Watched at kid in full BDU get his patches ripped off last nite

[likeitfast55]

My father (the idiot) took my 2ID jacket when he went to the sale barn to pick up a horse. A soldier came up and said "Second to None" and my father just stared blankly. Did not know the response and I am very fortunate that jacket wasn't ripped off him, but I'd not blame the man if he did.

Don't wear patches you don't earn

While I totally agree with you 100% that wearing any part of the uniform under "false" pretenses is beyond wrong.

Just a question for you that did serve and fight for us over here, would you back down from challenging someone if the response was "this jacket was my dead brothers/fathers and I wear it to honor his memory"? Would you still press the issue? What if this kid in the restaurant had his dead brothers jacket on and was proud to wear it?

[Probie]

While I totally agree with you 100% that wearing any part of the uniform under "false" pretenses is beyond wrong.

Just a question for you that did serve and fight for us over here, would you back down from challenging someone if the response was "this jacket was my dead brothers/fathers and I wear it to honor his memory"? Would you still press the issue? What if this kid in the restaurant had his dead brothers jacket on and was proud to wear it?

Even then there is a difference between patches that belong together vs patches, medals, ranks that just don't. I don't think anyone would start ripping patches off as soon as they walked up to you. I feel like there would be a brief conversation first.


Never was MIL. Just an opinion on how I feel it would shake out.

[Downs]

Unlike those fucking airsoft bastards.

I play airsoft. I've been in for almost 11 years. Not all of us are posers haha I do admit that there are plenty though. I used to play at lot at Fast Action Airsoft in Blue Mound. We went to the Whataburger a lot. As a Marine I can't stroll around in cammies in public. Some of the guys in cammies would get offered military discounts there and everyone that I ever heard get offered one turned it down and explained they weren't actually military.

I had guys ask me to get them MARPAT and I would refuse every time. I wouldn't help anyone get anything and the community I was involved with would discourage wearing things you didn't own and some folks were down right shunned.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=32.823129,-97.340115&num=1&t=h&gl=us&z=16

[KBScobravert]

You wouldn't believe the amount of contractors wearing shit they shouldn't in Iraq and Afghanistan. Most of the time, they just get looked at and a head shake or face palm.

I've been given several patches and unit-specific shirts directly from those groups/units for support I've given them over my career. I was asked about one I was wearing by a Pantego police officer when he busted Carless Chris and me racing. It actually worked out well for me when I told him about it.

I fired a guy for wearing ACU pants at FOB Kushamond in Afghanistan. It is a violation of Contractors on the Battlefield. Albeit he was a raging douche bag and couldn't take the break I was giving him so he got to continue being a hardass at the house. For the first few days on the base I thought he was in the Army or one of their contractors. Until he told me he was a KBR Plumber.

I absolutely will not tolerate any of our employees playing dress up or even wearing any articles of military issued clothing. Hats, Jackets, pants, blouse, etc. They can take that shit off and mail it home or they can put it in their bags when they get on the plane for their chicken or pasta, window or isle. Doesn't matter if they were in the military for 1 week or 20 years. We are contractors that are noncombatants who don't leave the wire. There is no need for them to try and act like a troop.

Thinking about it, other than my old utilities that would NEVER fit me EVER again, I don't have a single piece of camouflage in my closet. Now I do have TONS of the typical contractor's uniform though.

[Probie]

I fired a guy for wearing ACU pants at FOB Kushamond in Afghanistan. It is a violation of Contractors on the Battlefield. Albeit he was a raging douche bag and couldn't take the break I was giving him so he got to continue being a hardass at the house. For the first few days on the base I thought he was in the Army or one of their contractors. Until he told me he was a KBR Plumber.

I absolutely will not tolerate any of our employees playing dress up or even wearing any articles of military issued clothing. Hats, Jackets, pants, blouse, etc. They can take that shit off and mail it home or they can put it in their bags when they get on the plane for their chicken or pasta, window or isle. Doesn't matter if they were in the military for 1 week or 20 years. We are contractors that are noncombatants who don't leave the wire. There is no need for them to try and act like a troop.

Thinking about it, other than my old utilities that would NEVER fit me EVER again, I don't have a single piece of camouflage in my closet. Now I do have TONS of the typical contractor's uniform though.

5.11 as far as the eyes can see

[Chili]

IMO, the following situations would not bother me:

Anyone wearing individual BDU / ACU peices, pants or blouse (yes they called them blouses when I was in) or cap, would not bother me at all. Even if he was just wearing the blouse but with patches, I couldn't care less.

Now, if he is in full attire (boots, pant-legs bloused and tucked, blouse with patches, appropriate undershirt and cap (or beret as applicable). All bearing appropriate patches and rank insignia, then he'd better damn will be active duty, or at least reserves (maybe coming from or to weekend drill).

If someone is active duty and off post, they should not be in full uniform hanging out in a bar anyways. That would be like a cop off duty, staying in uniform and doing the same (chilling at a bar).

Otherwise, if you want to wear the full get up, but are a civilian, there better not be any rank or unit insignia. I'd be ok with a nametape at best.

[Chili]

As to uniforms, I only held on to one field jacket. I can get it on but it's really snugged when zipped up. I intentionally saved it specifically to give to my son.

This was issued to me just before heading to Korea. But both there and my two units stateside issued me gortex jackets. That's why the field jacket is still like brand new after owning it for 20 years. It was issued to me in January 1994 at Fort Leonard Wood.

The patch is from when I was with 1/3 ACR, after Korea. I still have several Indian head patches (removed from my uniforms when I pcs'd to 1/3 from 1/506.

I also still have one "winter" bdu blouse I held on to. Couple pair of boots too, including some matterhorns issued to me in Korea and Rockies issued to me in Colorado Springs.

[KBScobravert]

I don't have a problem with wearing military camouflage pattern anything out in public but when you are obviously playing dress up you are obvious. I would consider blousing pants in the same category as playing dress up. Sure you did it when you were in the military but you are not anymore so drop that bullshit. I have actually been looking for a good set of multicam pants or the sort for nasty range days (not Alpine or indoor ranges - more like the Sandpit), hunting and general outdoor shit.

Wearing your old M87 Field Jacket, go right ahead. I have or should say had till someone took it, an olive drab one that I liked for outdoor shit. Old timers wearing a military cover full of pins and shit, go right ahead. But when I got out of the Marines, that was one of the first things to go in the sea bag. But wearing rank and patches and shit on military issued items when not wearing that uniform in its entirety is kind of a joke to me. But then again, I am a Marine, we didn't wear unit patches, pins or merit badges.

[YALE]

Just wear frog togs, Keith.

[Chili]

Which one is doing something illegal and which one isn't?

I don't think patches and insignia were ever illegal, but certain badges and awards were covered under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court ruled it as unconstitutional in 2012, as they felt it infringes on First Amendment rights.

There is a new version enacted in 2013: http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-...house-bill/258

It specifies "

Shown Here:
Public Law (06/03/2013)

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Stolen Valor Act of 2013 - Amends the federal criminal code to rewrite provisions relating to fraudulent claims about military service to subject to a fine, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both an individual who, with intent to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit, fraudulently holds himself or herself out to be a recipient of:

a Congressional Medal of Honor,
a distinguished-service cross,
a Navy cross,
an Air Force cross,
a silver star,
a Purple Heart,
a Combat Infantryman's Badge,
a Combat Action Badge,
a Combat Medical Badge,
a Combat Action Ribbon,
a Combat Action Medal, or
any replacement or duplicate medal for such medal as authorized by law.

So basically you cannot "benefit" from it, and seems to be limited to awards, not unit, rank or other insignia. If so, it becomes illegal. It doesn't seem to mention Ranger Tabs, airborne / air assault wings, and similar qualification related insignia.

If I encountered someone obviously being a phony I would call them out on it, though I doubt I would put myself in a position to be arrested by attempting to remove the items from him.

[Chili]

I don't have a problem with wearing military camouflage pattern anything out in public but when you are obviously playing dress up you are obvious. I would consider blousing pants in the same category as playing dress up. Sure you did it when you were in the military but you are not anymore so drop that bullshit. I have actually been looking for a good set of multicam pants or the sort for nasty range days (not Alpine or indoor ranges - more like the Sandpit), hunting and general outdoor shit.

Wearing your old M87 Field Jacket, go right ahead. I have or should say had till someone took it, an olive drab one that I liked for outdoor shit. Old timers wearing a military cover full of pins and shit, go right ahead. But when I got out of the Marines, that was one of the first things to go in the sea bag. But wearing rank and patches and shit on military issued items when not wearing that uniform in its entirety is kind of a joke to me. But then again, I am a Marine, we didn't wear unit patches, pins or merit badges.

Little unsure on your direction on part of that, but I wouldn't take issue with anyone wearing a field jacket with rank and unit insignia (like mine above) if that's the only uniform item they are wearing. Hell, when I was active duty guys did that all the time. Mainly because most of us didn't have a good civilian jacket to wear off duty. None of the commands I fell under ever had an issue with that.

Now, if you had most of your uniform on, but not all, they would nail you for being out of uniform.

I would never blouse pants over boots. I hated having to do that when I was required to.

I have a pair of non-military camo cargo pants I use for camping, but that is in a totally different area, IMO.

[KBScobravert]

Little unsure on your direction on part of that, but I wouldn't take issue with anyone wearing a field jacket with rank and unit insignia (like mine above) if that's the only uniform item they are wearing. .

Wasn't directed to anyone or at anyone. I actually typed and hit submit before I saw your post. That was the nice thing about 90% of the Marine uniform, our rank could come off with a little brass backing.

edit: and I don't take issue with it just that I wouldn't.

[GE]

When I was in the academy, we had to sit in the court in Grand Prairie to watch how the system flowed or some bullshit. Two guys from my dept were both former Marines, one of which was Force Recon. Some chicken head came in for some traffic ticket, and he had apparently been tossed out of court the week before for wearing ratty ass clothes. He comes in this time wearing full dress blues, pants were way too long, gig line was all sorts of off, the whole uniform just looked like ass. When he left and was outside, the two guys from my dept ripped into him. Guy even had some Marine Corps tattoo on his arm and everything, but nothing he said made sense. I thought they were gonna kick his ass on the spot. When we got back to NCTCOG, Zavala ripped everyone a new asshole for causing a scene outside the front of the court house. Good times.

[SS Junk]

Went to Lejeune to see a friend of mine who was a Gunnery Sergeant at the time and I couldn't believe how many posers there were around there that he would point out. Sometimes they were easy to spot when they were mouthing real loud in public places. They were all in civilian clothes, but had the haircut and were trying to mouth the jargon.
He's now a Master Gunnery Sergeant stationed in Pendleton and when I saw him out there, every single time we'd go out he would spot a group who was not wearing proper attire went to them and told them to change. He said it's like a daycare around the entire base.

[BP]

Like chow hall?

That'd be called the DFAC now.