Originally Posted by
toddbabe
I know it was rememerance sunday, but that apart you wouldn't catch me anywhere near london or any other big city dressed in my uniform.
I can remeber with great clarity the horrors the IRA inflicted on the military in the 70s,80,s and 90,s Terrorism will kill you, don't advertise to the idiot extremists what you do for a living unless you want to become a target.
We used to be taught/ told not to wear,display or have any outward signs of our military jobs whilst off duty, now it seems encouraged again to wear it in public!
I know the officer was probably on official duty, but not in Harrods after he wasn't.
If the IRA could do it then I am damn sure Al q or its followers would love to also.
Generally, I'd agree with you.
But if we can't walk around our capital city in Number 1's on Armistice day, then well the hell can we? I would argue that on Remembrance Sunday, hundreds (If not thousands) of Number 1 attired members of the armed forces are no target for terrorism, in fact I'd say it flies in the face of terrorism. Here is ONE DAY that we are claiming as our own. It sends out a message to the British Public. We are here amongst you. The public should (and are, see below, para 3) be behind us.
The days of being targetted by the IRA purely for being in the forces are long gone. Nowadays, all British subjects are targets, just for being British, so there is where your argument falls down.
I was out on remembrance Sunday in my number 1's, coincedentally in the Capital City. I wore my war medals with pride. I was asked about my medals and service by the public in whose bars I drank. They were interested. I did not pay for a drink past 1700 hrs. They were without doubt, and still are, behind our forces every step of the way, and wish they saw us more than once a year, regardless of their stance on Iraq, the Government, or whatever.
Toddbabe: We are still discouraged from wearing uniform in a public place. All I say is.... Maybe the public don't see that as such a good policy. And I for one would say that it isn't.