Respect and gratitude for the military
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Sorry, Soddim I can't quite grasp the point you are making whether it be sarcastic or merely patronising.
I assume because you post the forum rule you could be suggesting that I should keep out. This is of course fair enough its just that the premise of the thread seems to me that you military people are not respected enough by people such as myself. I therefore suggest it is reasonable of me to break the posting rules just once to ask just how you think we should treat you.
I have no idea or care if the thugs who attacked my car were Paras or not, that is irrelevent.
I assume because you post the forum rule you could be suggesting that I should keep out. This is of course fair enough its just that the premise of the thread seems to me that you military people are not respected enough by people such as myself. I therefore suggest it is reasonable of me to break the posting rules just once to ask just how you think we should treat you.
I have no idea or care if the thugs who attacked my car were Paras or not, that is irrelevent.
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Originally Posted by Maufe
I have read this thread through all the way and still don't quite get it - when we come in contact how exactly do you want me to treat you?
To add to my previous comment, I think Americans tend to 'enthuse' about things like this much more so than their British counterparts who are far more cynical and 'matter of fact' about the role people play and the jobs they do. Americans openly gush over their boys doing a great job fighting against those terrorists who brought down the twin towers, whilst Brits appear to take the view 'well, its their job, they signed up to do it and they get paid for it'.
Its an interesting cultural difference IMHO.
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I suppose suppose we in the UK we maybe view this (http://www.ichblog.eu/index.php?opti...ectlink&id=543) or this (http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2007/02/...some-examples/) in slightly more of a negative light than they do in the US.
Not saying these are examples of the way our forces necessarily behave, but in the US this sort of footage seems to be accepted with little more than a shrug of the shoulders, while here in the UK it is very much frowned upon and becomes the gerneralised picture of what is being done in our name.
Not saying these are examples of the way our forces necessarily behave, but in the US this sort of footage seems to be accepted with little more than a shrug of the shoulders, while here in the UK it is very much frowned upon and becomes the gerneralised picture of what is being done in our name.
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Maufe,
In the British way this is probably no more than we could expect or even want. However you may recall the WREN that was asked to leave the Sainsbury in Chester because her Combat Soldier 95 uniform was causing distress to another customer.
There are other instances where civilians are not just apathetic but actually agressive. Even a macho thing - duff a squaddie - must be tougher.
As for your car, that is was smashed up might now be considered 'normal for Britain.' As it was in Warminster it was hardly surprising that it was by squaddies. If it was in Liverpool is would as likely have been Everton or City hooligans, or Twickenham it might have been rugger b
rs.
I would treat you in the same way as I would treat anyone else I met for the first time that is to say I work on on the assumption that you are a normal reasonably courteous human beings until proved otherwise.
There are other instances where civilians are not just apathetic but actually agressive. Even a macho thing - duff a squaddie - must be tougher.
As for your car, that is was smashed up might now be considered 'normal for Britain.' As it was in Warminster it was hardly surprising that it was by squaddies. If it was in Liverpool is would as likely have been Everton or City hooligans, or Twickenham it might have been rugger b
rs.
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Uniform - US Perspective?
I wonder what the US take is on uniform or, to be more precise, wearing Army surplus or wearing Army style fashion items partuclarly by men.
In UK you can buy any variety of military style camouflage trousers, hats, handbags etc, for desert, urban, temperate or whatever. You can also buy US, German, Dutch, British surplus and wear it in any scruffy, or stylish, non-military way. A general clue is that the trousers, shirt, jacket and boots do not match. You also see people wearing USAF style or USAF bomber jackets. The fashion for wearing NBC clothing seems to have declined.
I would argue that prevalence of surplus or military style clothing worn by people today distracts from the soldier, sailor or airman when they appear in uniform in public today.
What is the situation in the US? Is there an after market for Army surplus? Is there a fashion for Army style?
In UK you can buy any variety of military style camouflage trousers, hats, handbags etc, for desert, urban, temperate or whatever. You can also buy US, German, Dutch, British surplus and wear it in any scruffy, or stylish, non-military way. A general clue is that the trousers, shirt, jacket and boots do not match. You also see people wearing USAF style or USAF bomber jackets. The fashion for wearing NBC clothing seems to have declined.
I would argue that prevalence of surplus or military style clothing worn by people today distracts from the soldier, sailor or airman when they appear in uniform in public today.
What is the situation in the US? Is there an after market for Army surplus? Is there a fashion for Army style?
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Wader, see what you're getting at but not sure on all the details of US High street fashion.
There is definately a US market for army surplus (picked myself up a fantastic and V cheap Goretex on last trip
) but not sure how widespread this is, the shop I was in was very close to large USMC base.
I don't particularly remember seeing a lot of civilians wearing combats though, as I would walking around any town/city centre in the UK. Camo has been in and out of fashion for years and one company has even made its entire reputation based on garments made in various camo. I believe there is even a book out about it. Ironic isn't it that with CS95 the forces are almost fashionable but aren't allowed to wear in public? Or that when they do they 'upset' people. As an aside, whilst at Heathrow, I saw a chap with a T shirt with a silhouette of an RPG on it. The tag line, spelt out in sparkly writing said 'RPG 7 - That should do it'. Considering what the guys and girls on the ground are doing I found this distasteful but didn't ask the bloke wearing it to leave the airport.
There is definately a US market for army surplus (picked myself up a fantastic and V cheap Goretex on last trip) but not sure how widespread this is, the shop I was in was very close to large USMC base.I don't particularly remember seeing a lot of civilians wearing combats though, as I would walking around any town/city centre in the UK. Camo has been in and out of fashion for years and one company has even made its entire reputation based on garments made in various camo. I believe there is even a book out about it. Ironic isn't it that with CS95 the forces are almost fashionable but aren't allowed to wear in public? Or that when they do they 'upset' people. As an aside, whilst at Heathrow, I saw a chap with a T shirt with a silhouette of an RPG on it. The tag line, spelt out in sparkly writing said 'RPG 7 - That should do it'. Considering what the guys and girls on the ground are doing I found this distasteful but didn't ask the bloke wearing it to leave the airport.
Last edited by WhiteOvies; 15th May 2007 at 13:35. Reason: Dyslexia strikes again!
A general clue is that the trousers, shirt, jacket and boots do not match.
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I wonder what the US take is on uniform or, to be more precise, wearing Army surplus or wearing Army style fashion items partuclarly by men.
I've got plenty of camo clothing that I wear when hunting (US usage of this term -- I believe you lot use the term "stalking"), but that's not surplus and I don't wear when not hunting.
Non-surplus urban-camo pants have been somewhat in fashion lately and I do see them now and then.
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OFBSL, are, picking up fashions from us. 
After the Second World War army khaki battle dress was a frequent sight on building sites. They could either have been ex-army or surplus, or both.
For our field sports it is most unlikely that one would wear Army surplus
We have hunting too: usually wear pink or black. For stalking or shooting tweeds are de rigeur with possibly a barbour jacket.
For coarser pursuits, such as hare coursing you may well see DPM pants.
We mostly see camouflage clothing worn in urban danger zones, like shopping centres (malls).
After the Second World War army khaki battle dress was a frequent sight on building sites. They could either have been ex-army or surplus, or both.
For our field sports it is most unlikely that one would wear Army surplus
We have hunting too: usually wear pink or black. For stalking or shooting tweeds are de rigeur with possibly a barbour jacket.
For coarser pursuits, such as hare coursing you may well see DPM pants.
We mostly see camouflage clothing worn in urban danger zones, like shopping centres (malls).
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Quote Eric Ferret "
The best way to determine if the camouflaged troops are airforce or army is by eye.
If the wearer looks like a sack of sh*te with an ill fitting uniform thats airforce. If the uniform fits well thats army. "
You forgot to mention that another way of spotting a Pongo is that he smells, sits down in the galley (sorry cookhouse) still covered in cam cream and wearing webbing and has the manners of a Pikey.
Oh and do your bloody drawstrings up.
The best way to determine if the camouflaged troops are airforce or army is by eye.
If the wearer looks like a sack of sh*te with an ill fitting uniform thats airforce. If the uniform fits well thats army. "
You forgot to mention that another way of spotting a Pongo is that he smells, sits down in the galley (sorry cookhouse) still covered in cam cream and wearing webbing and has the manners of a Pikey.
Oh and do your bloody drawstrings up.
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Actually Eric Ferret this is not what I see.
At an Army HQ recently the only officer with a correctly fitted and creased set of DPM was a sqn ldr, and an Air Trafficer at that. The brown jobs uniforms may have fitted once. They were certainly clean though. So clean that most were not camouflaged at all.
And of course there was the hair cut. One was like Capt Freidrickson with horse hair wig and one with out.
At an Army HQ recently the only officer with a correctly fitted and creased set of DPM was a sqn ldr, and an Air Trafficer at that. The brown jobs uniforms may have fitted once. They were certainly clean though. So clean that most were not camouflaged at all.
And of course there was the hair cut. One was like Capt Freidrickson with horse hair wig and one with out.
