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Discrimination against British soldiers in uniform to become a criminal offenceby MATTHEW HICKLEY - More by this author » Last updated at 16:35pm on 19th May 2008New laws will make it a criminal offence to discriminate against Britain's soldiers, sailors and airmen wearing uniform in public, under Government proposals outlined yesterday. Courts will also hand out tougher punishments to anyone who assaults or threatens a serviceman wearing the Queen's uniform - which will become an 'aggravating factor' during sentencing. Other measures designed to boost recognition and respect for the UK armed forces include a drive to encourage thousands more...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Public schools don't violate students' freedom of expression by requiring them to wear uniforms, a federal appeals court in San Francisco ruled Monday. In a 2-1 decision, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Nevada school district's clothing rules against challenges from students, including a high school junior who was suspended five times for a total of 25 days for wearing a T-shirt with religious slogans. The Clark County School District's policies were not intended to squelch free speech, but instead were aimed at "creating an educational environment free from the distractions, dangers and disagreements...

CHICAGO - Uniforms belonging to U.S. Transportation Security Administration officers were left in the open at an O'Hare International Airport checkpoint last month, as was a cash box, officials said Monday. TSA spokesman Elio Montenegro said the items were in an area past security checkpoints, insisting that someone wearing a TSA uniform still could not get into a secure area without the proper identification. "First and foremost, at no time was security or safety breached," Montenegro said Monday. "At all times, the items in question were in the secure area of the airport ... and at no time were they...

Soccer players at the Jurf Secondary School in Jurf as Sahkr, Iraq, pose for a photo in their new uniforms, which were donated by 3rd Platoon, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. FORWARD OPERATING BASE ISKAN — One of the first things Soldiers noticed on the ground in Jurf as Sahkr, Iraq, was how much local residents loved soccer. In area businesses, soccer posters adorned the walls, while children made soccer fields out of empty lots and played heated matches. Soldiers from 3rd Platoon, Company A, 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th...

Via JWF, first came Birmingham, then came Harrod’s, and now third time’s a charm. Totally, completely, utterly unrelated to today’s Times Square bombing, I’m sure. RAF personnel have been ordered not to wear their uniforms in public after incidents of verbal abuse on the streets… The verbal attacks had come from a “cross-section” of the community, he added, and were believed to be linked to the RAF’s current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.He stressed that the decision to prohibit uniforms in the city was a local one made by station commander Group Captain Atherton after she took advice from RAF...

OCEANSIDE, CALIF. — The Marine Corps is taking on the role of fashion police. Earlier this year, the Marine Corps commandant updated the regulations on what Marines can and cannot wear, on duty and off, in the United States. Among the fashion don'ts: No shiny metal or gems on your teeth, no designs carved in your hair, no flashy jewelry and no bare midriffs or excessive cleavage (Damn). But it is Gen. James T. Conway's ban on the wearing of camouflage uniforms, or "cammies," off base that is getting the most attention, changing not only the appearance of the Marines...

In response to Soldier feedback, Program Executive Officer-Soldier has designed the new Army Combat Shirt to be even more breatheable. The flame-resistant ACS is in development for use under body armor. It is designed to replace two layers, the Army Combat Uniform jacket and moisture-wicking T-shirt, thus reducing bulk and heat stress. "As providers of the world's best equipment to the world's best Soldiers, we collect and rely on Soldiers' input and ideas to constantly improve all of our products," said Brig. Gen. R. Mark Brown, Program Executive Officer Soldier. "All of our clothing and equipment is battle-proven and live-fire...

<p>In a celebration of women's sports on the 35th anniversary of Title IX, U.S. Soccer and Nike unveiled the new U.S. Women's National Team uniforms...</p> <p>The uniform features a solid gold torso, marking the first time the U.S. Women have worn a color other than red, white or blue as their primary color. The new kit has a gold-outlined U.S. Soccer crest over the left chest and a gold collar, and features white and blue trim on the right sleeve and red and blue trim on the left sleeve.</p>

ROME (Reuters) - A decree this month by Pope Benedict allowing wider use of the old Latin mass has spawned a veritable cottage industry in helping Roman Catholic priests learn how to celebrate the centuries-old rite. A Web site, helpline, DVDs and a training course at Oxford are among resources springing up for priests who want to celebrate the old-style mass but aren't sure which vestments to wear or where to get them, when to genuflect, how deep to bow, or how to clasp their hands in prayer. "There will be priests who will say: 'Oh my God, I want...

FORT HUACHUCA — In the 1880s, a cavalry troop change-of-command ceremony on Brown Parade Field consisted of many solders on horseback. The days of horse-mounted soldiers are about gone, except for a few memorial or special units. So, it was that a small group — less than a squad — took part in the handover of the command of B Troop, 4th U.S. Cavalry Regiment (Memorial) on the parade field Thursday. Dressed in the blue wool uniforms troopers wore in the late 1880s, at a time when the 4th Cavalry was stationed on the post, honorary Capt. Rodney T. Preuss...

As retail giant Wal-Mart is marking its 47th year, the empire is making some surprising changes. The emperor's getting new clothes: polos and khakis, to be exact. And for the 1.3 million U.S. Wal-Mart employees the new policy is preppy. "The vest is being retired and replaced with this dress-code look that actually has our customers saying that they can see our associates more prominently in the stores," said Celia Swanson, of Wal-Mart. Employees at the home store in Rogers, Ark., seemed excited to embrace the latest fashion. "You feel more professional with it," said one Wal-Mart employee. "Before, when...

by Xinhua writer Cheng Yunjie, Xu Lingui BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- In contrast to the eye-catching uniforms recently unveiled by the People's Liberation Army, a new line of military wear has been designed to make its wearers less visible. Labeled "digital camouflage", the new training fatigues sport computer-generated camouflage patterns which, their creators say, are designed to simulate natural environments. "The camouflage pattern resembles a big bunch of flowers from a distance and crushed gravel close up," said senior engineer Zhang Xudong with the Quartermaster Equipment Institute (QEI). The previous camouflage patterns worn by the PLA training outfits were...

BEIJING - Now that the vast majority of Chinese civilians have adopted western-style clothes and trendy urbanites on the hunt for cool items in tune with world fashion trends, the 2.3 million people serving in the country's military are also doing a style catch-up. Brand new ceremonial and casual uniforms -- and new battle fatigues -- were unveiled in Hong Kong on July 1, the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, unleashing a loud hurrah from the mainland's enlisted men. Different from the "97 Style" uniforms issued to garrison troops in Hong Kong and Macao, this upgrade will...

Troops of the People's Liberation Army are to become chic symbols of national pride and sophistication -- so says the commander who oversaw the latest uniform upgrade. Liao Xilong, director of the Chinese military's logistics department, explained in loving detail the virtues of the new uniforms, which went on display in Hong Kong over the weekend. "A uniform represents the image of the military and is a country's calling card," Liao told the official Xinhua news agency, complaining that the previous designs "lacked colour coordination". "This adjustment of our military's uniforms gave more attention to functionality and a human touch,...

A major London exhibition on the history of military camouflage looks at how it took to the field and ended up on the catwalk. Dress the French army as harlequins, Picasso reportedly quipped during World War I, and the diamonds will make them harder for the enemy to see. France, perhaps wisely, declined to kit out its soldiers as Italian clowns but was otherwise happy to apply Cubism to the war effort, on the principle that a broken-up form is harder for a spotter-plane to sight. In pictures: Camouflage The Section de Camouflage, staffed with minor Cubist painters and...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2007 – Insurgents who attacked the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, Iraq, were dressed in U.S. Army-styled combat uniforms and carried U.S.-type weapons, convincing Iraqi checkpoints to allow them passage, military officials released today. During the Jan. 20 attack, the enemy fighters captured and killed four U.S. soldiers. Another soldier was also killed and three others wounded in the attack on the center, located about 30 miles south of Baghdad. Local officials and Iraqi and coalition security forces meet at the center to address security needs. "The precision of the attack, the equipment used and...

SAN ANTONIO More than 37-hundred Transportation Security Administration badges and uniforms have gone missing since 2003. That's according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act by W-O-A-I-T-V in San Antonio. Los Angeles International Airport reported the most missing items -- 636 uniforms. O'Hare International Airport in Chicago reported 189 badges missing. Bush International Airport in Houston reported 77 missing badges. Security experts say badges and uniforms could end up in the wrong hands -- posing a national security threat. Despite the thousand of missing items, T-S-A field operations general manager Earl Morris says the system is far from...

Fury over grieving Marines pub ban Nov 25 2006 Liverpool Echo OUTRAGED relatives condemned a Liverpool bar after it turned away soldiers attending their son’s funeral because they were in uniform. The Royal Marines were in the city to mourn Corporal Ben Nowak, who was killed in a blast in Basra.Hours later they were asked to leave the queue at Walkabout, in Concert Square. Ben’s uncle Michael McEvatt said: “I’m disgusted. These men are fighting for their country and they came home to celebrate the life of one of their friends.” A spokesman for the bar today said the group...

Fashion statement: NFL refs to sport new uniforms Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. -- Coming this fall to an NFL stadium near you: fashion-forward referees. Gone are the traditional vertical black-and-white stripes that have been a staple of the league seemingly since its inception and that live on in Foot Locker stores and DJ booths around the country. In their place is a flashier look that features wide white stripes and thin black stripes that flare around the shoulders and upper arms. In addition to giving their annual lecture on rules changes for the upcoming NFL season, several referees debuted the...

Based on feedback received during visits with Airmen across the Air Force, the Air Force Uniform Board is reviewing several concepts that Airmen have suggested regarding the appearance of the service dress uniform. Some of the informal feedback about the current service dress includes Airmen wanting to revamp the service dress to look more military, like the other services. One senior airman said, “the current uniform resembles a cheesy business suit.” A staff sergeant said, “think world’s most dominating air power, not CEO,” and another described it as a “cheap leisure suit.” Other comments have suggested that the uniform needs...