I accept the line about reflecting the population they serve, but surely the requirement ultimately to lay down your life means the armed services are fundamentally different to the population they serve. I joined in the 70s when the fashions of the population were also changing rapidly. Standards of hair, dress, deference and so on were unrecognisable to the then older generation but then we took a pride in being different, having different standards and that fostered an esprit that surely is still needed.
By all means evolve and move with the times but I hope the armed services never become indistinguishable from the rest of the population.
Last edited by Timelord; 19th Oct 2020 at 18:45.