RAF Marham staff wear uniform with pride
RAF Marham's servicemen and women will wear uniforms in public despite the abuse some military personnel have encountered from opponents of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
National outrage was sparked on Friday after it was revealed that servicemen and women at RAF Wittering in Cambridgeshire had been ordered to wear civilian clothing when visiting Peterborough after some of them in uniform were subjected to verbal insults.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said all the armed forces should be able to wear their uniform in public – and have the respect and gratitude of the British people for the commitment they had shown.
RAF Marham station commander Group Captain Phil Osborn told the Lynn News: "I am pleased to say that the bravery and professionalism of the personnel at RAF Marham is widely respected across the county."
He said the base was a "positive community contributor" and fully integrated with its community.
"We wear our uniforms with great pride and we know that local people respect that we are a highly-operational airbase and that we develop air power to provide a decisive contribution to the security of the United Kingdom," he said.
Gerry Tann, chairman of the Royal British Legion in Lynn and Norfolk, said: "We have always regarded servicemen and women as ambassadors to this country for what they do and it's not fair that they, or their families, should suffer abuse. They should be getting a pat on the back. We do all we can to praise and thank service people for the contribution they make."
Mr Tann said the legion was looking after the interests and welfare of some of the service personnel who had come back traumatised from conflicts abroad.
Royal Air Forces' Association general secretary Air Commodore Edward Jarron said: "The RAFA deplores the fact that servicemen and women are made to feel uncomfortable in locations outside their stations. Our people should not only feel proud to be seen in uniform in public, but they should also be respected for their contribution to the nation's security and the welfare and social cohesion of the local communities in which they live."
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Weather for King's Lynn
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
