Wearing ex military issue and items

[ObiSeanKenobi]

Another former US Soldier chiming in here—this is all my own opinion and perspective, but I know it, anecdotally, to be shared with at least a few other former servicemembers.

There's no problem in the US with wearing surplus military gear in civilian contexts. Fatigues, boots, and headgear seem to be especially common for a variety of reasons. I can't say that I've ever seen a civilian wear any component of a Class A uniform. I also don't see any issue whatsoever in wearing retired uniform patterns or components—If I saw a guy walk down the street in full woodland camo BDUs, I'd assume he's part of a militia group (or maybe just a little nutty) but not US military.

However, when a civilian dresses up in full current uniform (fatigues or otherwise), the obvious intent is to misappropriate the valor associated with that uniform. Likewise, certain elements of a uniform hold special significance, such as colored berets. If I ever saw a maroon, green, tan, grey, or blue beret (with flash and with or without a unit crest) on anyone I knew had not served in any of the associated divisions, even in a civilian wear context, I'd be upset.

So I guess my perhaps inconsistent opinion is that:

• piecemeal usage of individual uniform components is acceptable
• retired uniform components or components from disbanded units are acceptable
• full uniform cosplay is unacceptable
• civilian use of components from elite specialty divisions or regiments is unacceptable