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What is considered offensive?


ev1436

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I find it a bit amusing with all the spec. ops. load outs found on airsoft fields. It is rare to find someone (being an individual or team) whom it doing a light infantry impersonation. But either way, to make a trustworthy load out patches, insignias and rank slides is key to achieve the goal.

 

On my team we use rank slides. With a team of 17 people a command structure is needed and when out on a MILSIM it makes the communication with other teams easier as they quickly can see whom they need to speak to, when missions are planed.

 

But why should we use another form of rank slides than those already made for the uniform we use? It really doesn't make any sense not to use the stripes that everyone knows.

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I find it a bit amusing with all the spec. ops. load outs found on airsoft fields. It is rare to find someone (being an individual or team) whom it doing a light infantry impersonation. But either way, to make a trustworthy load out patches, insignias and rank slides is key to achieve the goal.

 

The majority of my loadouts are based on what the normal infantryman would wear, im not too keen on all the SF or Spetsnaz loadouts, theres probably more merit trying to look like a regular infantry man or motor rifles trooper than Uberl33tdeltasealzspetznazsasNinja loadouts....

 

Saying that, this is airsoft, hence why most people want to be the leet units, even in WW2 games, its always Airborne or SS...

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Hi guys and girls. Well first of all I would like to explain that I served in my country's armed forces, as every solider I had to pass a training, I had to earn my unit's beret, and of course i had to earn my rank. What does it mean? Effort, courage, and tryin not to fall down. So I'm trying to say that as most of people in the armed forces I had to pass a test to get that distinctives (berets, badges, ranks, included uniforms, etc..) but for me the fact of seeing a man who did not ever walked in a barrack wearing that stuff isn't any offensive by far, otherwise it makes me feel proud because i see a person who knows or is able to know what does it means.

 

When I see a person wearing the beret I wore or the uniform I had. I repeat i don't feel offended. The fist thing I say is........ Hey I was in that unit!... or Hey you're wearing a pretty good BDU!

 

 

When I left the armed forces i gave one of my uniforms to a friend just to play airsoft and every time i see him playing with it i feel proud of it because (apart that he's my friend) he's wearing something with I suffered, I ran, I had to fight to get something i wanted. And of course he's getting fun with it.

 

So i finish now this speech. I'm sorry if anyone got asleep reading this :D I only want to say that it neverminds whatever you want to wear the really important is to get fun with this game.

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Heres a question that I never got answered before...

 

I wear FALINTIL patches - army flag, FALINTIL arm banner and a unit insignia. They were the freedom fighters in East Timor who fought against Indonesian invaders.

 

I wear them because I have a friend from Timor who sorta asked me to, and in deference (not imitation) of those people who fought to free their country.

 

So I, as a never-been-in-the-army-not-even-the-cadets airsofter, am I being disrespectful to the real FALINTIL by wearing their insignia?

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I personally don't see a problem with rank patches that you've earned, and use out on the field, just make it so that your rank corresponds with the one you were last promoted to, not the one you want to be.

 

By "out on the field", I assume you mean at an Airsoft game? As such, why would you care what someone is wearing?

 

It quite obviously isn't a military operation, nor connected to the military in any way. I would totally understand if it was a case of someone wandering around a military area, or a town with very strong military connections - but at an Airsoft site??

 

I don't wear any badges other than those of my team, and my regular site... but if I wanted to badge myself as a Colonel for a giggle, that would be offensive?

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By "out on the field", I assume you mean at an Airsoft game? As such, why would you care what someone is wearing?

 

It quite obviously isn't a military operation, nor connected to the military in any way. I would totally understand if it was a case of someone wandering around a military area, or a town with very strong military connections - but at an Airsoft site??

 

I don't wear any badges other than those of my team, and my regular site... but if I wanted to badge myself as a Colonel for a giggle, that would be offensive?

 

Yeah, out at an airsoft game. But really, i'm not worried about what their wearing, i'm worried about what their portraying.

 

Let's say some little pre-teen has a United States Army Special Forces patch that he got from a surplus store, places it on his BDU blouse or on an Admin Pouch, and during the game, makes a complete *albatross* of himself. Does he deserve the patch, no, is he sullying the good name of that particular unit, yes.

 

I mean, who says that a ex-Special Forces member at that game won't come up to the boy and tell him to take that patch off, for he did not earn it. Yet the veteran soldier went through heaven and hell to earn that patch for over a year, when the boy got a ride from his parents or whatever, and paid five bucks for it?

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Hi guys and girls. Well first of all I would like to explain that I served in my country's armed forces, as every solider I had to pass a training, I had to earn my unit's beret, and of course i had to earn my rank. What does it mean? Effort, courage, and tryin not to fall down. So I'm trying to say that as most of people in the armed forces I had to pass a test to get that distinctives (berets, badges, ranks, included uniforms, etc..) but for me the fact of seeing a man who did not ever walked in a barrack wearing that stuff isn't any offensive by far, otherwise it makes me feel proud because i see a person who knows or is able to know what does it means.

 

When I see a person wearing the beret I wore or the uniform I had. I repeat i don't feel offended. The fist thing I say is........ Hey I was in that unit!... or Hey you're wearing a pretty good BDU!

 

 

When I left the armed forces i gave one of my uniforms to a friend just to play airsoft and every time i see him playing with it i feel proud of it because (apart that he's my friend) he's wearing something with I suffered, I ran, I had to fight to get something i wanted. And of course he's getting fun with it.

 

So i finish now this speech. I'm sorry if anyone got asleep reading this :D I only want to say that it neverminds whatever you want to wear the really important is to get fun with this game.

 

Excellent answer. Totally agree with what you say, as do most of the vets I know.

 

What's the harm in wearing patches etc? You could argue that even wearing the uniform is 'offensive' so where do you draw the line...? Most guys in my experience find it quite flattering that people wish to immitate them and are cool with it as long as people aren't actually saying they earned the patch/uniform. Although I don't add insignia, there's no way I'm ripping genuine insignia off any of my antique uniforms I wear...

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Thanks for the reply, dark_patrol :) As you are a proper soldier, I value your opinion :)

 

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I can see both sides of the story.

 

However at the end of the day it is a GAME. If I dress up like Vash The Stampede, that isnt a disrespect to Yasuhiro Nightow...its just portraying a character in my eyes.

 

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And lets face it, people can disrespect a force without even wearing a patch...like the utter mook I met once who later said on a forum that the entire British Army are just a peacekeeping force and a recon unit for the US...

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Edit: Replying to Sturmjager's post....

 

I must say I find it difficult to believe that an adult would find their honour, or good name sullied by a child wearing a unit patch at an airsoft event. I can only imagine someone doing so being somewhat insecure.

 

I can see how someone of the right age, wandering around not only wearing the insignia, but claiming falsely to be a member of the unit (and yeah, it does happen) could cause a few raised eyebrows, but causing offense? I doubt it. I admit I only really know people from the British forces - most of which would find the situation highly amusing, then again they also find the concept of airsoft quite odd too :P. Maybe it's different on your side of the pond?

 

Again it comes back to my earlier point of people being offended on behalf of someone else. I have yet to see any evidence of anyone in full time military service, who care what airsofters wear to play games in.

 

With regards to the point about nazi uniforms and such. I did chat with a Jewish chap at a skirmish, who found another skirmishers WW2 German loadout in rather bad taste, but he certainly wasn't offended by it.

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I must say I find it difficult to believe that an adult would find their honour, or good name sullied by a child wearing a unit patch at an airsoft event. I can only imagine someone doing so being somewhat insecure.

 

I can see how someone of the right age, wandering around not only wearing the insignia, but claiming falsely to be a member of the unit (and yeah, it does happen) could cause a few raised eyebrows, but causing offense? I doubt it. I admit I only really know people from the British forces - most of which would find the situation highly amusing, then again they also find the concept of airsoft quite odd too :P. Maybe it's different on your side of the pond?

 

Yep, I agree. It seems that only Americans suffer from such an incredible amount of overpatriotic fundamentalism, and I dont know why.

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If you have to ask if its appropriate then it probably isnt.

 

Moral and such goofery are fine. Blood Type, flags, etc. Anything that is earned or personal to a unit should be steered clear from. But if you earned it wear it proud.

 

My .2 cents.

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I have a lot of contacts with people actualy in service today (Rangers, US ARMY, Seals, Recon Battalion) and all of them don't mind it if I wear real insignia or patches, just as long as the rest of the outfit is correct, and I wear it with honor. In fact a couple of the guys realy get ###### of about people wearing the wrong insignia and pretending to reenact or play a sertain part in a movie. however, not all people in service think this way, so I block out the insignia on most of my pics when I post them online, just to prevent pissing somebody off

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Team B.o.E uses a Rank Structure, Our ARMY sponsors approve it and supply the things to keep it healthy. I am prior USAF, the Son of a Active duty Green Beret. Our Team (B.o.E)is invited to the SF confrence in Las Vegas to represent Airsoft to the Real deal how we do! I assure you that these men will not walk up to me and rip anything off of my Gear or my team mates or your gear for that fact, they are steadfast!

 

Those who gripe about this sensitive issue are usually ones who have never served in the military or they are mis informed from the internet and they jump to the defense of those who have earned the patches and we thank you however, take a chill pill because 99% of the military I work with don't Care! and the 1% well they are known as Drill Privates usually.

 

Airsoft is about emulating the real world as a hobby/sport/lifestyle... SF, Rangers, SEALs, TAC-P, Basic Infantry(3rd ID) all those guys earned it that is true.... however, in order to make way for those to follow well you got airsoft and emulating the best of the best is what we do.

 

I say do it if it makes you happy and dont do it to FRONT to the public like your an actual WAR hero.... or acting like your in the Military and earned these things or get married under the pretense that you are a Active member of the military with class A uniforms in your closet and you lead a life of Lie's. Impersonating a Military member and portraying one are two different things just ask Hollywood.

 

Our (b.o.E) Berets and flashes and combat patches look so close to the Real deal that only the Real Deal can distinguish and that good enough for us.

 

Capt Rad.

 

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I mean, who says that a ex-Special Forces member at that game won't come up to the boy and tell him to take that patch off, for he did not earn it.

 

Then this "ex-Special Forces member" would be acting like a Damn Bona Fide A$$hole. Its just a kid who like that particulary unit very much to the point of being a fan, and you dnt treat fans like that.

If you follow that line of thinking, Costume parties would be very disrespectful, for most of the guests never were Spartans, Roman generals, Superheroes, Sexy Nurses, etc.

 

Dark Patrol came with the best reaction to this matter, and thats true most Vets dont give a damn about it. Only the "Never been, but i wish i would" guys have this non-sense reaction.

 

Here in Brazil we dont wear patches or complete BDU sets on the streets, because:

1-Its wierd and most girls will think its ridiculous.

2-Its against the law, so the police can take you downtown for it.

 

There is no problem if:

1-You wear it only at your game site

2-You use team patches

3-You wear BDU, Gear and patchs from other countries, altough girls will still think its ridiculous. ;)

 

 

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As a serving soldier I don't have a problem with it. In fact it amuses me quite a bit; nothing like a 18 stone walt wearing the latest and great tac-vest to keep up morale. On an airsoft site that is....

 

I did catch several individuals wearing the equipment and insignia (very poorly) in keeping with my cap-badge in a petrol station one Sunday morning. From the public's perspective they aren't people paying tribute THEY ARE British Soldiers. As such due to the poor manner in which they carried themselves they were doing a dishonour to the service. As such I gave them a grade 1 AGAI 67 dressing down (even though I knew they were walts). They seemed very unimpressed for being spoken to like scrote soldiers.

 

Wearing the uniform carries certainly responsibilities in public. In the last 12 months alone I've had to change tires for women, assisted in the detention of a criminal, deal with one crazy old lady and two lost children just on my way to work. That wasn't because of who I am but because of the uniform I wear and the trust it carries. That should be the thing that airsofters mustn't undermine.

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In our area we discourage the use of real unit patches unless you were part of that unit for one reason and one reason only: Some of the vets of those units who we play with asked that we make the request. That said, no one has ever caused a scene about it. I'm a vet and I don't care, but for some of our guys who are recently home it's a bit of an issue, so out of respect to their feelings, we don't do it...

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