at my last airsoft game there was a guy with a english accent sporting a rather heavy SA80. we got to talking and being a fan of the movie Dog Soldiers, i asked him about the patches he had on his dpm uniform, and he told me something that kinda made me surprised, he said that in the UK the only time you will see army patches in a game is if they actually served in said armed service..... so to the UK guys, is this true?

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Beserker
Brian "Anubian" Webb
WYI/TQ1.0.04837E5
U.S.S. Nemesis
Weyland Yutani Inmate

wearing of unit patches, etc is pretty much frowned upon if you didnt earn them. The only exception really is the reenactor guys.
For instance, i have air cav patches on my 'Nam gear, but nothing on my regular skirmishing stuff.

Not sure why it started, i think its a mark of respect to the guys in the forces

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M/SGT Rich Hyatt-Dowling (Retd)

UKCM Black ops

I'd concur with that understanding, Rich.

I've seen a long explanation from an AS chap on how to look authentically British, but he did mention NOT wearing actual unit patches unless you are/were in the actual unit.
Re-Enactors can and do wear the insignia as they are accurately portraying someone.

I certainly would take issue over someone wearing things they're not entitled to.
However, so long as you're not actively trying to impersonate a member of the Forces, I don't believe there's actually any law against it.

Seems kind of extreme to me. Kind of like saying you can't wear "USCM" Aliens patches on your uniform
if you didn't work on the film.

Airsoft is all about role playing, seems a shame to not go as accurate as you can.

Still a nice sentiment though, about respect to the Military.

Russ

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

In socal, it is informally that way too.

Guys are labeled "douches" if the have the real military patches/pins on their uniforms, while not earning it.

Not just a UK thing.

I kind of don't understand if the wearing of 'real' patches is frowned upon in the Airsoft community then why do reencators get away with it - when it comes down to it everyone's just playing soldier.

Harry

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http://www.facebook.com/TheHHACA - @TheHHACA

If insignia and patches are worn with an accurate replica loadout, and the player in question presents themselves as imitating through respect, then there's no problem.

Simply slapping a patch on some cheap camo gear - Or worse, claiming or even hinting that you have experience that you do not have, is well out of order.
One site around here was well known for a while for strongly hinting that a few of its marshals were "Ex-military, of the sort they can't talk about".

Wankers.

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

Not as I see it - Airsoft is about playing a game.
Unless Airsofters have a command structure, employ accurate military tactics, follow unit SOPs, use the correct regulation equipment etc then they're not playing the role.

As costumers, we portray fictional characters. The worst offense we could cause is to 20th Century Fox, who might be upset over some copyrights. As the Colonial Marines and Aliens, we portray them as accurately as we can, but also drawing the distinction and making it clear we're making no more pretensions than a kid at Hallowe'en.


Because Re-Enactors (for the most part) are not playing soldier/knight/peasant/whatever...

Re-Enactment is about telling the stories of people who deserve to have their stories told. Whether they're war heroes and great leaders to inspire us, or evil dictators and tyrants to remind us what was risked. It's essentially the same as making a movie or writing a book about it - just a different medium. And those who deserve to have their stories told deserve it to be done accurately.

Living History is about actually experiencing the life and the events as closely as possible - To understand from first-hand perspective what it was like.


As in they joined the Cadets, got shouted at and wet themselves in front of everyone?
Yeah, I can understand why they "can't talk about that"
Wankers....

Hey hey hey! Don't be dissing the cadets! They gave me a medal!


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Ah yes, correct me if I'm wrong but that'd be the same site organiser who threatened physical violence against players... They were really sound guys, I'd definitely recommend that site to anyone.



On the topic of wearing cap badges / stars, unit patches, TRFs etc., personally couldn't give a monkeys who wears what, but I wouldn't recommend anyone do it unless they'd earned them.

Never crossed my mind, buddy - 7 years in the Air Cadets gave me a fine grounding in life afore I shipped out to the Big Boys' With Guns club.

But you do get some real Walter Mittys in Cadets, who don't usually last long but later go on to develop military pretensions considerably higher than their original aspirations....... Blimey, I use long words sometimes, don't I?

So nobody wears patches, or do they just not wear real military patches?

Seems kind of a waste of a set of ACM/MARPAT BDUs to not have anything on it but nekkid velcro.

Russ

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

so it's not really a overall decesion not to wear ubit patches n ranks? just people choices too or not too.

i just wanted some clarfacation on it.

as per patches on my bdu's i have a subdued hawaiian flag, our squad patch and a ribbon over it that say's "normal guy"

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Beserker
Brian "Anubian" Webb
WYI/TQ1.0.04837E5
U.S.S. Nemesis
Weyland Yutani Inmate

I think the whole thing started because people wore cheap army surplus to play in.

As is always the case with this stuff, pissing contests ensued and the 'ccol guys' started showing up wearing current issue combats. Webbing follows, then tactical equipment, NCO Modelling Kits, NBC kit, Field Markers, Cleaning kits, Tank Repair kits and who knows what else - Totally pointless kit that you'd never need for an Airsoft game, but which makes you seem like a cool military person.

I'm pretty certain you can play just as good a game of Airsoft wearing simple green coveralls. I'm pretty certain because I've been missed by a whole Platoon of professional soldiers while wearing a white t-shirt in the middle of a green wood.

Were they Signallers by any chance?

OHHFFFF!!
Right in the teeth!

Mike

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There is nothing more impressive than a bloody big Alien wiggling on the end of a sharp stick!

Royal Green Jackets - I was in the competing Platoon

Self-depricating humour is the funniest.





Good drills! Most effective camouflage I've ever found on exercise is a hi-vis vest...

You've obviously not had the Shape, Shine, Shadow, Surface lecture then, where it culminates in a Corporal walking naked through the bushes toward you and you're shocked to find you only notice him long after you ought to have

How do they get their stripes...

On second thoughts, don't answer that!

By being willing enough to walk around butt naked on a 'training lecture', but being smart enough not to be caught by an officer.

Hehheh.
You've met Stu Icarus, Al.

He's been that Corporal.

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MSgt, UKCM 42nd Reg., 1st Batt. : Hadrian's Wall. UKCM

Wasteland Workshop
Props, cosplay pieces, upcycled ornamentation, and miscellanea;
For the discerning survivor of the apocalypse.
Steve Fletcher : Maker, Scavenger, and Junksmith.
linktr.ee/wastelandworkshop

*shudders*

Who cares? We're all walts*!

*with some exceptions, natch.

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