There are different cultures in different branches of the service and even in different sections of the same service. The ACU (army combat uniform) is the daily uniform for (my best guess) 90% of every Soldier in the Army. For us not to be able to wear the ACU off post to do short trips to and from work and on lunch break would seem insane. No Soldier should be walking around the mall after 1800 still in uniform, but in the Army we take pride in the ACU just like we did with the BDU's (hence the cardboard like starched appearance of the BDU's in the past).

I think wearing the uniform off post is a fantastic recruiting and political tool. If the Marines want their dress uniforms to serve that recruiting and political purpose, then so be it. They can tell their Marines to change out of their combat uniforms and I'll tell my Soldiers to take their IBA and ACH off and put their baret back on before they head to the Shell Station or Larrys BBQ for lunch.

By the way, I visited a buddy of mine in Ocean Side a year ago. Former Marine enliste, former Army Hawk driver, current Marine UH1 driver. He told me about the off duty civilian clothes restrictions and I like (most) of it. When I know someone is a soldier and they are walking around on the weekends looking like some thug from the ghetto or trailer trash then it drags my pride in the service down a notch and I can only imagine what negative impression the local civilians get branded into their brain.