Uniform Patches and Airsoft

[stoneaglewolf]

I wanted to bring this up and get some comments going about wearing military patches in airsoft. I noticed that Greg mentioned that we should not use patches such as SWAT or Ranger tabs, etc...

I just wanted to make some observations about what I have seen concerning this and find out if anything has changed or is different.

To my knowledge it is ok to wear a military or police uniform with all insignia as "living history". However, by law we are not allowed to wear any military item that is currently issued to the military and possibly law-enforcement. This law has not been tested by itself in court. Instances where this law has been applied is in conjunction with an illegal activity such as entering a resticted location, and giving unauthorized order because of your uniform rank.

In short it is not the uniform as it is the action you commit in public by saying or doing something you are not. This is why I try not to wear my BDU top in public.

For the record the insignia that I wear over my right pocket (which should be over the left) I wear because I earned them. They are on the right side because I treat them as military personnel treat foriegn awards.

However, if you wish to portray a ranger then I say by all means go for it. I only ask that you act professional, because if you are going for "living history" then you hair or beard needs to be cut as well. I don't care to see a long haired hippie wearing a uniform claiming living history if long hair or beard is not part of the uniform. In other words if you are going to wear it right then do it right.

As long as you act professional and respectful then you won't get much flak from those who did earn it. Just realize that a few may resent you wearing it no matter what.

Imitation is the highest form of respect.

Personnaly I say treat it like an airsoft gun. Don't show it until you get to the field. And if law-enforcement shows up then take it off and put it down.

My reason is because I am always interested in developing teams in airsoft and uniforms are one of the first steps.

I would like to get other comments on this.

[azsarge]

I personally do not wear the military badges I have eanred, or anything that designates me as a member of the military, on my airsoft uniform.  

I might use an issued pack or LBV at a game, but you'll never see anything else of the sort.  I think the two should remain separate, and the uniform should be respected by not being used for something other than it's purpose.  

Military badges are to be worn on military uniforms, not for recreation.  Sure, it's the same BDU, but there is a huge difference between wearing the uniform that soldiers wear into combat for their country and wearing a neat outfit for recreation.

[Greg]

BDU's look like crap in my opinion totally bare, but there's tons of generic and airsoft specific stuff to put on. Nametapes and flags are a good place to start, and if you go to a couple well-organized, paid events like Lion Claws and Cold Burn, you'll have team patches to velcro on, too. I pretty much agree with everything you guys just said.

My main concern when I mentioned it in the troll-sticky-thread was more with police stuff. Wearing military stuff might offend a bunch of people, but wearing police stuff can be a real problem. I've seen a lot of new guys buying SWAT vests (like the velcro/snap types). Many airsoft stores sell big POLICE and SWAT patches and some even sell specific unit patches (I've seen LAPD SWAT, LASO SEB, NYPD, US Marshals). Wearing police insignia is a very bad idea. It can put you in a bunch of messed up positions.

I'd rather not see airsofters like this:

(linked from the ASP gear photos thread- I hope he doesnt mind... )

[ash808boy]

Airsoft is the closest thing to real arms besides rubber bullets.  In airsoft i think the vests and BDU's should be worn if chosen because it is ment to be as real as possible.  But, as azsarge was saying,

there is a huge difference between wearing the uniform that soldiers wear into combat for their country and wearing a neat outfit for recreation.

[/size]

Custom team patches or velcro/snap team names seem cool though.

[Farslayer]

Our team changed our name from SWAT to SWAIRTAC for this specific reason.  We did not want to be mistaken for LF.  We have even agreed to tone down our forum and email signatures since there are those in the military and LF community who may take offence.  However, there are many patches (as mentioned) that can be worn on the uniform to make it more mil-sim.  Our uniforms set us apart from ballers and softers who play in jeans and sandals....

[studdermonkey]

I say having your name is cool, obviously. And having patches like the ones you earn in airsoft is cool.. as in the LC3 and LC4 patches. Other than that, the only time anyones seen me with patches are when I just got bdu's the day before at a surplus and didn't have time to gently cut them off that night.. or I'm too lazy. And that's the worst kind, am I right? They're not badges I've earned in airsoft, not ones I earned in the Marines.. ones that came with the bdu's! Wow.. I'll remove those now.

[azsarge]

There are plenty of badges, patches, and nametapes worn by military personnel that airsofters can use to decorate their BDUs.

Everyone and their brother has "Fun Meters" now, and alot of guys wear their bloodtype nametape along with some glint tape on their sleeve.  While this is (or was back in 1999, heh) practiced by military personnel, I don't see any problem with airsofters using it.  Sure the blood-type tape is a bit much, since we hopefully won't be injured to the point of requiring a transfusin, but it's authentic.  

My point is that I have no problem with military-like items.  Only specific badges to each person.  I don't think airsofters should wear U.S. Army tapes, Airborne Wings, Air Assault Wings, or Aviation wings.  I though about wearing some of these badges that I have earned on my airsoft uniform, but then I stepped back and looked at the big picture.

I don't think any less of a person who earned them wearing it on their uniform, I just don't ever want to see a non-military airsofter wearing them like he earned them.  You can always tell who's BDUs came from the surplus store adorned with badges, and who sewed them on afterwards.  The latter makes me want to show them the meaning of "violence of action".

[Lightning_Man]

As a former SOG guy I guess i'll toss in my two bits.

I have only been out to one event and I wore a slightly neutered uniform, although that was mostly because it was what I had and didn't have time to remove the marks.

As for "impersonating", Things like Ranger tabs mean a lot to me. Now I don't want to begrudge anyone their fun and if they want to make authentic loking uniforms to play in that is fine with me. That said, if you are going to sport an authentic looking uniform, 1) please don't be out acting the fool in it (honor it), and 2) Don't put it all on at the quicky mart; Wait until you are at the play sight before you assemble it.

I think it is fine for teams in particular to put together realistic uniforms, but really, I am more interested in being on a team that has it's own patches and such. Maybe replace US ARMY with Arizona, keep the name, invent  new unit patch, maybe have "in team" rank.

For me I guess it all boils down to respecting the uniforms, and those who wear it and have worn it.

[andyhinds]

I don't believe in wearing patches that aren't earned.  If you are active/reserve/retired military and you want to wear patches you've earned, go right ahead, you've EARNED IT.

I have never been in the military, but I think I would be offended if I went through hell to earn a patch (Ranger, SEAL, Marine, etc) only to see other people wearing them that didn't earn them.

Just my $0.02

[RickEJ6]

I have once accidentally brought a set of my issue BDUs with rank and patches on them, so I simply just didnt wear a BDU top.  I dont think you should wear something that you didnt earn just to look cool.  If there is a unit that wants to do reinactment type stuff, and wear the patches to honor the guys what originally wore them thats cool with me.

[creed_DET5]

A agree with Andy here.  When DET-5 was first started the team patch included some military-specific insignia.  We changed that for the same reasons that have been mentioned here.  I don't wear a service-branch tape on my BDUs, instead I use my team, whether it's DET-5 or SWAIRTAC.  I believe there are some regulations about wearing a U.S. flag patch on one's uniform, but they are rarely enforced (just like many of the other regs pertaining to the presentation of the flag...pet peeve).  I believe there are also laws regarding the wearing of "U.S. Army" insignia and ID tapes on clothing.  Rule of thumb:  If you haven't earned the tab or patch IRL, don't wear it.

The situation for Law-Enforcement (LE) patches and insignia is, if anything, even more serious then for military ones.  I would strongly reccomend against wearing department or unit patches when playing airsoft, and if I encounter someone wearing them, I will - unofficially and politely - ask that the person remove them.  By appearing to be a law-enforcement officer one is committing a crime, even if one does not specifically state "I am a police officer".  At the very least this will engender a severely negative attitude in any law-enforcement personnel encountered while wearing the insignia.  The worst-case scenario is arrest, confiscation of one's airsoft guns and uniform, and, eventually, legislation aimed at restricting or banning airsoft.  Needless to say, this kind of negative interaction with the authorities is something we, as airsofters, want to avoid.

[azsarge]

I think it's really cool to wear specific insignias if it's for a re-enactment, or for display purposes.  I saw some guys at the Scottsdale Airshow a fe years back that were decked out in WWII 82nd Airborne and 2nd Ranger outfits.  They knew alot about them, and the unit itself, and were part of a re-enactment group there to answer questions.  A perfect example of living history!  The problem with Joe Airsofter wearing that stuff out and about is that they don't know about that unit, or even know what all the gear is for.  "I just saw it on some SEAL on militaryphotos.net."  It's one thing to be a sort of museum piece, but another to wear it just to wear it.

So, I guess there are times for everything.  I won't say that you shouldn't wear it if you haven't earned it.  Like L-Man said, it's about respect.  If you DO wear those insignias, realize that some people might think you are part of that group and that you must respect it!  If you got the BDU top that way, and it has insignias on it, honor the guy that wore it before you by showing respect and conductiong yourself in a manner worthy of the U.S.

[busta_cap]

I would personally only wear it in a re-enactment or if it was a patch that was non specifc. Its very disrespectfull to wear a flag or a patch on the wrong arm or backwards. Like when I saw someone wearing a normal flag on their right arm and when I commented on it they just brushed it off. Also, there is this one punk at my school with a friggin beard(no joke hes only like 16) and always wears BDU's with patches and chevrons on them. One time I was about to go over there and rip his nametapes and patches off... What a poser. Wearing Blood types and fun meters is all in..well..fun! I personally wear tags all the time for the same reason anyone who is active duty does, incase something happens to me. And I have a few medicine allergies so when they start an IV they don't end up killing me.

[Gantaliano Hoff]

I'm going military in a few years, after ROTC or the Academy, and in my opinion, don't wear it if you haven't earned it. Wear some alternative stuff like team patches, and in team rank or something. I have a grandfather who was a major, as well as three great uncles who were majors, my dad was a paratrooper, and my 2 uncles were air force.

[stoneaglewolf]

It is always good to hear that we have such strong opinions about this. I always laugh because I used to think that if you haven't earned it then don't wear it. But since then all of the guys that I've met or known that have severed in the SF, Rangers, Pararescue, SAS, WWII Airborne, Vietnam SEAL.

I have only met one person who did have an issue with wearing what you did not earn. Interestingly enough the gentleman was a crew chief with the Flying Tigers in WWII. He came up to me and asked why I was wearing a Leather Blood Chit on my Leather Jacket. I told him that I was attached to the 229th Flying Tigers at Rt. Rucker, AL. He didn't seem to understand that the Blood Chit is still worn not as a active patch but as a memorial.

However, all the others don't mind that there are those out there who are willing to honor them by wearing actuate uniforms for reenacting. Lion Claws is a perfect example of this.

I've noticed that it is those who are not part of the units in question that seem to take more offense than those to are in those units. And futhermore it is the younger guys who tend to be more guarded of these symbols than the older ones whos memories are the bonds of brotherhood rather than the symbol itself. The older groups also welcome those who are willing to remember them and those they lost.

Ofcourse this is just my opinion based on my service and my collecting and reenacting since I was 12 years old. I have never missed a chance to say thank you to a Vet.

As for Law enforcement, I have posed the question as many but they seem to agree that in a area specified for the event wearing the patches would not bother them as long if LE were called to the event that all weapons and insignia were set aside. One officer even joked that he wished more kids would imitate police instead of the neigborhood gangs they might lower crime.

In closing I would venture to say that it is the responsibility of all of us as an organization to allow those who do wish to act in a living history to do so but only on the field not at the gas stations and restaurants we travel too before and after events. Treat the insignia like an airsoft gun.  With Respect.

.....Again this is only my opinion.....