The ones who deserve the praise are the ones who wore it in public 40 years ago, when they were being demonized.

It's easy to claim to be someone who is liked. To proudly say you are someone who is NOT liked is another matter entirely.


The Jedi Master

This. A lot of the current culture of military worship here in the U.S. is compensation from the national guilt of how Vietnam Veterans were treated when they came home.

+1 Jedi and Navy.

And here I was months ago, consulting this forum on how NOT to get identified with the military when I got surplus military winter clothes. Probably didn't mention back then but even with all the precautions (i.e. badges, patches off) I still came off as one (mistaken as Gurkha, twice I think some thought I was an officer the way they addressed me etc.).

Up to now, I can't see the advantages of callously, wittingly, pretending to be someone else in a forum or in real life. Unless you want to get access to something restricted or something...

I mean, it comes across like children at a costume party (I'll stop here, I have this urge to rant further about how pointless I think cosplays are).

It depends on where you are, and in my own personal experience, it was mostly about attracting the opposite sex. In most of the Norfolk area, if you're not a SEAL or aviator, back in my day most junior enlisted tried to downplay their connection to the military- usually unsuccessfully.

Charleston for nuke school was a lot the same way, but for different reasons. It's interesting you mention cosplay, Oselisan. I arrived in Charleston in 2000, after the school had been open for a little over a year, and since there hadn't been much of a Navy presence in the area since the base and shipyard closed in 1990, most locals were initially indifferent to the smallish group of sailors who started appearing around town again. Until a group of geekier future nukes picked up a game called "Vampire: The Masquerade." And then they started LARPing it. In downtown Charleston. At night. Using the boot-camp issue raincoat as a cape.

In the UK outside of maybe a handful of places it's very uncommon to see somebody wearing uniform in public. It stems partly from back in the days of the Troubles when servicemen were banned from wearing uniform in public so as not to make themselves targets.

I remember after the Lee Rigby murder in London lots of notices and orders came out telling us we were not to go out in public wearing anything that identified us as servicemen. It's always been the case when we arrived in a foreign port as well - strongly advised against wearing anything that identified us. Funnily enough the only time I ever had any problem was in a bar in Norfolk on 4th July 2010 when some guy decided he wanted to pick a fight with me because I was a Brit and "shouldn't be out on 4th July".

I think RN recruits at HMS Raleigh (the RN's basic training base) are allowed to go out into town after two or three weeks, and they are required to wear their uniform.

The only time I've ever worn anything in public was on a couple of occasions when I was on a course in Portsmouth and had to stay in a hotel that was a ten minute walk from the naval base. I used to carry my cap in a rucksack and wear a fleece jacket so as to cover my uniform. The only thing you could see were black trousers and shoes which are hardly conspicuous. Once I got on the base I took the jacket off and put my cap on.

Still, the big difference between the UK and US is how much better you guys treat your servicemen and women and the status you accord them. Wearing a uniform in public here will get you pretty much naff all 99% of the time.

LOL! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!! Hold on just a second....Hahahahahaahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! No profanity in uniform....Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

Same here. So far, I've managed to wear it at Basic twice, AIT once, a memorial service I had to assist in, and twice for the board, once was the mock board. Other than that, not a chance I'm wearing it. It doesn't fit because they taped me the first week in Basic for it, and it'd cost too much to buy new ($500). I also don't like the crappy material and craftmanship. If I'm going to wear a uniform, it's going to be ACUs, lesser of two evils.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensla...0111-2cli4.html

http://www.anzmi.net/

Check out the above links...plenty of that BS here in Oz.

Pretty much same here...and good reminder to update my turds. Mine is rather out of date.

Speaking of hero worship of those wearing a uniform. While i was in 88-98 we were hated by the local civillian population.
Wasnt allowed to wear uniform in public at all. Had to go to the store? Go home from work get changed then go out.

Ten years, ten months, six days and counting and I've never, ever had to wear my Number 1 uniform

I came close back in 2007 in Port Stanley on the 25th anniversary of Liberation Day.... the ship's company was taking part in the victory parade but I ended up staying on board as the duty engineer.

Good job really as when I finished my cadetship I put my jacket into Gieves & Hawkes in Portsmouth to have my new rank insignia added and they made a complete mess of it, it looks awful. I really should get it done again as I've been promoted since then. I won't be using Gieves & Hawkes though.

Were you in FL then? I was at MacDill 99-00 and we didn't have anything like that.

Never been in a place or heard of that. Especially from 88 to 98. It was more of that in the 70's when the public was pretty down on the military post Vietnam. That wasn't a good time.

There were regulations on where you could and could not wear your duty uniform out in public. There were restrictions of being in uniform and going to liquor stores, bars, clubs, etc. You were allowed to be in duty uniform and go to places for lunch, service stations, convenience stores, etc. and that was restricted if you had been training and had any trace of cammo on you or your uniform was wet or dirty. You couldn't go "malling" or extended shopping. But you could in your Class A uniform.

I must have had an over zealous chain of command then lol.

Main reference...Ft Polk Louisiana for the hated part. Something about them boys in Leesville.
Ft Lewis Washington....no wearing uniform in public. Perhaps i overstated...you could go to gas station etc
on way home. As you say no extended shopping especially in BDUs. See it a lot now though.

I mentioned once before about photographing helicopters too during this time frame. Just didn't do it.

Restrictions come and go. We were placed on about 6-9 month restriction of no uniform outside of base. Some people want us very dead for what we do...

True enough. I do remember that the directive in AFI 36-2903 said (and still does) to limit BDU (now ABU) wear off base to quick stops.

We didn't have a directive like Stormtrooper said when I was at Lakenheath, either. Though we had both Feltwell and Mildenhall nearby that we would have to go back and forth between, while armed.