Army Maj. Ian McConnell said he did a \u201cdouble take\u201d when he happened to catch the word \u201cmedicated\u201d on ball caps when walking by a vendor\u2019s kiosk just outside the exchange at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, where he is stationed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ball caps imprinted with \u201cMedicated Vet For Your Protection,” \u201cThis Veteran is Medicated For Your Protection\u201d and \u201cDysfunctional Veteran, Stay Away from Me\u201d were being sold at the vendor\u2019s kiosk on May 16. \u201cI couldn\u2019t make sense of it. I stopped and read the hat a couple times…. I could feel a visceral response inside almost immediately but I wasn\u2019t sure if I was responding correctly,\u201d McConnell said, in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McConnell snapped a photo and tweeted that the caps raised concerns on a variety of levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHonestly, is this intended to be funny? I continue to see too much civ\/mil divide over this stereotype\u2026. And see service members choose suicide over treatment,” said McConnell, veteran of four combat deployments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Army and Air Force Exchange Service officials ordered concessionaires to remove the ball caps, in response to Military Times\u2019 questions prompted by McConnell\u2019s tweet. The caps were also being sold at some other installations, AAFES spokesman Chris Ward, and those concessionaires have been told to stop selling them, too, Ward said. Information was not available about which locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s great!\u201d said Ian McConnell, when he learned of AAFES\u2019 actions to remove the caps. \u201cThey seemed to respond quickly.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The caps violate AAFES restrictions against selling products that are vulgar and\/or promote drugs and alcohol, said Ward. Military Times queried AAFES officials about the hats the morning of May 18, and officials responded that night they had directed concessionaires to remove them from the shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AAFES hasn\u2019t sold these caps in their exchanges; these concessionaires have agreements to sell products outside the exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Navy Exchange locations aren\u2019t carrying these \u2013 or similar\u2014ball caps, said Kristine Sturkie, spokeswoman for the Navy Exchange Service Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNEXCOM has total oversight of the merchandise our concessionaires sell, typically at the local level,\u201d she said. \u201cIf any merchandise being sold by a concessionaire is determined to be inappropriate, the local NEX management would stop it from being sold.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Marine Corps Exchange locations aren\u2019t selling these items, nor are any of their concessionaires selling them, said spokesman Bryan Driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McConnell said he asked the kiosk vendor what the caps meant to him, and the vendor replied, \u201cIt\u2019s just humor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI told him it was hurting my heart because I\u2019ve seen the destruction of depression and suicide,\u201d McConnell tweeted. \u201cI had to stop talking, just patted my heart with my hand, and walked away,\u201d he said in an email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is also painful because it also insinuates that vets are uniformly dangerous,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vendor selling the caps couldn\u2019t immediately be reached for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AAFES\u2019 action to remove the caps is “right in line with finding common ground and community together,\u201d McConnell said. Discussions between military and civilians are important, McConnell said. But these conversations with veterans and service members often get awkward with the civilian population, he said, because it\u2019s difficult to convey context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We serve at the pleasure of our country; you and I are also citizens of that country together. We should be able to find common ground to relate on. These hats don\u2019t help with that \u2014 they make finding that common ground harder. It polarizes feelings among soldiers and civilians,\u201d McConnell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McConnell said he\u2019s seen first-hand families torn apart from a need to seek help but one or both spouses wouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been in the house of a soldier as he contemplated suicide. I\u2019ve done the midnight race to a subordinate\u2019s house because he posted suicidal thoughts online, talking to him on the phone the whole way. A soldier who used to be under my command killed himself just over a year after I changed out of command,\u201d McConnell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“That\u2019s why this is so dear to me. There are real people with real hurts. It\u2019s hard to talk about…<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPeople serve for a variety of reasons, are often better for it, and may need some help along the way. Instead of wearing an edgy hat, strike up a conversation and learn more about the other side. That goes for both of us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n