Wearing Insignia - Unearned

[DuffMan]

Conversely, I once saw a kid wearing a shirt enscribed with 'Devil's Brigade' (the WW2 precursour to the US Special Forces) on Remembrance day. I cast him off as a punk-poser (as he had a lip ring and all the 'punk' regalia). He met an actual veteran of the Devil's Brigade, and ended up crying into his chest, thanking him for his service. I heard it all and my eyes watered up a bit. I judged a book by its cover and was wrong. There are kids out there wearing 'gangsta' cammo or unit regalia that know what it meant, and while it's debatable whether they have the right to wear it, some of them know what they're wearing and really respect the people who served in w/e unit.

[SockMonkey]

Matt I think maybe you should take a breath man. We are all big kids playing war, we dress up and EMULATE groups/units/regiments or what have you. .... best form of flattery?? Its one thing to come out to the field in your kit being a sealranderdeltasniper who cares man?? Does that make you feel any less deserving of your own merits? It shouldnt if your credentials are legit and im not saying they arent(we have had several "SEALS" and such in here) you have earned the right to wear them where ever you will. Now if you caught some wanker talking about his l33t Para skillz outside of a game by all means sort the lad out but keep the machismo for them please. I was never in Australia let alone the Ausi Army but I have all the kit... should I not wear it?? If you think I should whats the difference between a set of camo and a specific unit? I guess all us weekend warriors have to trade our shit in for hunting cam! Seriously.

Sock'neverfiredashotinanger'Monkey

[matt m]

i understand about the forms of flattery and all, my credentials are legit. read scapegoat, eat your weakest man,behind enemy lines, tarnished brass, macleans magazine,cbc archives on somalia. im not trying to come across as macho, but howcome when people outside the as community wear insignia its ok to jack them up but its wrong to do it in the airsoft community? so i guess its ok to wear an outlaw bikers colors and then when someone gets caught with it words are supposed to save them from an ass kickin? i guess only the men who earned these badges, will understand the importance of having only us wearing them . re-enactment is fine i guess. i trained and worked my balls off for a long time to be able to EARN the right to wear this,so when i see sidewalk commandos wearing these it makes me feel belittled and my accomplishments and duty unnapreciated. i hopr you did not take this as a personal insult, that is not my attention, my motive is understanding. have a good one, AIRBORNE.

[SockMonkey]

Personaly I have to respect any one willing to put thier lives on the line for me and mine. You have respect from me at any rate, and it is likely you have to go through the things a REAL soldier must to understand your issues. With that said should we not wear Cadpat? or any issued kit? Its a fine line, most of the guys I know who are real life day to day soldiers arent irritated by airsofters playing at war. If they get caught pretending to be what they arent they get censured and i know 1 case for sure who isnt coming around anymore claiming he is somthing he is not or never was. As for wearing colours... They are outlaws as you say and deal with percieved afronts in outlaw ways... not what you and all soldiers have fought to uphold... our laws and way of life.

With utmost respect,

SockMonkey

[matt m]

thanx for replying back, it doesnt matter to most soldiers if people wear different uniforms, cadpat or whatever, i wear us bdu's, its all good. i just personally have a hard time with the insignia thing, maybe one day i will be releived of that, open mindedness wouldnt be a bad thing lol. anyway it was good chattin with you, take 'er easy my friend, have a good one. airborne!

[recon]

MattP I am a little confused. Please tell what unit you are in.

Wearing issued kit isn't the problem(unless its stolen an isn't supposed to be owned by civvies).

Wearing qualification badges, unit insignia, etc is what pisses people off since guys an girls had to go through courses an combat to earn those badges like Jump Wings, Combat Infantryman Badge, Ranger tab, etc. You may think you are respecting the troops who wear those badges an immatation is the best form of flattery(or whatever).. well that don't work for wearing badges, etc you haven't earned. To the troops who earned those badges its disrespectful to think you have the right to wear them an show them off for a airsoft game(or whatever), etc. Go to places like www.socnetcentral.com/vb/ http://www.usparatroopers.org www.army.ca and ask them what they think about guys wearing SEAL Trident's, Ranger an SF Tabs, Airborne wings, etc


None of that stuff is needed for airsoft, you can go for a certain look without using those badges.


Wearing badges for Reenacting/Living History is a bit of a different subject though.

[SockMonkey]

Again I dont see the difference between wearing kit to look like a soldier who is say regular infantry and wearing your airborn kit. Is one better than the other and deserves special mention? Different yes. more specialized most certainly. Deserving of more respect than any other man or woman who is dedicated enough to put on a uniform and serve thier country? im not sure. So unless we all plan on puting on hunter leaf pattern stuff I dont know what to say. Im playing dress up and army.... Im not out preaching im somthing im not. What about the various teams out there with a rank structure??? Im sure some have earned thier ranks as im sure others have not. I will wear what I like until the time comes the club I play with decides its unnacceptable to do otherwise.

With respect people... Airsoft is a game... games are for fun.... If you are unable to have fun with people playing dressup I respectfully suggest you either find a new hobby or perhaps start a club and host games where it is unnacceptable to wear rank and insignia. If given the oppertunity to play with that group I would most certainly abide by the rules set out.

Sock"beatingadeadhorse"Monkey

Did you even read my reply?

Nobody cares if you wear kit that a plain jane Soldier wears or kit that a Special Forces Soldier wears. Also, from what I've seen for team ranks, looks like most teams make up their own rank insignia. The thing some people have a problem with is people wearing insignia(qual badges, combat badges and unit patches) that they haven't earned.

Also, just because people don't agree with your opinion don't tell them to find a new hobby an stop playing airsoft.

Again I dont see the difference between wearing kit to look like a soldier who is say regular infantry and wearing your airborn kit. Is one better than the other and deserves special mention? Different yes. more specialized most certainly. Deserving of more respect than any other man or woman who is dedicated enough to put on a uniform and serve thier country? im not sure

Wtf are you going on about?

I used airborne wings, CIB an Ranger tabs as an example of what people use. Not wearing military insignia applies to everything, all qualification badges, an combat badges an unit insignia.

Nobody said a plain jane soldier is a "lesser soldier" compard to a Soldier in Special Ops.

[silent_lemon]

With all due respect to your arguement MikeL, police officers and rent a cops, ski lift operators to belayers, everyone has a uniform, and an earned one at that, but many of us wear them to immitate for sport or game, like airsoft and paintball, or for an event, ball, gala, halloween? I think it's just apples and oranges when it comes to our forces because those are uniforms that are given thru rigorous training and dedication, in comparison to oh say...a ski lift operator. Sure! they wear grouse mountain, or whistler blackcomb, because they know the drills, the safety etiquette, and all the hooha...but they dont put their life on the line when another country comes knocking. It's all hype, and to each their own IMHO.

i see both sides, tho. sockmonkey...is....troubled. dont get too overzealous over what he says.

[SockMonkey]

Who are you punk to make a personal attack on me?? Dont get all chairsoft tough on me kiddo we run in the same circles(lemon) My point wasnt that you(Mikel) were belittling any one. My point is where do you draw the line? You say all you have issue with is rank and insignia ect I was pointing out that people are pretending to be who ever when ever what about the next person who comes on saying "I earned my Cadpat I dont like johny no army wearing my shit". Saying that nicely they can like it or lump it is just what it is. Unless you (being agrieved parties) are going to go assault the person then play or dont, make your own field with its own rules.

I don't see anyone saying people shoulden't wear uniforms, not on this forum or others, etc. Anyone can wear a uniform, not like you have to really do anything to earn one, just sign on the dotted line an show up to basic an you get a uniform. But all the badges, unit insignia and rank people have to earn.

If a person is wearing badges, etc that they haven't earned I can say something about it. As for assualting someone because they are wearing it, well I woulden't go that far since jail doesn't sound like a fun place. But people have gotten badges an t-shirts taken from them by people who earned them.

As for making my own field, yea.. not a realistic option. I will continue to play at any airsoft field in my area.

I think Cyclic explained this issue the best.

Originally Posted by Cyclic

I once saw a kid of 16 or 17yo wearing a 2Commando (Airborne Regiment for those that don't know) t-shirt in the mall. He left the mall not wearing it.

Bottom line.. wear what you want, but always keep in mind that those that earned the ability to wear such things might not look kindly on those that didn't. And don't be suprised if they are in your face because of it. If you're not prepared to face the person that you're trying to immitate, you should keep your gucci-kit at home.

Most vets are very sensitive about the display of battle honors, regimental insignias and such. A lot of people had to go through a lot of shit to EARN THE RIGHT to display their accomplishments proudly on their person. My view, and the view of most in my position is that if you didnt earn it, it is not yours. And if by trying to impress some friends you choose to display those insignias someone may take it back....

[gandar]

No, he was talking about Lemon, not you MikeL.... He said that LEMON attacked him, not you.

...And I agree with MikeL. Uniforms are cool, but badges of rank or achievement/accomplishment are things you should EARN not just slap on because it makes you feel cool.

[SockMonkey]

As Gander pointed out my first statement was directed at Silent Lemon. The second part on topic. My point is made you can agree or not this is one of the things men and women in uniform defend daily. I wasnt making this conversation about me and any one in particular. Dont shit sling because you dont agree with me.

[Chubby]

Not to sound too brash here, but I don't really see the big deal about wearing insignia if someone wants to roleplay out their little milsim army fantasy while on the field. If you're going to wear chevrons, epaulettes, insignias, "POLICE" patches and law enforcement shoulder patches on your BDU and then boast that you are whatever rank your chevrons say you are, when you're not, well then I hope you're going home on the short bus.

I guess the only real problem would be wearing gear off the field for whatever reason, like wearing your BDU's on the bus or subway on the ride home, with the rank you were pretending to be on the field, either because you're too lazy to change or feel the need to look for the opportunity to act all badass when someone asks you if you're really in the army.

In short, I would say that yeah, if you want to dress up as hardcore as possible, right down to the chevrons, then do it on the field, but keep your gear in your bag until you're ready to change into it; then pack it up and change into your street clothes when you're on your way home.

The quams I would have about personating service personelle would be personating service personelle from our country, in our country. I don't see it as having as much of an impact if you want to personate a high ranking officer in the Russian Army, or a Navy Seal commander, since we have nothing to do with those countries. Airsofters are generally smart enough to know that you're just role playing and that it's all in fun, but if you're going to apply it your Canadian themed load out, you'll eventually get some flack for it, since it ventures into disrespect, so you're better off just not doing it.