Kinda sad isn't it? We supposedly have one of the most powerful armed forces in the world and we're gonna tell out troops to remove their uniforms if they plan on leaving their installations. However, the Army garrison at Baumholder, part of the larger U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz, posted new rules on its Facebook page Thursday telling soldiers not to wear uniforms in off-post commercial areas such as shopping malls, theaters and other high population venues," such as festivals or pedestrian zones. I'm sorry but I just find this too disgusting for words. Read more @ http://www.stripes.com/news/europe/...eyes-changing-uniform-rules-off-base-1.306750
Europe is rather infested with Islamist sympathizers these days, so that seems like a reasonable precaution.
Somewhat along the same line - In 1961, I was sent to Verdun, France as part of the Berlin Wall buildup. We had only been there for a few months when we found ourselves on lockdown - unable to depart the barracks at all. Not just ours, but the other ones in and around Verdun as well. The reason? A battalion of the French Foreign Legion had just been withdrawn from Algeria due to the massive uprising there and was put into a French garrison in Verdun. All the police were withdrawn from the street and the legionnaires went wild. They took over bars and restaurants without paying and molested - including raping - any and all women who were on the street. Not a word in Stars & Stripe and the local media kept it all hushed up. After a week, things settled down but we didn't venture from our bases for a full month. [One of the reasons I am less than impressed by The Frogs.]
This isn't really that uncommon. It even happens in the US from time to time. A few years ago when I was stationed in Colorado we were at one point "strongly advised" to not wear our uniforms around the community for awhile because we got intel of some local thugs who were running around jacking up Soldiers. It's not like taking the uniform off helps much anyway. It's really not hard to tell who is in the military when you see them whether they are in uniform or not.
