Originally Posted by
Stonefly
It has everything to do with good order and discipline, and nothing at all to do with morale. It is about the image that the service, the Corps in this case, wishes to project. The rationale when I was on active duty was that cammies are a field uniform, not a uniform to project the Marine Corps image out in public. Is this rational? Does it matter if it is rational or not? Does the fact that there are men and women in harms way in Iraq and Afghanistan (and who knows where else) mean that the services should turn a blind eye to the good order and discipline of the service men and women who are not so deployed? How does not allowing Marines Stateside to wear cammies in public effect those Marines involved in combat operations? The Commandant of the Marine Corps is Commandant to all Marines, not only the ones in combat (although I am sure that they are first in his thoughts).
Just my two cents.
Stonefly
Add/Edit: Perhaps you can enlighten me as to what the intent of Hacker's post was.
Dude, give me a break. Who cares. I wear my flight suit to/from work, and around town if I need to run a few errands before I head home. A set of BDU's/flight suit looks just fine if it is taken care in public. I've stopped many times in the mall for quick errands (i.e. picking up a birthday card, buying a present for a holiday, etc...) and neither I nor anyone else gives two sh*ts. If my flight suit has holes in it and the boots look like garbage - well, of course then that's uncalled for. But to say a Marine must change out of his BDU's to go hit a local mall, bank, etc...because it's a "field uniform only" is ridiculous. Take your blinders off. We're human beings who happen to serve in the military, we have personal lives, and most importantly CHOOSE to serve in the military - not the other way around. Way to go Marine Corps...brilliant.