Is it disrespectful for civilians to wear USMC gears or clothing in the public?

[traderjay]

As a Canadian, I always have the deepest respect for veterans and active personnel in the armed forces. Whenever I travel to the USA and run into them on the street or airports, I will always go up to shake their hands and thank them for the service. I really like their gears and clothing and recently purchased the following:

https://store.glennsarmysurplus.com/usmc-sekri-mccuu-desert-digital-boonie-field-cover-p1280.aspx
https://store.glennsarmysurplus.com...fender-m-combat-fire-resistant-gear-p973.aspx

As a civilian, is it disrespectful to wear these in the public? I understand what I purchased is more of a casual wear rather than the full combat outfit.

 

[SKORPI0]

Of course it is. People who haven't served shouldn't be wearing the uniform in public. They don't deserve to.

 

[who?]

https://www.quora.com/Are-civilians-allowed-to-wear-military-uniforms

 

[rommelrommel]

Wearing some camo =! wearing a military uniform.

 

[lxskllr]

Just about all I wear is military clothes, but never complete uniforms. I probably wouldn't wear USMC stuff because they're supposed to be destroyed on retirement. I only buy used gear.

edit:
btw, the flame retardent uniforms suck. They don't wear for shit. If you don't need that specific feature(you don't), you don't want them.

 

[Paladin3]

Yes it is disrespectful. Wearing clothing, patches or other items that you didn't earn via service is an ass-kickable offense in my book. If you intentionally impersonate a member of the armed service, police, fire department or any other first responder it should be a crime if it's not already. There is a lot of non-military camo and other gear to wear that won't get you confused for a soldier. Maybe you can get away with a surplus boonie hat or such as long as you make sure folks know you are a civilian.

 

[zinfamous]

I always have the deepest respect for veterans and active personnel in the armed forces. Whenever I travel to the USA and run into them on the street or airports, I will always go up to shake their hands and thank them for the service.

what a strange thing to do.

 

[local]

Just about all I wear is military clothes, but never complete uniforms. I probably wouldn't wear USMC stuff because they're supposed to be destroyed on retirement. I only buy used gear.

edit:
btw, the flame retardent uniforms suck. They don't wear for shit. If you don't need that specific feature(you don't), you don't want them.

I was given several complete sets of USMC BDUs from one of my friends when they switched over to that digital camo in the mid 2000s, apparently they were allowed to keep those. I pulled all the badges off and I use the tops as light jackets, work great.

 

[fenrir]

Some people need to get the stick out of their asses.

Wearing surplus gear that has no markings other than it is camo does not constitute an 'insult' to military members. If it does, then see above.

Now, if the person is impersonating a military service member, then they are an asshat.

 

[nakedfrog]

I was given several complete sets of USMC BDUs from one of my friends when they switched over to that digital camo in the mid 2000s, apparently they were allowed to keep those. I pulled all the badges off and I use the tops as light jackets, work great.

Yeah, you get a uniform allowance every year and buy your own stuff, they don't expect you to give it back after buy new ones.

 

[FerrelGeek]

what a strange thing to do.

Why is thanking military people for their service strange?

 

[WelshBloke]

Why is thanking military people for their service strange?

Running up to complete strangers on the street and shaking their hands is weird behaviour.

 

[Blackjack200]

Running up to complete strangers on the street and shaking their hands is weird behaviour.

You think that's strange? We stand for the national anthem before every baseball game, then everyone gets up again 2/3 through the game to stand for "God Bless America".

We roll out war veterans during intermission at every ice hockey game to make sure people are clapping for our wars.

Before football games, American flags that cover the entire field are unfurled. Fighter jets fly overhead.

If you want to be an imperial power that fights dozens of wars all over the world, you need to constantly brainwash people about "respecting the troops" and "thanking the troops". In this context, running up to strangers and shaking their hands is unsurprising, if disturbing, behavior.

 

[nakedfrog]

You think that's strange? We stand for the national anthem before every baseball game, then everyone gets up again 2/3 through the game to stand for "God Bless America".

We roll out war veterans during intermission at every ice hockey game to make sure people are clapping for our wars.

Before football games, American flags that cover the entire field are unfurled. Fighter jets fly overhead.

If you want to be an imperial power that fights dozens of wars all over the world, you need to constantly brainwash people about "respecting the troops" and "thanking the troops". In this context, running up to strangers and shaking their hands is unsurprising, if disturbing, behavior.

But OP says he's Canadian.

 

[JTsyo]

Some people need to get the stick out of their asses.

Wearing surplus gear that has no markings other than it is camo does not constitute an 'insult' to military members. If it does, then see above.

Now, if the person is impersonating a military service member, then they are an asshat.

It's like wearing the jersey from your favorite team.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I've never had an issue with it. Most military gear and clothing is meant to be functional and therefore has many uses outside of the military. That being said, I hate camo and would never wear it outside the military.

 

[Kaido]

As a Canadian, I always have the deepest respect for veterans and active personnel in the armed forces. Whenever I travel to the USA and run into them on the street or airports, I will always go up to shake their hands and thank them for the service. I really like their gears and clothing and recently purchased the following:

https://store.glennsarmysurplus.com/usmc-sekri-mccuu-desert-digital-boonie-field-cover-p1280.aspx
https://store.glennsarmysurplus.com...fender-m-combat-fire-resistant-gear-p973.aspx

As a civilian, is it disrespectful to wear these in the public? I understand what I purchased is more of a casual wear rather than the full combat outfit.

Your links look like every other camo jacket & hat they sell at Cabella's. Unless you're trying to replicate an actual military uniform with medals and stuff & pose as an active-duty military person or a veteran, then I don't see a problem with it. And that's actually a recurring problem IRL - military imposters or "stolen valor":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_imposter

 

[WelshBloke]

... And that's actually a recurring problem IRL - military imposters or "stolen valor":

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_imposter

While that looks like a douchbag thing to do calling it a "recurring problem" seems to be over stating the issue. It's not like impersonating a police officer where that gives you perceived powers of arrest.

 

[repoman0]

You think that's strange? We stand for the national anthem before every baseball game, then everyone gets up again 2/3 through the game to stand for "God Bless America".

We roll out war veterans during intermission at every ice hockey game to make sure people are clapping for our wars.

Before football games, American flags that cover the entire field are unfurled. Fighter jets fly overhead.

If you want to be an imperial power that fights dozens of wars all over the world, you need to constantly brainwash people about "respecting the troops" and "thanking the troops". In this context, running up to strangers and shaking their hands is unsurprising, if disturbing, behavior.

I was forced to set foot in Florida due to a family vacation. Upon landing there, one of the flight attendants with a breathy southern drawl got on the PA and started going on about thanking any active military and veterans on the plane, god bless our troops, fighting for our freedom, bunch of dumbass cliches. My girlfriend and I were sitting there looking aghast at each other wondering why we were being subjected to such cringeworthy inanity when she finally finished ... and to our surprise most of the plane broke out into applause. Brainwashed indeed, it was disturbing as hell.

 

[ImpulsE69]

I was forced to set foot in Florida due to a family vacation. Upon landing there, one of the flight attendants with a breathy southern drawl got on the PA and started going on about thanking any active military and veterans on the plane, god bless our troops, fighting for our freedom, bunch of dumbass cliches. My girlfriend and I were sitting there looking aghast at each other wondering why we were being subjected to such cringeworthy inanity when she finally finished ... and to our surprise most of the plane broke out into applause. Brainwashed indeed, it was disturbing as hell.

Uh, it isn't about YOU, it's about the people coming home on leave most likely from wherever they've been activated to. It isn't brain washing, and there's a difference between supporting the government agenda and supporting people doing a job YOU apparently think you are too good to do. Thank god you went on that Florida vacation. The world is safer for it. Think of it this way, if those people were NOT in the military, then everyone (I don't know if you are from the US or not) would be up for drafting. So rather than think of it as an inconvenience, think of it as helping YOU or your family not have to go in their place.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Running up to complete strangers on the street and shaking their hands is weird behaviour.

I wouldn't 'run up' to someone to do that, but if I found myself close to a vet or active duty military, I'd be inclined to thank them.

 

[Muse]

l wear camo pants, never full camos. I have often thought that wearing them indicates my solidarity with people who serve in the military, i.e. enlisted men/women, a sign of respect, not disrespect. Never occurred to me that it was disrespectful, what a weird notion. To shun wearing military clothing (while not impersonating them) only reinforces the notion that they are separate from the populace at large, give me a break. We have too much mental compartmentalizing going on already. Fact is, pants with more than 4 pockets are hell of convenient. I hate pants with less. I like 8 pockets, but seldom use the lowest 2.

 

[repoman0]

Uh, it isn't about YOU, it's about the people coming home on leave most likely from wherever they've been activated to. It isn't brain washing, and there's a difference between supporting the government agenda and supporting people doing a job YOU apparently think you are too good to do. Thank god you went on that Florida vacation. The world is safer for it.

I work with active military every day, hell I have briefed generals multiple times and I'm 28. Spare me the stupid lecture, it's brainwashing.

 

[FerrelGeek]

Oh, you poor poor child! So sad you had to endure that! I'm no lover of the extreme right wing and most definitely no lover of war (as I've witnessed first-hand what being in war cost the vets of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam), but it's people like you that make me hope that your selfish, ungrateful kind (like blackjack) never take over this country.

I was forced to set foot in Florida due to a family vacation. Upon landing there, one of the flight attendants with a breathy southern drawl got on the PA and started going on about thanking any active military and veterans on the plane, god bless our troops, fighting for our freedom, bunch of dumbass cliches. My girlfriend and I were sitting there looking aghast at each other wondering why we were being subjected to such cringeworthy inanity when she finally finished ... and to our surprise most of the plane broke out into applause. Brainwashed indeed, it was disturbing as hell.

 

[WelshBloke]

I wouldn't 'run up' to someone to do that, but if I found myself close to a vet or active duty military, I'd be inclined to thank them.

Do you do that to policemen, firemen, teachers or deep sea fishermen?