Meh, the rank insignia should be taken off, but knock yourself out.

I'll wear any of my old Marine gear whenever I want which is generally anything camo. Anything sewn on remains, pinned items I remove.

I have a pair of boots like that and no one has ever said "boo" about it. I like them, they are comfortable.



 

I don't see an issue with it, still use my gortex every now and then.

We (USAF) usually get to keep most of our issued clothing, or anything that might touch our nasty bodies; gortex, thermals, etc, etc. The only thing I have ever had to turn in has been body armor, helmets, rucks, and web gear. My last assignment I didn't have to turn in my web gear since we wore it all the time for four years and they didn't want it back because it was kind of dirty/nasty/faded/worn, but they did want my kevlar back...minus cover and harness. It also depends on the unit; some have no money and reuse old stuff, others have deep pockets and reissue new stuff every couple years or so.

The Army seems to want everything back.

Since M-65's aren't authorized anymore I'm sure you could do whatever you want with them.

I have the same parka with stripes on the front tab. A very close friend gave it to me. As close as a brother or closer. I took the stripes off the tab and he was offended. He said thats my jacket and I gave it to you because you are like my brother. Why did you take them off? My reasoning was because they arent mine. He didnt seem to think my logic held water. This is a guy with a long family history of service. The striped have stayed off the jacket put away for safe keeping. Ill give them to his son when he is old enough.

PS thoose gortex are awesome!

From what I gather from the hord of AF guys at last years BBQ the Bellevilles are the cats ass.  I wouldnt know because I dont bother wearing heavy ass boots unless they are winter felt packs.

I got paychecked for a fucking pistol belt last time, among other piddly things.







 

CIF.   Personal Field gear is issued and owned by a civilian company now.

I wore my BDU top as a hunting coat until that bitch fell apart.  



I don't give a fuck what anyone else thinks.  



So fuck off with your whining and rending of clothes, crying and gnashing of teeth wondering if you look like a "poser".  You alone know if you are being a peice of shit who wants to pretend to be something that you never were, or can never be again.  

I got a pair of desert digis that had been there and done that. College recruiter didn't like. I respectfully told him that the name tapes are staying on and to basically go hand out some more business

I still wear my ECWCS Gore-tex on occasion, but I feel silly when I think about wearing any of my BDU stuff since I left the AF Reserve.

I wear my desert top with rank and patches all the time.

Maybe Federal posts.........but not state CIFs...........

Everything I own is Flecktarn.  Love the camo, the coat's warm, and no one has accused me of being in the Bundeswehr yet...  

I wear my truspec multicam pants camping because there comfortable is that bad?

Didn't care then....don't care now....



WileE

I've never served but my father is retired Air Force. I love Woodland Camo stuff anyway and he earned the right to wear it as a Civvy now. Therefore, as a proxy, I am allowed to as well.

Just don't wear the rank or some medals that you never earned. That would be weird anyway

Wearing an entire uniform looks a bit odd as well, just like wearing any other uniform when its not your job or your not at the place the uniform should be worn.

Camo of all patterns is pretty much common everywhere, as pants, shorts... so are jackets and boots are boots.

Wearing BDU pants, boots and a regular t-shirt or logo / product shirt seems fairly normal and not out of place in the cities or rural areas I have lived all over the US.

People getting pissed or offended because you are wearing some camo pattern or other are just kinda fucked up, I have never encountered it. (then again I have only ever had green, khaki and woodland)
Or the idea that people would think you are some kind of military wannabe for wearing camo bdu pants or whatever is a bit humorous.

I never thought anything of it until some odd posts on this site.

I think the dress uniform is where it gets questionable, but its a free country.

Veteran?  You earned it.  You shouldn't even be asking this question.

Civilian?  Fuck you bish!

I wear my great grandpas US pin on my welding jacket.

Is it okay to wear the insignia of the troop support command of the Arizona National Guard if you are actually in the Afghan National Army?



What about MARPAT if you are actually in the Afghan National Police?

The gear isn't owned by the civilian company.  They just have the contract to run the CIF.  .mil still owns the gear.

We got checked (pay) for missing gear if we were at fault in the Marine Corps LONG before there ever was a CIF.

I used to wear my woodland m65 all the time 'till I took it off at the range once. I frrakin got all the way to the car then went back and it was fucking gone!
It was my only one with the 3ID patch and my name. I was eye-fucking every dude there with a bag big enough. He was either a great actor or he took off right before I went back.

well, since i have to dress myself, i wear whatever.

and since i don't pay the bills in anyone else's house, i don't care what they wear.

I personally take the rank, 'US ARMY' tag and left shoulder patch off. I don't remove name, right shoulder patch or branch insignia if they happen to be on the item. Basically I take off the things which effectively define a 'serving uniform'.

NTM

What if it's something your dad wore in 63?  With rank, unit patch, etc, uniform of the era?  When I was a kid I wore it out of admiration of my father, and the history behind it.  I wouldn't mind tossing it back on since I'm the same size and shape he was at the time, but I don't want to offend in any way, shape or form, so it just sits there and is looked at every time I visit my M1A.

I wore Dad's field jacket until I outgrew it.

No one gave me shit.  Ever.

I wear what I want to.

I was 4F so no US Military gear for me, did not earn the right.  I only wear foreign junk!

I'll wear my old woodland stuff and black boots hunting.  The only current issue item I'll wear is my ACU boonie, when I'm cutting my grass or fishing.

I wear my CPO cuff links when I wear a dress shirt.  Other than that?  Woodland and desert pants for knocking around and shooting.  desert Boonie hat when I mow the lawn.

Uhhh you served dude, that shit is yours

Okay...I am currently a 19D in the Cav. and a Iraq Veteran. I plan on wearing my Stetson whenever I feel like it. Whats the consensus on taking the rank of it, when I join the civilian ranks?

Well, I think there's some sort of formula... (color of spurs) x (years of service) x (rank at ETS) x (number of combat tours) x (different theaters served in) x (unit served in) x (MOS) x (flair) x (Class A fruit salad) / (how much you care about people tripping over it) x (your ability to defend yourself when they work themselves into a rage and try and remove your Stetson)

I think, but don't hold me to that, I was attached to XVIII Airborne Corps, dunno exactly how that Cav stuff works...

Oh, wait, I haven't sent my DD214 in for tankification, anything I post is invalid and directly supports terrorism.

Disregard entire post please, I'm off to class, I'll curb stomp any college kids wearing pieces of any camo utility uniform along the way and take pics...

before i got a little to "big" to wear my bdu's from my younger days i would wear my stuff on holoween with my lbe and everything with all rank, awards and beret (maroon), before the legs stole the black one from the rangers (when you had to actually earn it), and never got a foul look.  Now that in mind when i was on leave between basic and ait i went sking in cali and got a earful from a lift guy who was ex army about wearing my uniform off base.

I occasionally wear this:


Given that my parents weren't even alive in 1952, I don't think I could possibly claim I actually served in French Indochina.

-Mark

That's what Army/Navy stores are for.  I wear whatever I want hunting and at the range.  I never pretend to have served though.  That is wrong as any lie is wrong.  Simple as that.

Some of the responses in this thread are ridiculous. I'm referring to the posts saying a guy can't wear camo if he didn't serve.
That's B.S. , camo BDU's are Legal to buy and wear for any civilian for any purpose any damn time they feel like wearing it.
As long as a guy isn't putting a bunch of patches and pins on it and saying he served when he didn't then you have no reason to bitch.

Civilians wear mil-spec BDU's because they are tough as nails and stand up to the abuse when hunting, camping, hiking and working.
What's next, some veteran is going to start whining that a guy shouldn't have an AR unless he served ?

Personally I would take the rank off.

Civis can wear almost any military gear they want to. As a vet, I don't really care, as long as they don't try and say they were in SF, SEALS, etc. But, no civilian or soldier should wear medals/badges they didn't earn. That's disrespectful and it's actually illegal.

It is illegal to sell, wear, or manufacture any decorations or medals authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States.

In General. - Whoever knowingly wears, manufactures, or sells any decoration or medal authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, or any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of such forces, or the ribbon, button, or rosette of any such badge, decoration or medal, or any colorable imitation thereof, except when authorized under regulations made pursuant to law, shall be fined under this title (18 United State Code) or imprisoned not more than six months or both.

Title 18 United States Code. Sec. 1001, entitled "Statements or entries
generally," June 25, 1948, ch. 45, 62 Stat. 749.

But, as far as most of the clothes you pick up at any Army/Navy store or you order off the net....go for it!

The cammies and service uniforms are all gone, the Blues are in the closet and won't fit.

I do wear my desert boonie with an EGA on it on occasion. The rest of my stuff ute covers, desert boots and the EGA's etc reside in the Fortress of Solitude (basement) on a book shelf.

If your wearing your stuff, I don't see a problem. If your wearing new purchase stuff or repro stuff I don't see a problem, if you aren't trying to pose.

If your wearing a full BDU uniform with tapes and chevrons and duece gear ...........................Ghey called and it's for you.

I'm separated. I still honor the rules and regulations I swore to obey.

With that in mind, I wear my ABU parka, but the rank tab is turned around. Same with the Gortex...rank tab turned around.

If i'm going to wear an old BDU/DCU/ABU top, I take off the stripes and "USAF" first.

Once you separate or retire, there are restrictions on when you can and can not wear the uniform.

First let me say that I understand that this a free country and you can wears what you want to your anti-government militia meeting. Stolen Valor act has been struck down in the courts as too vague to be enforced. So think of this as more of a friendly suggestion from a vet.

Wearing rank insignia, branch/unit insignia and awards you didn't earn is tasteless and borderline poser. Unless you are going hunting or playing paintball you are a giant dork for wearing unmarked utility uniforms. And yes that includes wearing them when you go to McDonalds for lunch after your paintball game.At least take the blouse off there John Rambo.

Those under 18 years old who want to play airsoft games also get a pass, I am even a little forgiving of the younger ones wanting to wear unit/branch insignia. If airsoft had been around when I was a kid you can bet your ass I would have played. There is a huge difference between a child who is not old enough to serve emulating his heroes and an obese 40 year old virgin wearing his Delta force multi-cam outfit. Wearing your dad's uniform items is also ok for kids. It isn't ok for adults.

Re-enactors. If everyone who served is dead I don't think there is an issue. If you might offend a living vet, then its not ok. So if you want to wear your civil war stuff ok. Vietnam reenacting not ok. The McDonalds rule from above applies. I get tired of the "we are honoring veterans" bullshit. How is running around in the woods in your Waffen SS uniform shooting blanks from a K98 honoring anyone? Go to a nursing home and visit those guys if you want to honor someone.

Dogtag: You are a tool if you wear dog tags, especially if you wear them outside your shirt  like a necklace. Unless you have a medical condition you have no reason to wear them at all. Don't wear other peoples dogtags either get a KIA bracelet instead.

Blousing boots: Very ghey. The height of Mall Ninja fashion. You are definitely trying to look like you are in the military. Hell I didn't like doing it when it was 110 degrees outside in Baghdad.

I am a badass military T-Shirts covered in skulls, snakes, daggers, bayonets, blood, etc. I don't care if you are a veteran or not if you are wearing one you have trailer park trash tastes. At least alternate wear with you airbrushed animal totem t-shirts.