To critics of this post:
I do not understand why I was called dumb and stupid. Please explain it to me. I'd like to know.
I did not insult anyone and didn't say anything bad.
This is not a troll post. I am 100% serious, and I was not trying to say anything funny. This topic is not funny at all. Why is it when anyone says anything but the very best things about the army or the firemen people suddenly have a hissy fit? Seriously. Can we remain constructive without verbal attacks?
Sure, people can wear whatever they want. But we have certain norms and behaviors in our society. People wear uniforms on duty, and they don't wear them when they come back home. Usually. Look, I am not patronizing or criticizing anyone - I just think its somewhat weird and I don't get it. Perhaps because I never served.
If fact, never mind, I'll take my words back about the whole uniform thing. Maybe I am insulting people by questioning that. I apologize. But the other two things I spoke about, - that's not cool, and I don't get it.
The uniform "complaint", if it is such, is a valid concern if it going on for the wrong reasons.
The very code states that the uniform should not be worn out in public unless it's to attend a military function/event.
Now, there are reasons why it could be permitted:
-they are going out to conduct some quick business during the duty day, such as lunch or shopping. If eating in public, alcohol consumption is prohibited.
-they were on their way to some military function in public, but stopped to do something somewhere
-they are on the way between two points and have time to kill, but cannot change for whatever reason.
I've been disgusted by people in uniform before too. There's a respect for the uniform that some just don't have. I once saw some Privates wearing their dress greens at a bar on New Year's Eve, drinking. I should have pulled rank on them in retrospect, but oh well. A military buddy also agreed they were out of line.
Regarding military and downtime: it's just what it is. That has already been clearly addressed with why and how it is the way it is. Fact is, for all time, Soldiers actively deployed somewhere for combat or operations are GOING to have downtime. Not only is it a nature of military operations, it is also absolutely necessary to foster mental and physical health. One way many uniformed men and women also pass time is some form of exercise. They will usually build an ad-hoc gym (olympic plates) and, if on a main installation, they usually have the ability to do some decent cardio.
It's been addressed why "training" rarely happens once deployed.
And for those who are still stateside - active duty is almost all training and administrative work, with slave labor mixed in from time to time. It's basically standard business hours for most active duty units, though some tasks or individuals require shifts.
Unless they are actually at a pre-mobilization training center (intense train-up prior to deployment to a hostile territory), it's basically an 8-5 job. The majority of our military is actually in that state, the 8-5 state.
Only so much of our military is actively deployed to a warzone, humanitarian aid, or recovery region, so most stateside men and women in uniform you see are likely: Reservists out and about for whatever reason during a training weekend or whatever; Active Duty types on lunch, or doing something right before or after work; or some of various types who are likely doing one of various functions that sometimes requires public interaction, like commuting to a distant workplace for some admin work or whatever.
There are hundreds of reasons you may see someone in uniform, and almost all of them are "proper reasons", and, more importantly, most of them don't involve them just having returned from combat and waltzing around in their uniform just for shits and giggles.
You have a few clowns who don't really respect uniform codes. Those are also probably the same types who also have zero respect for the US flag codes, such as never wearing clothing that is in the likeness of the flag, or wearing the flag draped over their body.