Unit insignia and rank

[~Ranger~]

Might be by a shade or two, but just generally speaking.

No worries bro.

Another reason I dont bother going with any impressions, people get too nit picky.

Sorry for the hyjack OP..

[Outlaw]

As a veteran myself and being rather thick skinned, I see no problems with airsofters wearing generic insignia. I am not a fan of folks wearing berets, badges, and titles/tabs (PJ, Ranger, etc) that were unearned but I am also understanding to Milsim players that are wishing to get a "certain look" or impression. I feel as long as they do not claim to have participated in these groups or earned these titles when they clearly have not, there should be no issues. Do whatcha gotta do to feel good and have fun thats what it all comes down to. Im happy if im rocking jeans and a tshirt just as long as I get to play airsoft with you folks.

[Outlaw]

Also be careful wearing unit operation patches if you were not a part of that unit/operation. I know some people that can get a little touchy with that. Ie: cruise patches, fighter group patches.

[Thor]

There is a difference, actually. Marines do usually wear Coyote Brown. Other services use Coyote Tan, or sometimes khaki but not as much anymore. Otherwise they have camo patterned gear (ACU, Multicam).

[Grizzly]

For you former and current service members, I'm curious: What is your opinion on proper historical impressions, and how unit insignia should be used with those for regular milsim games? For instance, guys running WWII or 'Nam impressions at normal games(I never make it out to any WWII-specific events)? I don't think it's ever been effectively addressed here in clear detail, but I've only been here a few years so it could have been discussed long before that.

I'm curious because I have an uncle who served as a sergeant in the 517th PRCT and want to do an impression of his unit during Operation Dragoon in his honor. I currently run an impression of the 34th Infantry Division(my favorite!) in Italy during the summer of 1944, and by that time they didn't wear any insignia for camouflage purposes, so I've had no problems and never ran across this dilemma before. I want to honor my uncle, as he'd love it if I did it, but I want to know if it would or wouldn't be an issue on the field. Any and all input is appreciated.

[Soulless(Previously Lucipher)]

Hey guys, after reading this whole thread last night right Before sleeping, I had a dream of telling a bunch of milsim dressed airsoft players that were claiming to be military. Haha, but yeah... as long as you're not claiming to be military that's alright

[voodoo]

Oct 10, 2013 0:06:05 GMT -5 Grizzly said:

For you former and current service members, I'm curious: What is your opinion on proper historical impressions, and how unit insignia should be used with those for regular milsim games? For instance, guys running WWII or 'Nam impressions at normal games(I never make it out to any WWII-specific events)?
I'm curious because I have an uncle who served as a sergeant in the 517th PRCT and want to do an impression of his unit during Operation Dragoon in his honor. I currently run an impression of the 34th Infantry Division(my favorite!). I want to honor my uncle, as he'd love it if I did it, but I want to know if it would or wouldn't be an issue on the field. Any and all input is appreciated.

As long as you are portraying and honoring somebody in a 100% impression I don't see a problem. Personally I don't even see a problem with use of Army, Navy, Marines tapes I'm mil sims either. If it brings the game to another level and you're getting into character I say go for it, as long as it's accurate to forces in use for the scenario. Name tapes make it easier to call out to teammates in my opinion. As for rank and tabs go, unless you earned them don't wear them! If they were easy to get everyone would have them. That being said I go back to what I first said. If you are doing an impression of a relative do it all the way 100% to show the utmost respect and honor. That's what I think and now I'll just go back to minding my own.

[Thor]

I'm still firmly of the opinion you shouldn't wear unit patches, rank, or skill identifiers (Ranger, Sniper, Sapper, Special Forces, etc) that you didn't earn. Your intent may be to honor your uncle, and he may even be fine with it, but there are some people that will view it as disrespectful because you are playing a game. Let me try to clear something up: an airsoft game and a military reenactment are not the same. They are apples and oranges. Unless we're going to start having games that are one hit deaths and you have to lay there all day until it's done. You know, like actual reenactors usually do. Personally, I would find that kind of boring. Which is probably why I haven't ever gotten into reenacting.

[NotTroub]

Oct 10, 2013 19:32:55 GMT -5 Thor said:

I'm still firmly of the opinion you shouldn't wear unit patches, rank, or skill identifiers (Ranger, Sniper, Sapper, Special Forces, etc) that you didn't earn. Your intent may be to honor your uncle, and he may even be fine with it, but there are some people that will view it as disrespectful because you are playing a game. Let me try to clear something up: an airsoft game and a military reenactment are not the same. They are apples and oranges. Unless we're going to start having games that are one hit deaths and you have to lay there all day until it's done. You know, like actual reenactors usually do. Personally, I would find that kind of boring. Which is probably why I haven't ever gotten into reenacting.

It's an excuse. Sure, there might be one or two guys who truly believe they are/trying to "reenact" to honor a family member. For the majority though it's a cope out. The say that so they can go around and feel cool wearing things they didn't earn and frankly have no right to wear. They don't care about honoring or respect. They want to do, what they want to do. They're the type of people who could never be a Ranger or a Sapper, who could never be a Special Forces team member. They're the type of people who could never even man up and raise their hand and say the words. They want to believe they are though, so they throw on a patch and a tab because it makes them feel that much better. They don't think about the fact that they are disrespecting the men and women of those communities who died wearing those, people who put all their hopes and dreams into earning those tabs, they put everything they were into being awarded those tabs. They sacrificed themselves, their family life, their social lives, everything to protect this Nation and go above and beyond... But hey, you can buy all that for $5 at Harry's Army Surplus, so Johnny Wannabe goes that route instead.

[~Ranger~]

I think too many people read too much into it. Whats the difference in replicating a loadout? That is disrespectful too then, cause that said person has no right to wear a Ranger loadout cause they arent a Ranger, and so on..

On here especially, people replicate as much as possible. I dont think I see a difference really. I agree, nobody should claim to be something they are not. I feel someone walking around in their Class A's and going places deserves something.. But in an airsoft game, I dont see the problem really. Its a costume basically. Most of us dress up, and play Army in the woods.

On personal time, thats another story all together. Taking handshakes at the mall cause they fooled some little old lady is just shitty!

But when were on the field playing a "Military simulated" airsoft game, its nothing more than a costume. Personally, I dont wear any of that stuff, and dont usually wear regualr camo cause I dont get into pretending to be someone in the military.. Even at an airsoft game.. I choose to wear non standard camo, or all OD green. Normally I wear a ghillie cause I'm an airsoft sniper. Thankfully us snipers dont have to worry about all that.



I know its a different category, but.. People will always find, or even look for reasons to be "offended". You cant be gay cause it offends somebody someplace.

Public displays of effection with your ole lady.. We may see it as ok, but someone, someplace will be offended to see you kissing, or grabassing your woman etc..

I like the color blue, its my favorite color.. I'm not a crip, and I'm certain somebody someplace gets offended if I wear blue.

I'm an athiest, I bet that offends at least 3 people here on this forum.

Didnt the issue of dropping the National anthum from schools offend some people?

[Grizzly]

Hey slackerv8, why did you cut out the sentence about my lack of insignia in the middle of your quote of my post? Now what I said appears out of context, and it makes my message skewed. Not cool, man. Now it seems everyone posting below has the wrong idea of what I roll in. Care to chime in? If it's from a character limit or something I get it, but if not, please explain. I know your reply wasn't hostile, and really neither is this, but I'd still like to know.

Also for everyone that's posted after me, don't get the wrong idea: I am in no way wearing insignia of any kind at this moment. This seems to be what people have the impression of. Not the case.

[Ogre]

Oct 10, 2013 20:56:12 GMT -5 ~Ranger~ said:

I know its a different category, but.. People will always find, or even look for reasons to be "offended".

I'm an athiest, I bet that offends at least 3 people here on this forum.

That is the best logic I've heard on this forum so far. People find a reason to bitch no matter what. I completely agree with you, as long as you're not claiming to be someone you're not, It is not something that should matter.

[NotTroub]

You're starting to do the ole' MiA, completely lose touch on the subject and miss the point via distraction. Just because everything can potentially offend someone at some point in time, doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you want, just like it doesn't mean you're not allowed to do anything. It's called common sense, it's an under utilized tool that unfortunately not all are optimized to use.

Relating wearing the same kit as a soldier to pretending to be a soldier, is ludicrous. The soldier didn't struggle and fight to earn the right to wear a plate carrier. They struggled and fought to earn the tabs, the unit patch, the awards, hell just to wear the "U.S Army/Marines/Air Force/Navy/Coast Guard" over your heart is an accomplishment. Wearing those, is akin to pretending to be a soldier. Wearing some camouflage with a bit of kit, is not. That logic is extremely flawed and adolescent and at it's base is a way to further make an easy excuse as to why it's okay to do things you shouldn't do.

Don't wear things you don't deserve to wear, avoid the issue. It's not hard to not pin something on yourself that you don't deserve to have. It's actually a lot harder to go out of your way and pin those things on yourself. Because you have to go out of your way to find the items and buy them. So in the end, it's just easier not to do it.

You know what you can do? Keep event patches and such items and use those to distinguish yourself. If you look at most veteran airsofters you'll see their kit and arms adorned with the patches of events they've attended, teams they're on, things they've done in the world of airsoft. Distinguish yourself that way.

[Kir (3.14)]

The above is a great post, and to add on to it, if you really feel the need to have your team/group has some sort of distinguishments/ranking, create your own, patch companies can hook you up relatively cheap, and you avoid the potential of offending anyone, while still getting to have a sense of accomplishment if that's what you need.

[Grizzly]

Oct 11, 2013 13:28:14 GMT -5 NotTroub said:

You're starting to do the ole' MiA, completely lose touch on the subject and miss the point via distraction. Just because everything can potentially offend someone at some point in time, doesn't give you free reign to do whatever you want, just like it doesn't mean you're not allowed to do anything. It's called common sense, it's an under utilized tool that unfortunately not all are optimized to use.

Relating wearing the same kit as a soldier to pretending to be a soldier, is ludicrous. The soldier didn't struggle and fight to earn the right to wear a plate carrier. They struggled and fought to earn the tabs, the unit patch, the awards, hell just to wear the "U.S Army/Marines/Air Force/Navy/Coast Guard" over your heart is an accomplishment. Wearing those, is akin to pretending to be a soldier. Wearing some camouflage with a bit of kit, is not. That logic is extremely flawed and adolescent and at it's base is a way to further make an easy excuse as to why it's okay to do things you shouldn't do.

Don't wear things you don't deserve to wear, avoid the issue. It's not hard to not pin something on yourself that you don't deserve to have. It's actually a lot harder to go out of your way and pin those things on yourself. Because you have to go out of your way to find the items and buy them. So in the end, it's just easier not to do it.

You know what you can do? Keep event patches and such items and use those to distinguish yourself. If you look at most veteran airsofters you'll see their kit and arms adorned with the patches of events they've attended, teams they're on, things they've done in the world of airsoft. Distinguish yourself that way.

I think this hit the nail on the head. Thank you, that's exactly the kind of straightforward answer I was looking for. Helped a bunch. I'll stick to what I've been doing then.