QFIH,
I was surprised by your comment that we are discouraged from wearing uniform in public. I recall word coming down from CDS about 5/6 years ago that we could now go to public places without covering up. Indeed, it's not been unusual to see RAF guys from HQ STC in uniform around the High Wycombe town centre. So has this changed and we're being discouraged again?
Sad times if this is so, since our visibility to the public will wane even more. I hope it's easier for you front-end guys as people can probably figure out what the brevet means, but for we others there's no end of mistaken identity, be it policeman, RAC or securicor. Now maybe someone could stop painting the new RAF logo/brand on those Pumas and divert the money into similar named flashes for our uniform ........... (awaiting incoming).
And as for the security issue of wearing uniform in public, the threat today appears indiscriminate whereas the IRA one was deliberate, targeted and planned. Sorry Toddbabe, but it didn't matter what precautions you took, if the IRA wanted to get you, they would. They appeared professional, though I'm not an expert. Oct 89, Wildenrath: Cpl Mick Islania in civvies, left-hand drive car, off base. He took 2 rounds in the neck and his 6-month daughter took one through the head, as the killers came out of the bushes with the AKs. Every rendition of "Nimrod" still brings back the images of that white coffin in the 60 Sqn Hangar. (Admittedly the IRA did get it wrong 6 months later in Holland with the 2 Oz tourists gunned down in broad daylight, but they'd hit 4 x RAF Regt in '88 in the same town fairly easily).
Let's wear our uniforms, in Harrods, in Tescos, wherever.