http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/7282348.stm

Quote: Airmen told 'no uniforms in city' Airmen have been told not to leave an RAF base in uniform to avoid being verbally abused by civilians. Officers at RAF Wittering reported that servicemen have been taunted by people in nearby Peterborough who oppose UK involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

This is just a saddening article. Sure you may be against the Iraq war but why take it out on these poor airmen WHO are in a way PROTECTING...YOU! and just following orders.

We aren't giving the respect these people deserve for putting their lives on the line. I feel sorry for these guys not being able to proud of serving their country by wearing their uniform in public.

The people of Peterborough need a smack around the head. What a load of tosh.

One could certainly question whether western soldiers were actually "protecting" anyone at home by for instance being deployed to Iraq. But even that is completely beside the point.

I don't subscribe to any kind of militaristic nonsense, but the soldiers are simply the wrong people to confront about wars one does not agree with.

The soldiers are not the ones who made the decisions about whether or not to engage in a certain war - they're merely executing orders handed to them by civilian politicians representing those same civilians who are harrassing the soldiers. Those politicians would be the right people to confront.

This has happened before in almost all wars, and it will happen again.

The people against the war get so frustrated they start taking their anger out on the people wearing the uniform.

No war has even been stopped by the troops quitting/ refusing to fight at the urging of anti-war prosters.

Richard Nixon and the older republican and democrats who wanted the funerals of their children to stop ended the Vietnam War. The protesters had almost no impact on the actual war.

Soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are all just young men and women doing their duty. They do express their opinion in the proper place - the ballot box. But otherwise they have to fulfill their duty to their country.

Any fool who thinks anger or actions against an individual in uniform will have any impact on a nation's participation in a war is just stupid.

They would be more effective protesting the local preacher to stop a dought.

Quoting Klaus (Reply 2): One could certainly question whether western soldiers were actually "protecting" anyone at home by for instance being deployed to Iraq. But even that is completely beside the point.

So why bother trying to derail the thread . . . oh wait, because it's Klaus, I'm sorry, shoulda known better.

. . . . . .

Absolutely not unusual. There was a time, when I was stationed in Europe, we weren't allowed to travel in uniform and in fact were required to get Civilian Passports rather than use our DoD Identification Card (which was sufficient for use as a passport in the 1980s). Prompted in part by the murder of Navy Diver Robert Stethem.

Quoting Myt332 (Reply 1): The people of Peterborough need a smack around the head. What a load of tosh

They need more than that. Our service men and women risk their lives in the name of the people of this country. They should be holding their heads high, not covering up who they are.

Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): So why bother trying to derail the thread

Took the words right out of my mouth!  

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I was shocked when I heard this, this morning. Our armed forces are what made this country, they are people we should be proud of, not ashamed of.

Quoting Klaus (Reply 2): One could certainly question whether western soldiers were actually "protecting" anyone at home by for instance being deployed to Iraq. But even that is completely beside the point. I don't subscribe to any kind of militaristic nonsense, but the soldiers are simply the wrong people to confront about wars one does not agree with. The soldiers are not the ones who made the decisions about whether or not to engage in a certain war - they're merely executing orders handed to them by civilian politicians representing those same civilians who are harrassing the soldiers. Those politicians would be the right people to confront.

You know what Klaus. I have never responded to one of your posts before (check my profile I may be wrong) but, you're spewling in a nonsensical manner is getting to be so repetitive. Why do you keep saying soldiers? They are members of the Royal Air Force. That makes them AIRMEN not soldiers. Do you understand? Like the Luftwaffe! Are you with me or do you just want to go on another of your blathering tirades?

For the first time in my life, and it must be since hell froze over with the KC-45 bombshell, but I find myself agreeing with our loose jowelled Prime Minister.

His response has been to tell all military personnel to wear their uniform with pride.

Quote AOL News:

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged Britain's armed forces to wear their uniforms in public and condemned any abuse of them by people opposed to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He spoke out after senior officers at RAF Wittering advised airmen and women to wear civilian dress when they visited nearby Peterborough in case they attracted insults.

Mr Brown, speaking at No 10, said: "All our armed forces should be able to, and encouraged to, wear their uniform in public and have the respect and gratitude of the British people for the huge commitment to public service they show.

"I encourage the local police to back up our armed forces so that not only can our armed forces wear their uniforms in public, but they should have the gratitude of the British public for the work they do."

Shamu

Another radio news story carried the fact that alot of abuse has come from gangs of teenage "hoodies."

What a damn fine reason to bring back compulsory National Service, make the toe rags appreciate the service our military personnel provide.   

Shamu

This is sad, but not uncommon, soldiers, airmen, seamen etc get abuse all the time when in uniform, it's only very recently that you've been allowed to wear uniform off duty (bar Northern Ireland) because of the 'security threat' it imposed, dating back from The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Unfortunately the wearing of a military uniform, unlike any other uniform, seem to draw immediate feeling hate or uncomfortablenesss in the area you are in, the reaction you get from some people would make you think if they've ever seen a pair of combats before.

Quoting BlueShamu330s (Reply 8): Another radio news story carried the fact that alot of abuse has come from gangs of teenage "hoodies."

Ofcourse, they are one of the worst perpetrators of abuse. In fact out of all the incidences I've had with people, about 95% are with 'hoodies', thankful most of the time it's just verbal, but unfortunately we're just supposed to take it, because I can guarantee you military personnel get in much worse trouble than the hoodies.
Ever since the beginning of the Iraq war, more and more verbal abuse happens and nothing can really be done, you feel a bit of a fool walking around in uniform because everyone stares at you and it's not like you get any thanks by...say...a discount of any sort for serving. This is partly because the MoD decided that we shouldn't wear uniform off duty, which then made the site of military uniforms rare and hence, created a sense of alienation, this then in turn created a problem which was fueled by youths who can't take nay damn discipline and see us as an easy target.

Want my opinion ?
There's a lack of respect and there's a gulf between the public and those who pretect them, it's a sad irony that you come back to a mouth-full of abuse and feeling of hostility from the very people you serve.
Infact I'd say you get more thanks and respect from American citizens than you do UK ones, the words or thanks and hand-shakes don't happen here, it's as if we are some sort of unwanted pet that everyone simply ignores and shouts at everytime it comes near them.
The problem is the wars we are currently fighting are unpopular ones, and people see us as an easy target to take their anger out on, strange thing is though, I don't see anti Trans-national-company protesters abusing Tescos employees.

Welcome to the UK !
Wrigbrothers

Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): So why bother trying to derail the thread . . . oh wait, because it's Klaus, I'm sorry, shoulda known better.

      I'm glad someone agrees .

Its disgusting that this should happen. The Soldiers do not make the decision to go to war . The government do. A country should support their troops. They are only doing a job that they are told to do. Tackle the governments not the brave Soldiers who do a hard job with little thanks !!! They should send some of these idiots to Iraq and then see what they have to say .

It is, of course, not unusual for British servicemen to be banned from going out in uniform. At the height of the IRA campaign, they were too obvious a target and so were compelled to dress in civilian clothes on the street.

This particular case seems to have come from the base commander, and certainly not the MoD. We really need to know what lies behind the decision, "abuse" covers many possibilities.

Quoting OA260 (Reply 10): Its disgusting that this should happen. The Soldiers do not make the decision to go to war .

Thats pretty much what Klaus said in the second and third paragraph of his post.

Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): So why bother trying to derail the thread . . . oh wait, because it's Klaus, I'm sorry, shoulda known better.

I didnt get the impression that Klaus was trying to derail this post. ->

Quoting Klaus (Reply 2): But even that is completely beside the point.

Quoting Farcry (Reply 6): Why do you keep saying soldiers? They are members of the Royal Air Force.

Hair splitting anyone?


Before you all denounce me as a left-wing, flag-burner: I served the German Luftwaffe as well. Luckily, I never had to encounter such drastic things as mentioned in the article. However, I had several experiences where people laughed at me or gave disrespectful remarks when wearing my uniform outside of my air base. Wonder if they do the same things to the 50% of young males these days who escape the draft by pretending their conscience wouldnt allow them to carry a weapon and who now work for meals-on-wheels.

I guess that is just how it is.

Quoting RacingGreen07 (Thread starter): RAF Wittering

Quoting RacingGreen07 (Thread starter): Peterborough

Maybe the USAF should just pull out of RAF Wittering, and take all those US Dollars away from Peterborough.   

Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 13): Maybe the USAF should just pull out of RAF Wittering, and take all those US Dollars away from Peterborough.

Is the USAF even at RAF Wittering ? I can find no mention of it anywhere.

Quoting JGPH1A (Reply 14):

Quite right. RAF Wittering has an illustrious history, but there is no mention of the otherwise omnipresent USAF.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafwittering/aboutus/history.cfm

  

Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): Quoting Klaus (Reply 2): One could certainly question whether western soldiers were actually "protecting" anyone at home by for instance being deployed to Iraq. But even that is completely beside the point. So why bother trying to derail the thread . . . oh wait, because it's Klaus, I'm sorry, shoulda known better.

I was responding to an explicit and even emphasized statement in the original post:

Quoting RacingGreen07 (Thread starter): Sure you may be against the Iraq war but why take it out on these poor airmen WHO are in a way PROTECTING...YOU!

I may not align with your favourite ideology, but you're definitely crossing the line here.

Quoting Farcry (Reply 6): You know what Klaus. I have never responded to one of your posts before (check my profile I may be wrong) but, you're spewling in a nonsensical manner is getting to be so repetitive. Why do you keep saying soldiers? They are members of the Royal Air Force. That makes them AIRMEN not soldiers. Do you understand? Like the Luftwaffe! Are you with me or do you just want to go on another of your blathering tirades?

I'm saying "soldiers" because I don't see any indication that they had been confronted for being members of a specific branch of the military but for wearing a military uniform at all.


I must say the nasty attitude I've seen here in this thread for denouncing the harrassment of members of the military is appalling and casts a bad light on the respective posters - if you want civilians to have any kind of respect for the military, you've done your cause a serious disservice here.

Pity.

Quoting DTManiac (Reply 12): Thats pretty much what Klaus said in the second and third paragraph of his post.

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Quoting ANCFlyer (Reply 4): Absolutely not unusual. There was a time, when I was stationed in Europe, we weren't allowed to travel in uniform and in fact were required to get Civilian Passports rather than use our DoD Identification Card (which was sufficient for use as a passport in the 1980s). Prompted in part by the murder of Navy Diver Robert Stethem.

We were under the same orders when I was in Italy back then with the 509th. Although guys who were traveling back to the US did wear their khaki's or Class A's. I took all of my leaves in Italy and Europe and tried not to dress like an American!

And that cocksucker who killed Robert "Bobby" Stethem is still walking around free.
(apologies for that term, but I feel strongly about that cowardly incident)

F