue & not the clothing issue at all. There are several misdemeanor crimes that prevent soldiers from ever carrying a weapon again & if that was the case then he is of no use to the military regardless of rank & time in service.

As far as the boots go the unit admits that they violated statutes & got the man the boots he wanted & shipped back the entire units order to get the boots made un the US.

This sounds like another Soldier who got his ass in hot water by his own doing & is now trying to deflect the situation.

[Revanchist]

58. Is this a new development?

Last edited Fri Jul 5, 2013, 01:48 PM - Edit history (1)

I just looked at the last pair of boots they Navy issued me in 2006 (I think) and they were Wolverines with made in the USA stamped on them so I can testify that as of a few years ago Navy issued boots were made in America.

edit

Just checked my working blues shirt also made in the USA. Could this be an Air Force thing?

[Major Nikon]

74. When I was in the military, I bought my own commercially made boots

The ones they issued us were uncomfortable and of shit quality. At that time the uniform regs just listed the specs you had to comply with and there was nothing precluding anyone from buying and wearing their own, so long as they complied with the specs in the regulation. I got out a long time ago and things may have changed.

[Liberal_in_LA]

76. wow. I hope he keeps his job