What Goes On In Theater Stays In Theater?

摘要

There is an unfortunate, underground and mostly unspoken saying among some members of the military concerning temporary duty (TDY): "What happens on TDY stays on TDY." This certainly is not the norm in our military, and this expression is often said in jest; unfortunately, however, there is some truth in it. The connotation of this saying is, quite plainly, that "everything and anything goes," except for talking or revealing anything about any indiscretions upon returning home (or to the duty station). The general idea is that soldiers can live second lives on TDY and return home without any repercussions. This is simply unacceptable, and it runs counter to our professional military ethic. The most widely publicized incident of this type of behavior was the U.S. Navy's Tailhook incident in 1991.