(This article originally appeared in the Air Force's AFSOC News Service and appears here through their courtesy)

It's not often you'll get someone to admit they wasted government time while at work. I'm stepping up to that proverbial plate and saying, yep, I wasted nearly an hour of the taxpayers' money the other day.

It had been one of those weeks where you wonder if you're the last one to know some big, breaking news. Everywhere I turned someone was stepping out of a car, walking into a building, lollygaging around outside without his or her hat on.

Surely, I thought to myself, if the Air Force had rescinded the wear-the-hat-outside rule I'd have seen a blurb or two somewhere - Air Force Press Service, an email from the first sergeant, a post-it note attached to some policy letter. But, I was beginning to think I was the last one to be read in on this important uniform change.

The airman in desert cammies (uniform) sauntering into the off-base frozen drink place apparently got the word. The master sergeant waltzing around the housing area reading his mail saw the memo. The staff sergeant making a dash from the parking lot to the burger joint saw the news release. The starving airman hopping into the dining hall surely read the note from his commander about it.

Each one provided that "Are you stupid?" look when I asked about a hat, a beret, a cover or cap. Maybe, I was the last to know.

That's when I decided before I stopped one more person about their missing top cover, I'd better spend a little quality time on the Internet. Checked Air Force Link, DOD Link, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force's home page, I even pulled down a copy of Air Force Instruction 36-2903 (35-10 to those still clinging to the good 'ole days). Not one mention, not one iota about a phase out for hats or a total abolishment of those pesky hair-messing gadgets. After nearly an hour of search engines and find-it buttons, I gave up.

I wasn't out of the loop, outside the G-turn, off my lane, on a different sheet of music. Furthermore, there are no references to exceptions that allow excuses such as "I forgot it," "You don't need it in housing," "We don't wear them with this uniform," or (my personal favorite) "Yeah, whatever."

Feeling victorious in confirming that more often than not, I am in on big news information, I was pretty cranky. Then, driving to work the next morning I saw someone else who reassured me that the hat rules are followed.

A lieutenant had pulled her car into the median and appeared to be having tire trouble. Right behind her, an airman noticed the distress and pulled in to offer assistance. (The non-hat wearers in the bunch may want to sit down for this next part.) The airman gets out of his car, WITH his hat already on, walks over to the lieutenant and, no kidding, SALUTES! Off base, in the midst of morning rush hour traffic, in uniform he has his hat on and renders the proper military courtesies!

Hundreds of people are zipping by this well traveled road, most late for work. And, this airman not only stops to help but also doesn't forget his military standards in the process. Future chief master sergeant of the Air Force, say I.

As I silently applauded the airman's military bearing (I was driving and couldn't actually take my hands off the wheel), I wondered if he'd wasted any taxpayer's money searching for uniform changes, too.