Quote Originally Posted by ODB View Post
I am a complete fan of not wearing uniforms in public. For a decade now I leave them at work. Ever see the post man walking around the mall after work in uniform? The UPS man? FEDEX? It is what I wear for work some days..... Nothing I hate more than seeing "Joe" in ACUs walking around the mall at 11 a.m. or even at 6 p.m. Then there are those who fly in them, understand returning from deployment, but many have regular clothes with them, you mean to tell me they didn't have 2 minutesto change in all the above cases. My final thought on this is considering today's enemy/threat I am amazed we (service members) have not been actively targeted here at home. This is a lot of my reasoning for my thoughts on this, the less I can make myself and my family a target the better. I even hate the fact I have to have a DOD decal on my vehicle to get on post. Just my .02 cents worth.
You'd probably find it interesting that SMA Preston asked all the attendees at the Armor Conference to wear their uniforms when traveling TDY - he felt it was a great chance to get into conversations with civilians about the Army - good recruiting marketing.

I don't buy the "target" argument domestically. Overseas it makes sense, but I think that's overblown fear-mongering.

The one time I traveled in uniformed I was humbled and even embarassed at the amount of positive attention I received, including lots of questions from a curious public. I kind of see SMA Preston's point. Why not allow the uniform (as long as properly worn) off post?

MattC, concur on the Bundeswehr's grooming standards. Goatees, colored hair, and earrings are standard for the conscripts, as far as I can tell. (Yes, they have conscription). I don't see the colored hair among the "regulars" though.

(I'm secretly jealous of the Goatees).