Shortly after New Year I was at the supermarket when I saw two soldiers in their "Soldier 95" dress, with a white hackle in their caps. Now, I can safely say that they attracted the approving attention of every female with a line of sight. Consider, in that context, the news today that service personnel are to be encouraged to wear their uniforms while off duty "to improve the public's perception of the military".
I don't think the public has a problem in its perception of the military; I think they percieve the armed forces as committed and professional people prepared to put their life on the line when ordered to do so, even when other reports suggest that funding cuts mean many of them are forced to live in squalor. I think the public's perception takes a down-turn when the armed forces are deployed under dubious justifications. I don't for a moment suppose that the public confuses its perception of the military with its perception of the military's political masters.
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