I work next door to a Boeing office, and there’s also Raytheon a hundred yards away on the other side. I see Air Force people all the time, and they’re almost always wearing their cammos, officers and enlisted. I think for them it’s like Casual Friday, all week. Cammos are sturdy and practical, and they don’t have to be fussy about trouser creases and the like. And yet it’s proper military attire. I don’t like the look myself, but I can see why they do it.
Because it wasn’t always that way and doesn’t have to be that way now. Several Army vets have already mentioned that, not all that long ago, there were several different Army uniforms. I particularly liked my khakis. They were comfortable, especially in warm weather, and still looked smart.
I live in a “Base town” I’ve been seeing people in camos or BDUs for 30 years now. I know there are other dopers who know this, but I’m pretty sure there are rules as to when and where they can where their work uniforms. Back when I was in the guard we were allowed to stop by the grocery store or something, but not wear them out dancing or whatever (and who’d WANT to?).
The situation in the OP of the members of the band, sounds like something that was required or requested of the band. Though like others, I’m confused as to why it wasn’t the dress unifroms, but some brass somewhere must have had a reason, they wouldn’t have done it on their own, (I’m pretty darned sure).
But to answer the OP, nope, it doesn’t bother me in the least.
You’re making much ado about nothing; most of the time, uniform of the day is set by either base commander or local commander. The individual soldier has little to say about it. While I agree that dress uniforms would be more appropriate for special events and ceremonies, the day-to-day working uniforms are set as policy at “higher levels.”
If it really bothers you, write a letter (or start a community letter writing campaign) to your Congresscritter, or the local base commander.
Please don’t get pissy with individual soldiers, m’kay? 
They’re really not going to assault aisle three and declare “mission accomplished” over capturing the family-sized box of instant rice.
Who’s gotten pissy at individual soldiers here? I, for one, don’t care who makes the decision (and even if it you, I’m not going to treat you any differently IRL), I just wish that a different decision would be made. Since bitching on a message board isn’t likely to make a difference one way of another, I don’t think it matters for this thread who is to blame. I still don’t like it.
Here’s my question: WHY does, say, a helicopter mechanic need to be wearing camouflage at a base in, say, Georgia?
Who is he supposed to hide from?
As far as it being offensive- that’s a bit much. Most of the people I see in fatigues are at the airport here in Orlando and a good many of those are recent enlistees or reserve callups going into active duty for the first time. I usually take a moment to wish them well.
It’s a uniform. An all-purpose uniform.
That’s not a particularly clever thing to say.
In a lot of cases they are wearing their utility uniforms to travel because they are going to a combat zone, on active duty, and there is no time or place for Mickey Mouse in the desert. They wear their DCUs because nobody wears a dress uniform in a combat zone. In most cases they are on a rotator carrying nothing but soldiers. When flying commercial within the United States on matters not relating to transportation to or from a combat zone I think you’ll find that most of us wear civilian clothes or our Class A dress uniform.
As for the rest of the time, we are not supposed to go out on the town in our uniforms, but we are generally allowed to make a stop or two with impunity.
Incidentally, whatever authority you ascribe to us is entirely on you. My job demands that I wear a uniform. If you’re intimidated, I’m terribly sorry about that, but it is what it is.
You know, for a group of people who have dedicated themselves to the service of the country, I’m seeing a lot of condescension and even apparent contempt for the people they are serving.
I know you guys take a lot of shit. I’m one of those “anti-war, pro-military” folk. I think soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines should be treated with respect and appreciation. Part of my reason for criticizing the over-use of BDUs is precisely because I think it lowers the image of the military and subtly lessens the respect society as a whole is likely to feel.
If acknowledging that how people dress influences how others (including myself) perceive them is offensive to you or seems disrespectful or “pissy,” I’m sorry, but I won’t change my position because of it. The fact is that from the POV of influencing how civilians feel about the military personnel in their midst, BDUs are a BAD CHOICE. They may not be your choice, but we still get to complain about on the boards, even if the people who assign duty uniforms never read the Straight Dope. If you don’t care what civilians think about you or how we react to your appearance, then that, much more than any uniform or set of clothes, is in fact disrespectful and offensive, not to mention counterproductive to the mission and integrity of the Armed Forces.
How about saying that people that are not putting their lives on the line in the course of duty should not be dressed as though they are? For instance, the military band mentioned in the OP. Their lives are no more on the line than a fry cook’s, probably less.
There is no need for them to wear cammies while they perform. Frankly, I’d laugh at them if I saw that. And if it’s up to the individual base commander and he/she is allowing this disrespectful display then shame on them. What good is a dress uni if you only wear it on Halloween?
There were some Army recruiters hanging out at the local community collage a few weeks ago trying to pick up chicks (and dudes— anyone with a pulse, really, as long as they were dumb enough to volunteer for cannon-fodder patrol). They looked like clowns in their cammies. They probably would have made a better impression on potential recruits and gotten a lot less jeering from patriotic American students had they been dressed as they should have been (IMO) in dress uniforms.
Now if the OP were distressed over seeing Russian uniforms all over his city, I’d be upset too.
I’m amazed at how much bullshit and ignorance can ooze out of one post.
As a member of the Canadian Forces (army) I have a few a uniform choices - my formal DEUs, my CadPat and my less formal DEUs. Usually we wear CadPat (combats or fatigues) as the dress of the day. I am expected to wear the uniform suitable to the occasion - on parade is more formal.
I am proud of my uniform and see no problem with doing any necessary errands from work dressed in it. I wouldn’t wear it out on the weekend to a club - that is not what it’s for, not to mention that it shows a loack of respect to the uniform IMO.
I think my uniform tells people what I do, but nothing about who I am, anymore than anyone else’s work uniform defines them as a person.
As for members speaking their minds and talking to the media I only know our policy:
Military members are allowed to talk to they press, whether they agree with policy or not. The rule of thumb is that they are supposed to limit their comments to things within their experiences, unless stating opinion. Staying in “their lane” as it were.
Any member has the right to speak to the press, if they want to, and also has the right NOT to speak to the press.
That is the same breifing I have received from multiple public affairs officers, including the “stay in your lane” comment. It’s no different in the US Army.
It seems that a few posters here are worried because they view the military members as authoritarian killing machines that can’t separate work from life without changing clothes. Fair enough, I suppose. I mean, I don’t quite understand it, but I suppose I can generally see it.
My question would be this to those of you that have such a reaction to military members in uniform in public: when you see a Marine in his civilian clothes, but with a high and tight, dog tags peeking through under his shirt, and maybe a moto shirt (you know, a shirt that says USMC or something)- does that give you a similar reaction?
I mean, is it a problem with just the cammies/utilities? Would you feel the same reaction to a Marine in his dress blues? I mean, they don’t wear their dress blues while they are out blowing up villages or anything. And if any Marine uniform bothers you, why wouldn’t the above scenario?
Genuinely curious, not trying to be snarky. Promise.
Eh…like a good number of posters, I don’t really have a problem…I think they look sloppy as hell, but I can’t argue that it makes sense to streamline the uniforms and make it so that there are fewer uniforms that a body has to pay upkeep on. I do have a problem with it in some locations…for example when I was enlisted and working at a flag command, uniform was working dress all week, and dress blues on Friday. Now I work in a building that is a 4-star command, and BDUs (or whatever they’re called) is the norm…even by the General. Still looks like shit to me…nobody in these locations is doing “work” where they need a uniform they can grub up…it’s all administrative stuff.
And don’t even get me started on pilots and their flight suites…macho idiots. Unless you flew your damn plane or helo to work today, wear something else. But since we’re 30 miles from the nearest airfield, I’m fairly confident you’re not going to have to go take off at any moment today.
It’s hard not to be contemptible over this. People are offended by us wearing our uniforms, and when it is explained that this is nothing more than a situation where we are on our way home or to work we are still told that we need to change so as not to offend the sensibilities of some people. I’m fully on board with the idea that it should not be worn to go out and act the fool, because that shows contempt to the uniform. But to get a gallon of milk or a stop at the gas station? Much ado about nothing. I know that sounds dismissive, but it’s more than a bit off-putting that people are offended because we’re also people instead of some odd perception that we are nothing but killing machines or the like.
I wear a flight suit. It’s my UOD. I leave to your judgment whether I’m a macho idiot or not.
I find the idea that BDUs make people uncomfortable due to that icky association with violence to be very odd. These people are in the service. I’ve never felt remotely threatened by seeing an Army guy picking up a quart of milk at the store – quite the contrary, given my weakness for men in uniform. So I’m completely comfortable with service personnel being out in society in uniform. And having no military service history, I don’t have any basis to be disapproving of which uniform they wear.
That said, my dad (30 years in the service) winces to see BDUs in public places because he believes, as he was taught, that the public face of the service should be polished and professional and in his tenure that never included wearing your cammies around. So, yes, he thinks they look . . . well, not unprofessional so much as less professional.
He understands the soldiers dress as ordered. He understands there may be cost justifications or image justification. He still doesn’t like it much. I don’t think it keeps him up nights, though.
In a former life I used to wear a flight suit most days. I never knew when a pilot was going to need a left seater. If I wasn’t in the flight suit the mission would go to someone else. This was in the army and we didn’t have all the cool boyscout badges on the flight suit. FTR I am not macho. I may be an idiot.
One would think I’m a PAO or something 