I'm in agreement with the majority like I've already said.
If I ended up next to a squaddie on a plane, I would appreciate the job they've done/ are doing and would gladly strike up a conversation (buying a beer would be stretching it a bit!!)
However, you and I are in a position to understand all this because we are in, or have been in the military.
I don't think it would come as a shock for you to know that unfortunately, despite the best effort of 'The Forces Comic' sorry - 'The Forces Favorite' newspaper, The Sun, to hoodwink us into believing that everyone loves us, a lot of people, Brits included, see us as a 'dirty little secret' and don't want our existance pushed into their face. I agree, they should be kicked out at 30,000 feet but unfortunately that solution is impractical, and i seriously doubt that when the complaint from the civvy comes in, the powers that be tell them to 'ram it' as should be the case. Instead i suspect an ass-kissing of the civvy is probably the usual response.
The point about the US being different to the UK is a valid one. Not sure if anyone here realises, but we are not talking about groups, or dozens of military passengers in uniform at Civil Airports. We are talking about a guy (or girl) on his own on an internal flight to, say, Aberdeen or Hannover.
On my flight we also handle 'green moves' at provincial airports around the UK on civil chartered aircraft. In these cases, of course there is no issue with troops in uniform. They are mobhanded, dripping in desert or green uniform and getting on an aircraft specifically chartered for them.
I would love to name and shame the airlines who have an issue with military uniform, and despite Ray-Darrs post, I would love to name and shame those employees (management) of BAA who have expressed their discontent at uniform in the airports (I imagine that Ray-Darr is a grunt on the shop floor of security, and as such not privy to these recommendations by his management...).
However, I feel if I did these things I may be overstepping my remit...my purpose is education, not blame...