BDUs Off Base

[OneSevenDeuce]

Anybody remember seeing those newly graduated troopers around Columbus GA with their class As all hanging open, covers on the side of their heads? Yeah... It can be fun to go back there as an NCO.

[themailman]

MCO P1020.34G states to work and home only. BDUs are not to be worn anywhere unless in a command authorized function.

[themailman]

And that's why us in the Army's parents aren't related.

Rich

Lol, too true sometimes.

[Rem1492]

I am with Tacticalcity. as an USAF guy I rarely see people abusing the uniform.
That being said, we are not the Marines or NAVY.
The USAF sees the uniform as an Air Show and prefers we parade it around.

for flightsuits, the other services see it as a mechanics dirty coverall and treat it as such. The USAF treats it like a BDU uniform and a recruting tool.

Often times you will hear somebody say "come in your flightsuits" to promote flying or whatever.
But yeah, shopping on the way home, eating at a reastarant in camo or flightsuits is common near a USAF base, but never seen around a NAVY/USMC base.

In all cases, a military guy should not loiter, hang out at a bar or act in a way that somebody has to look twice and wonder. Like Chuck said, its good to get OUT of uniform at the end of a day so you can relax and not worry about public perception or other 80yr old vets eyeballing the wrinkle in your shirt.

[6114DAVE]

Yea no go for Marines... But if you need to stop at a place like a gas station then it's ok. Other then that, nope.

even then expect a " hey Marine!" or "Hey Devildog" .......from a motovator Gunny

[Gunmerchantaccount]

Back in the 80's we were required to wear service dress off base then after the Beirut Bombing they said no uniform off base or when traveling for security reasons.

Then in the mid 90's they went back to allowing us to wear any uniform off base until 9/11 then they went back in security mode.

[voiceoftheright]

Army and they're friggin ACU's...not sure what it's all about, but I just started school at Sacramento State and there are some soldiers walking around in uniform going to classes, looking foolish. Probably Lts on the rise. It's nasty and inappropriate to wear anything other than your dress uniforms out in public, recruiters can be considered an exception. Have a little more class and stay under the radar a little bit more. Marines would rag on you hard for walking around in your camis like a boot.

[KevinXT]

Army and they're friggin ACU's...not sure what it's all about, but I just started school at Sacramento State and there are some soldiers walking around in uniform going to classes, looking foolish. Probably Lts on the rise. It's nasty and inappropriate to wear anything other than your dress uniforms out in public, recruiters can be considered an exception. Have a little more class and stay under the radar a little bit more. Marines would rag on you hard for walking around in your camis like a boot.

you sure those aren't ROTC Cadets?

[sierra11b]

Regulations aside, there seems to be a consensus on it being acceptable to wear off base for to run work related errands (hair cut, gas for car, picking-up uniform work, quick run to the PX/Commissary, bank, etc) before and after work, but any time otherwise is a no go. It also depends on the setting... If you're near an active base it would be common to see anyone wearing them in a given radius. If you see someone wearing a work uniform in an odd setting they're most likely a cherry/boot, or possibly a fake.

@Gunmerchant: Same thing happened post 9/11... the less time you could wear the uniform come EOD the better. I can remember the counter intel briefings well.

@VoiceoftheRight: I'm in Sacramento as well and I remember seeing a guy wearing them to an event at the convention center years back. I talked to him in front of the company he was with and casually hinted on his douchebaggery. I would take great satisfaction in pulling the *** clowns at Sac state aside if they aren't ROTC.

[sierra11b]

I have run into young privates fresh back from basic training at the mall cruising for chicks in their ACUs..

*shakes head*

I hear you but did it as well... but it was asked of us through "home town" recruiting. You got back from AIT and pretended to help your local recruiting station for a couple weeks by running all over town in your uniforms expecting people to swoon all over you. The SFC in charge of that station sent us everywhere from local High Schools to malls.

Come to think of it I can remember an old retired 1SG pulling me aside to square away the beret I wore just after jump school. I wonder if they still do the home town recruiting? It was such a waste of potential R&R that could have been spent with friends and family.

[coyote43g]

I heard one of the reasons Marines cant wear off base is for safety reasons, but why then do they have there cars with a million stickers identifying them as marines?

its called pride. I suppose you can say that its an instilled tradition and pride that Marines have.

[racky]

i walk my dog in my ABUs