Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

[Mikep81]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

I do know a couple of players who believe that as they have the most money, they have the right to boss others around. Money does not equal rank.
The freakiest thing I have ever seen was a 19 year old wearing Master Aircrewman rank slides, and claiming "I have the right to do that, they're my dad's".
Eh? How's that work? I've got a mate who's dad's a vicar. My mate doesn't wear a dog collar. Mind you, my dad and I both reached the same rank, so... I still wouldn't wear rank. I'm a civilian. Even when I started playing airsoft, I was doing it on my days off while still serving, so being a SNCO at the time didn't count for the square root of dogpooh. I'm a very average middle manager these days. so I don't wear a name badge and a magnetic strip pass to impress anyone, because it wouldn't.
I have to admit that now I've been out a couple of years, my medals are out of the sock drawer, and in a frame on my dining room wall. They're mine, not for sale. Ever. Whether my daughters ever want them is something for them to decide, otherwise, they're going to the Corps museum when I kark it.

Oh that'd grip my balls that would. I had a player the other day try to boss me around. He started giving out target indications from behind me using the clockray method but gave no point of reference. I didn't even know he was talking to me at first until he shouted, "you in the fvcking blue shirt, pay attention",or at least I think that's what he said. I pointed out that his clockray method with no point of reference was pointless unless he wanted me to turn around and see which way he was facing every time he shouted "12 O'COCK, 12 O'CLOCK". He actually turned out to be a sound bloke though and was just a little bit of mis-communication but initially he p!ssed on my chips! The whole badge thing is al dependant on you. I personally would not want anyone to see me in full kit with badges, for the simple fact that I would be embarrassed if they thought I was genuinely in that unit at the time. On the field it makes no difference unless you're swanning around like billy big b0ll0cks, then you'll be in line for an attitude readjustment, but apart from that there's nothing wrong with wearing badges in the field. Fvck the amount of guys I've seen wearing those Taliban Hunting Club badges who have never even served or been deployed to Afghan is unreal. It's the sole reason why mine, from Afghan, doesn't come out of my kit bag!!

[Jc985]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

As I've said before it doesn't bother me what you wear as long as you aren't Walting it up!
No one like a Walt!!!!!!

Lets not forget, it is still a civil offence to impersonate a serviceman!

[dieselmonkey]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Lets not forget, it is still a civil offence to impersonate a serviceman!

In a public place, IIRC? Airsoft sites are private property, so people can do as they please with regard to dressing up as soldiers and playing war.

[jasevx]

And impersonating a soldier means more than wearing the uniform. It isn't an offence to wear multicam in the UK. Whereas in Ireland it is an offence to wear Irish camo even when you are airsofting.

The biggest impersonaters of the military are cadet instructors. Think they know everything when in fact they know jack ****

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[Rifleman Lizard]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Throwing my two pennies into the well here...

I think it's disrespectful to the colours and those that serve in them. A regiment/corps isn't just a bunch of blokes who happen to be in the same gaff. Each one is a fraternity and quite literally a band of brothers. Every man has struggled and fought for the respect of others on the line, to carry the strength and honours the uniform represents and when asked to, unquestionably put their down their lives for the guys next to them.
You cannot just buy into that and expect people to be OK with it. Frankly, you don't deserve to.

If you didn't earn that shirt, beret, patch, or that brooding thousand yard stare, then guess what? You shouldn't be wearing it.
Walting is a cardinal sin and brings down the entire airsofting community. It reduces hobby credibility and makes us all look bad. It also discourages actual squaddies from taking part in the hobby... which is a shame.
Still! There's really no point in getting upset over it. It's a free country after all.

[dieselmonkey]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Walting is a cardinal sin and brings down the entire airsofting community. It reduces hobby credibility and makes us all look bad. It also discourages actual squaddies from taking part in the hobby... which is a shame.

Thing is, 'walting', and 'wearing real insignia in airsoft' are two completely different things, even to ex-squaddies.

Quite a few of the members of our Brit ww2, and Cold War groups are ex-forces, and they have no problem with me or any of the other non-served guys wearing insignia, as none of us *pretend* we served, which is pretty much the definition of walting.

[Rifleman Lizard]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Not to all of us, mate. To wear it is to belong to it and I stand by that.
Some ex-forces blokes may not mind but I know plenty more that do. As I said, it's nothing to get upset over but there's undoubtedly a blurry line between 'walting' and 'wearing real insignia in airsoft'. A lot of people fall into the grey area and it ends up being a bit of both.
Until you explain to observers or other players that you aren't actually a soldier, it'd be safe for us to assume that they believe you're just in your regi' flash... and that's a sort of passive walting.

On the flip side however, I can see the difference in imitating dismantled units and current units. For example; people know you can't really be a WW2 Tommy despite the fact you're in a tin lid and sporting an SMLE... but they can assume you're a Para if you're walking around in wings and a maroon.
I would argue that the former isn't as misleading as the latter.

Although you're free to wear whatever you like, can you understand why it might be a sensitive issue to those who have served on the front line?

In any case this is just my opinion. I mean no harm by it.

[nice_guy_andy]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Well. then that's Milsim. I know of a couple of companies who are VERY Milsim, to the point of WMIKS and Snatch. Not my thing really, if I wanted to do that I'd have stayed in or joined the RMR.
As it is, I do wear a badge, and it's only entitled to be worn by a select group. We turn up, unannounced, and partake in online picnics to defuse internet hardmennery. We are anonymous in the main, but we will never be dissuaded and are never beaten.
Battenburg anyone?

details on selection please? I make a kick ass brew!

[BAMF]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

details on selection please? I make a kick ass brew!

NATO standard for me squire. In the bone china if you will. Greatly appreciated.

[Hawke]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Holey Moley.
Is this still dragging on, in the usual circles? You are aware that we are all dressing up? It's not real? We look, on a good day, like "Village People", only with extremely expensive toy guns.

As for becoming a Nice Chap, well, it's an arduous selection. (Two sugars please)

[Trouble]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Any Salafist jihadists bothered if I make an Al Qaeda load out while running around with a toy AK and pretend suicide vest? I am in the process of growing issue facial hair to complete the look?

Airsoft is ment to be fun and a bit of escapism, isn't it? That's at least why I enjoy it, it beats sitting inside playing COD, looking at porn or mowing the lawn.

The world is a depressing place with death, terror, war, starvation, rape, murder + bent bankers making life a bit crap. Can we not just put real life on the back burner for a few hours in the privacy of of an airsoft field?

[jasevx]

Was interesting to see the panic on the walts at the weekend. The paintballers use the same safe zone and had a huge muslim birthday party and they were all adult males. All of a sudden the 'taliban hunting club, infidel and isaf' patches disappeared in a flash. Sat there wetting myself.
Alot of the time concerning badges though, the kids just dont register. One of our team members is a serving Royal and asked a player to remove a Royal Marine flash. The kid did nothing but apologise

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[boottroop]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

Sorry mate, asking a kid to remove a patch is sad, served years in the forces and what it boils down to it was a job I chose to do, the patches are just a job logo. If kids want to run round simulating the people they look up to as heroes (something I have never asked or expected people to label me, it was just my career choice) then you should take it as a compliment. Patches are patches, kids are just having fun they could be doing a lot worse at weekends. Your mate should have gone over and told him he was a marine and spoke to him which could have made his day meeting a real marine rather then acting like a playground bully.

[jasevx]

When i say kid he was in his twenties. Shows my age. The Royal wasnt nasty. He just explained it can come across as direspectful. I served seventeen years but would never wear something i never earnt

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[Fizzy]

Re: Wearing British Army insignia in airsoft?

I think anyone that gets upset at people wearing badges and such, should probably stay away from games where people play at pretend soldiers (read; airsoft)

And NEVER go to the War & Peace show!