It's a f*#!ing uniform. Not part of your damn wardrobe.

[mcantar18c]

Please, don't go around wearing your old uniform like a pair of jeans.

A guy in his late 40's/early 50's walked into my taproom this morning wearing an untucked tan t-shirt, ACU bottoms, and tennis shoes.
I asked him if he was military, he said "Oh, uh, yeah, like a lifetime ago." I proceeded to tell him (in the most respectful way possible, because he said he had actually served) that a lot of guys have died wearing that uniform and wearing it around like pajamas was disrespectful to them, and that as someone who's buddies have been wounded and killed in war I take personal offense to it. Before I could finish speaking, he starts yelling at me about how I'm such a jackass and "am ruining it for everybody" (which I'm still not exactly sure what he meant by). He goes on for a minute, how it's a great way to treat customers and so on, and storms out.
A few hours later some white trash looking older blonde "lady" (I use that term loosely) pulls up in a black late model BMW sedan with DV plates, wearing a Navy PT shirt, and walks in and asks loudly "Who's in charge here?" I tell her I am, and she says she's looking for someone who some to a guy in BDU's earlier. I told her I hadn't seen anybody wearing BDU's for quite a while, but that somebody came in earlier wearing a fucked up ACU uniform and threw a fit when I called him out on it. She starts off on me, yelling and bitching for a few minutes with me replying when I can in a very calm voice, which pissed her off even more. She points out her DV plates, flashed some kind of Fed-looking badge in my face like it has any bearing on anything, and after a while she storms out and takes off. There were 3 groups of customers in at the time... a USAF vet, a group with a guy who was in a sister unit to mine and was stationed at the same post I was, and a biker couple with pro-mil patches on his cut. They asked, I explained the situation that had transpired earlier, and they all decided that the couple are just shitbags and were impressed at how calm I was about it. The USAF vet wrote down his name and number in case I need a witness statement.

Point is this, folks. It's a UNIFORM. the fact that you at one time served in it doesn't mean you get to parade around in a dicked up version of it. I'm not saying you can't wear a tan unit t and jeans, or go hiking in your multicam bottoms and a normal color t-shirt. Just don't be an asshole with it.

[HoneyBadger]

Point is this, folks. It's a UNIFORM. the fact that you at one time served in it doesn't mean you get to parade around in a dicked up version of it. I'm not saying you can't wear a tan unit t and jeans, or go hiking in your multicam bottoms and a normal color t-shirt. Just don't be an asshole with it.

[boomerhc9]

I saw a dude wearing a bomber jacket and crocks with socks yesterday, that kind of pissed me off, so I called him out on it. I told him he shouldn't wear his old uniform around willy-nilly. He also called me a dick and walked away.

[boomerhc9]

mcantar18c he probably just doesn't have good fashion sense. You should start a fashion blog and show him the light.

[Irving]

Did she take a picture of you?

[Aloha_Shooter]

You forgot the corollary: ... except to the IRS (who won't let us write-off uniform purchases as expenses -- even Class As) ...

The IRS's line of thought (going back decades) is that you can take the shiny stuff off and wear your Class As as a regular business suit ... and don't even get started on utilities ...

[james_bond_007]

Interesting article on this topic...
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theor...niformwear.htm

Can it be considered 'authoritative' ?
No, the article itself s not 'authoritative', but does cite Military Regs, US Law, and a court case.

My take is that the conclusion of this article is:
1) It is clear that wearing 'distinctive parts' are certainly a NO NO (insignia, decorations etc.) ; wearing non-distinctive parts seems unclear (i.e. if wearing ANY part of a uniform was intended to be 'illegal', why differentiate and specifically cite 'distinctive parts' as illegal )?
2) A DA MAY or MAY NOT prosecute, depending on the circumstances (attempt to impersonate vs. wearing a uniform as a costume or with no 'distinctive parts')
3) Many services have regulations prohibiting the wearing of uniforms by civilians; however, paradoxically, they are not enforceable with citizens.

Some other questions :
1) Should Surplus stores/thrift stores/Ebay be allowed to sell uniforms or parts of them to civilians ...for ANY reason ?
2) Should there be a ban on the sales or profiteering of all medals/ribbons, etc. (not just some, like the Medal of Honor) ?
3) What should be done with uniforms, medals, etc. when the rightful owner (ex-military) passes on (and no family member wants them) ?
4) Does the "No Wearing of uniforms" apply to non-current issued uniforms or just current issue?
EX: Would wearing a pair of Vietnam 'tiger stripe camo' pants be considered 'Wearing a military uniform', since they are no longer issued/used? Clearly, someone wearing them would not be trying to impersonate current US Military nor would they be recognized as current Millitary. The pants would be a 'former uniform', but not a current uniform. Does ANY issued item, current of not, still constitute a uniform ?

Comment:
I'm thinking this issue, in some ways (not all ways), parallels the controversial 'burning of a US Flag'. Whether you are allowed to do it or not, by law, is a different issue than the respect that should be given to both (flags and uniforms), regardless of what the courts rule.

Please understand that my post is not arguing for or against, nor am I attacking or supporting the position of the OP....I'm just asking some questions.

[Bailey Guns]

Huh...

[wctriumph]

So, If I have a set of camo's that my cousin picked up for me on the base and I wear them I'm doing something wrong? I'm not in the military so I can't wear them? In my younger days I used to wear camo, current issue at the time, when I went duck hunting and sometimes fishing. There were no commercial camo gear available at that time and the mil-spec issue camo's were durable and if I got the right size were comfortable. There are a lot of surplus outlets that sell current issue gear, are you saying i can't wear it?

Just curious.

[Singlestack]

I certainly see what the OP meant, and agree with him. Show the uniform the respect it deserves. But what POs me even more are the occasional stolen valor POS's.