Serving Airsofters; Are We Annoying?

[GenuineGerman]

Yup I absolutely detest the the way the phrase has been denigrated by the Americans and there over use to describe ANY one who put on a uniform . To me a veteran is the old boy you see down the Legion on Remembrance Sunday with a chest full of medals he really did get awarded , who tells you stories of his time in the war , he’s also the one who it was never him being the hero it was always someone else , he’s the one who makes out he did nothing to be thanked for it was always his mates who didn’t make it home that were the heroes ? 

where as on the other side of the pond you get to call your self a ‘veteran’ even if you only did 6mths in the national guard and never even left your home state FFS ! ?

What about all the guys that have done multiple tours of the Middle East and Afghanistan. What would you call them? 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

What about all the guys that have done multiple tours of the Middle East and Afghanistan. What would you call them? 

i'd call them veterans, to me the phrase veteran applies to anyone who's  been on a 2-way firing range.

 

[Druid799]

What about all the guys that have done multiple tours of the Middle East and Afghanistan. What would you call them? 

i'd call them veterans, to me the phrase veteran applies to anyone who's  been on a 2-way firing range.

Now your both moving in to the realms of specifics , of cource you’d call someone who’s done multiple tours in Iraq or Afghan a veteran , But Is it fair to those blokes that someone who’s done a single short tour in a base area who’s closest experience to ‘combat’ was a bit of jostling in the NAFFI gets to be lorded as a ‘veteran’ as well ? That’s my point . To me a veteran is someone who has endured serving in a grave situation time and time again . If you want to call any ex-forces a veteran I’m certainly not going to try and stop you nor am I going to set a criteria you need to meet to be called it , just me personally I don’t think some warrant the title .  
me my self I served near 8yrs in green and had one small Middle Eastern war , was shot at , fired back at said shooters on several occasions so I could call my self one but I wouldn’t as I don’t think I endured that much (matter of fact I quite enjoyed my little war !)to warrant the title . 
just my personal opinion, same as others are allowed the opinion to believe the minute you sign on that dotted line you instantly become one . 

 

[GenuineGerman]

@Druid799 to me you are a veteran. You deserve as much praise as the old boys who served in the war. You did your part and deserve the plaudits for it 

 

[Tackle]

Back on topic ?, are servicemen/ex-servicemen annoying within Airsoft ?

 I would say 99% of the time, no, but to turn it around, are some non serving Airsoft players annoying to servicemen ?

 DAMN RIGHT THEY ARE , Airsoft isn't real FFS, no one's life depends on winning, so don't cheat, don't be a nasty cnut & don't spoil it for everyone else ?

 

[Solar]

The only time Ive found it a bit irritating was a guy who was obviously just joining the army and somehow managed to slip it in to every conversation he had with anyone. But that was definitely a personality/immaturity thing rather than being a serving/ex squaddie and to be fair to him I wouldnt be surprised if once the novelty of joining up wore off he probably stopped doing it

 

[Tackle]

The only time Ive found it a bit irritating was a guy who was obviously just joining the army and somehow managed to slip it in to every conversation he had with anyone. But that was definitely a personality/immaturity thing rather than being a serving/ex squaddie and to be fair to him I wouldnt be surprised if once the novelty of joining up wore off he probably stopped doing it

Lol, probably then failed basic?

 

[DRay]

Lol, probably then failed basic?

Almost certainly! As the OP I should have clarified that I wasn’t including cadets, ‘I’m going to join the RM/RN/Army’ in my question. They area almost all walts and deeply irritating. 

 

[GenuineGerman]

Almost certainly! As the OP I should have clarified that I wasn’t including cadets, ‘I’m going to join the RM/RN/Army’ in my question. They area almost all walts and deeply irritating. 

I once was told off by a very young sgt maj for walking rather than marching around camp. Considering we were both in civvies after 5, after I had explained the error of his ways I didn’t know if to take it as a compliment or not haha. 
 

Just to clarify he was a spotty 17 year old cadet sgt maj and was 22

 

[Adolf Hamster]

They area almost all walts and deeply irritating. 

you kidding me, i done 6 years in the cadets and that really prepared me for combat duty.

as long as the enemy are expecting very shiny boots and a well-tied Windsor knot.....

 

[RonLancs]

you kidding me, i done 6 years in the cadets and that really prepared me for combat duty.

as long as the enemy are expecting very shiny boots and a well-tied Windsor knot.....

Don’t forget your hospital corners and trouser twists mate. Enemy hates them. 

 

[Adolf Hamster]

Don’t forget your hospital corners and trouser twists mate. Enemy hates them. 

oh i got my mum to sew elastic in the bottom so i didn't have to mess around with trouser twists......

 

[Stratton Oakmont]

I found the Boys Brigade too demanding regards brasso, blanco and boot polish. 1 night at RAF cadets was enough for me. A lot of shouting and footstamping followed by an evening running around the delights of Rubery in the rain on a navigation exercise.

 

[RonLancs]

oh i got my mum to sew elastic in the bottom so i didn't have to mess around with trouser twists......

Sounds like she’s the real operator here man. ??

 

[Adolf Hamster]

Sounds like she’s the real operator here man. ??

when i started airsofting i was using me old dpm stuff from cadets and got her to sew pouches for kneepads into the trousers.

it was surprising how many times i was asked what brand they were

 

[RonLancs]

when i started airsofting i was using me old dpm stuff from cadets and got her to sew pouches for kneepads into the trousers.

it was surprising how many times i was asked what brand they were

“MAM Precision m888” 

 

[Impulse]

My cadet experience was a little bit different. Some people would classify me as a good cadet, some would classify me as an absolute delinquent, depending on how much weight you put behind the dress-up aspect vs the "in the field" aspect.

I got away with my appearances being "good enough" (boots polished, but not a mirror. Flat collar and ironed kit, but I didn't have pronounced trouser creases. No hospital corners, but bed was neatly made etc.), because I was one of the most adept when it came to the practical side of things such as rifle marksmanship and fieldcraft, even better than pretty much all of the older, more senior cadets. I understood why they made us do it, but I also was far more interested in the practical stuff. I remember when I was on a cadet exchange to Australia, the adult who was with us, who wasn't part of my cadet unit, pulled me aside and berated me about my "good enough" gear, saying it could be better and I told him it's better to be effective in the field than in the wardrobe. After we went on our 3 day field exercise he didn't berate me about my gear once xD

Also, I got into airsoft at pretty much the same time as I got into cadets, so by my 2nd year when I had made friends with the more senior cadets and the staff, I was showing up to overnight exercises with some of my own kit; was so glad to swap out that PLCE webbing for my WAS chest rig

What cadets did show me was that the military was not for me as a full time endeavour; I think the life would grate against me if I had to do it all the time. Loved cadets, but I know I couldn't do that full time, especially not if I can't get away with my kit being "good enough"!

 

[TheFull9]

I'd have to say the impression cadets gave you is the wrong one overall.  Some parts of the army are somewhat strict on polishing and ironing but I've not had my uniform inspected for a regular day in work in over a decade.  I'm trusted to be a grown adult and just keep myself clean and tidy to a common sense level that is sustainable for an entire career, ranks above me care much more about whether I do my job well, security, general behaviour; same applies for most people who are in.

Since you don't actually produce work with operational output as a cadet they have to fill your time with drill and training, in regular service it's basically the total opposite for the majority of people.

 

[RonLancs]

I'd have to say the impression cadets gave you is the wrong one overall.  Some parts of the army are somewhat strict on polishing and ironing but I've not had my uniform inspected for a regular day in work in over a decade.  I'm trusted to be a grown adult and just keep myself clean and tidy to a common sense level that is sustainable for an entire career, ranks above me care much more about whether I do my job well, security, general behaviour; same applies for most people who are in.

Since you don't actually produce work with operational output as a cadet they have to fill your time with drill and training, in regular service it's basically the total opposite for the majority of people.

Aye, as long as you can do your job, remember to read the timings sheet and don’t skip CDT’s you’re all good haha. 

 

[gunbod007]

Ahh cadets, those were the days