Wearing Insignia - Unearned

[Ibby]

Originally Posted by mcguyver

...just for the record i have never served in the armed forces but i do understand pride and honour. these are universal qualities that are becoming a scarce commodity these days.

Yup.

Originally Posted by MadMorbius

Wear whatever the fuck you want. As long as you don't try to claim to an OUTSIDER that its anything more than a costume, who cares?

Yup.

Originally Posted by Blackthorne

You can wear whatever you like, where ever you like. It's a free country.

Not entirely true. Technically, it is illegal to wear CF issued gear downtown if you're not entitled to. Ironically it's in the Code of Service Discipline which doesn't apply to civvies, so I don't know why they bothered writing it, but whatever.

Me, I'm just a lowly corporal in the army. I have spent time getting shot at by angry Serbs and Croats, and yeah real war is real hell. I know most folks here will never experience it and I wouldn't want them to, but that's another story. I've never taken a jump course, or a pathfinders course, or a French commando course, so I won't wear any of the badges. Hell, I went to the base tailor and had her make up a shitload of nametags and slipons for the local guys with our specific club stuff on them. It is pretty cool to wear that. I wear the uniform of a soldier all week, but putting it on again on the weekend to go shoot BB guns, it's somehow a different aspect altogether. Hey, you can incorporate certain insignia into your games. Make a respawn point behind enemy lines that only airborne players can use. Make a bridge demolition be required by only an engineer, etc.
What it boils down to is we are playing dressup. Wear what you want. But keep in mind the respect a uniform is due, and you'll be fine.

[vondnik]

I feel that people can wear what ever they want in this GAME. I don't realy care about it except if the individual is taking the "credit" for something that was not earned.

Personnaly I will never wear them out of repect for the men and women that dedicate themself to propecting my freedom past, present and future.

[Drake]

I agree with Vondnik, at a game, if its milsim you're doing an impression, you can wear it. This is, IMO, entirely different than walking down the street with it. Similar example would be wearing a vest with a "POLICE" velcro patch on the back. Heck, in the context of a realistic SWAT-style scenario, the LEO players would pretty much have to call out "police" to identify themselves in the process of the "raid." Everyone on the field knows you're playing a game.

The one thing that does irritate me personally, if you're going to wear it, at least A) have a proper impression, don't just slap patches on mismatched kit cuz they're "bad ass", and B) understand and respect the organisation whose impression you're doing, not just cuz it looked cool in some movie.

[Porkchop]

Hey!!!!
There is only one outfit that is "badass" and they are on an express elevator to hell, going down

[mtallman]

Oh my,
Well...For living history, haloween, movies...that stuff its fine.

It gets to me when, like in that recent story, some guy went to a military funeral wearing a colonel's uniform with the medal of honor, and he wasnt ever in the forces.

[Syn]

Originally Posted by mtallman

Oh my,
Well...For living history, haloween, movies...that stuff its fine.

It gets to me when, like in that recent story, some guy went to a military funeral wearing a colonel's uniform with the medal of honor, and he wasnt ever in the forces.

There should be a law against that or at least a fine for public mischief. Fake Colonel's uniform to a miliary funeral? What if someone went dressed as a police officer to a police officer funeral. That person needs a heavy fine and a few sesions with a mental health therapist.

[mcguyver]

the main problem i see is that just wearing is so that it is visible to anybody at all = shouting it out loud. you are obviously not trying to keep it private. this issue of symbols, badges and colors is not just a military or police thing. you wear a hell's angels jacket when you're not a member and it WILL cost you your life. the problem is we really are a country with no backbone and we just say "meh, whatever" and we don't take a stand for anything. this is just another example. some folks may think i'm a little extreme on this issue, but goddammit what ever happened to respect. did it vanish along with canada's spine? whatever happened to honour. when we wear insignia's do we do honour to those who are actually entitled to wear while we think it's cool? people really need to re-think what basic values are and actually apply them to their lives. in just about any other other country in the world this debate would not even be occuring. a line would be drawn in the sand so to speak and that's it.

[*CRASH*]

"There should be a law against that or at least a fine for public mischief."

There is a law against it... Sec 419 Criminal Code of Canada...
www.canlii.org/ca/sta/c-46/sec419.html

And as an aside... I agree with mcguyver... it's just pure and simple... show respect for those whom have either made the ultimate sacrifice or poured their sweat and blood into earning the right to wear that "piece of brass or cloth"... to some it is quite a bit more than that...

[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....

[Blackthorne]

Originally Posted by Ibby

Not entirely true. Technically, it is illegal to wear CF issued gear downtown if you're not entitled to. Ironically it's in the Code of Service Discipline which doesn't apply to civvies, so I don't know why they bothered writing it, but whatever.

Good point Ibby.

Actually, as a civilian, I can be arrested for wearing a police or "police like" uniform. Your not even supposed to wear a security guard patch unless you are licensed.

So it should read, "Wear what you like, it's free country. Just remember the law still applies."

[GiordanoWC]

Originally Posted by MORGUE

"we take it for granted that we live in a country full of pansy do-gooders and have not had to fight for our honour, land or even survival in centuries"

I'm not sure if you meant to exclude our armed forces envolvement in WWI/WWII. I for one would say that those were fights for freedom.....

MORGUE

If i may take a stab at interpretation, i think he was trying to say that Canadians on the home front haven't faced the dangers that europeans have and still do face on the home front: subjugation, ethnic cleansing, extreme fascism and possible eradication and de-nationalization. Canadians and Americans have no clue what these threats are all about (for that matter, neither do I, but my parents faced these fears head on in a post ww2 europe, and my grandparents in pre and post great war europe.)

We gave our troops in the fight against genocide during ww2, and i respect much of what was gained from that war.

[recon]

Hey Ibby where did you serve, I was in Croatia in 94.....1 RCR baby Dukes Company. :salute:

[bruce]

Originally Posted by mcguyver

the main problem i see is that just wearing is so that it is visible to anybody at all = shouting it out loud. you are obviously not trying to keep it private. this issue of symbols, badges and colors is not just a military or police thing. you wear a hell's angels jacket when you're not a member and it WILL cost you your life. the problem is we really are a country with no backbone and we just say "meh, whatever" and we don't take a stand for anything. this is just another example. some folks may think i'm a little extreme on this issue, but goddammit what ever happened to respect. did it vanish along with canada's spine? whatever happened to honour. when we wear insignia's do we do honour to those who are actually entitled to wear while we think it's cool? people really need to re-think what basic values are and actually apply them to their lives. in just about any other other country in the world this debate would not even be occuring. a line would be drawn in the sand so to speak and that's it.

When did the CF started becoming a criminal organization. You like to talk about respect and yet you're openly willing to call your country a land of spineless citizens. In another country, statements like that would never be tolerated. Go ahead and draw your line, thinking like this is more dangerous to me than someone wearing a peice of cloth he didn't earn.

Im with Bruce there

my person oppinion on the topic
I wear our team logo, the canadian flag
and a patch that says "PORN" and yes, we deserve it.

as for other badges, IMHO, its people getting a bit overkill on the dress-up part of the game....

[matt m]

my 2 cents . i wear corporal badges , us, usmc, and white leaf cdn jump wings on my bdu's, an osons patch and a 2 commando tab. i earned them all, and if i saw another player wearing these badges or any other unearned badges, i think we would have to go for a nice leisurely walk to the low ground and "talk". we use to say in the commando " hump or jump" the only 2 ways to be able to wear our regt insignia. not our cdo insignia though.