{"id":720,"date":"2021-02-17T18:40:48","date_gmt":"2021-02-17T18:40:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/militaryexcess.com\/?p=720"},"modified":"2021-03-03T16:21:13","modified_gmt":"2021-03-03T16:21:13","slug":"can-you-wear-old-military-jackets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/militaryexcess.com\/can-you-wear-old-military-jackets\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Wear Old Military Jackets?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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So you want to wear a military jacket? Possibly from your grandfather’s time abroad or your dad’s while he’s home from his recent siege? Here in this article, we’ll talk about when it is and isn’t ok to wear a military jacket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You cannot wear old military jackets if it is not part of your uniform that you own and you are currently on duty. However, you can wear someone else’s jacket if they are no longer in the service and you remove all patches, unit insignia, tags, and rank badges. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The laws regarding military clothing are strict and this article is here to help you understand what you can and cannot do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is It Disrespectful To Wear If It’s Old?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is not disrespectful to wear military clothing if it is old. Military uniforms are often sold off in surplus stores, making them available to citizens for purchase. This is because people wear them a lot sometimes for fashion and other useful reasons such as hunting, work pants, etc. If you wear the full uniform, claiming you\u2019re an active-duty soldier, you will face charges<\/strong> such as impersonating a federal officer, charged with fraud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also what is called “Stolen Valor” <\/strong>and is a federal crime. You still need to remove everything off the uniform if it hasn\u2019t been removed already as it is a sign of respect to the soldier who has served his or her time or passed away during their time of service.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Is It Illegal To Wear The Jacket?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to be found guilty for breaking the law in Article 106, all three statements must be present as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. That the accused impersonated a commissioned, warrant, noncommissioned, or petty officer, or an agent of the superior authority of one of the armed forces of the United States, or an official of a certain government, in a certain manner;<\/li>
  2. That the impersonation was wrongful and willful; and<\/li>
  3. That, under the circumstances, the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Summary of the Elements of Article 106 (Impersonating an Officer or Official<\/strong>): Prosecutors will attempt to prove that the service member intentionally sought to impersonate an officer, government official, or person of authority. They may also seek maximum charges by alleging that the soldier sought to derive some benefit from the impersonation, thereby adding an element of fraud to the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The following is also taken from bilechilawgroup.com in regards to what the maximum punishments are for anyone in active duty in any part of the military breaking Article 106 of UCMJ:<\/p>\n\n\n\n