Back in UNAMA – Afghanistan – pending on the job to be done and the audience waiting to hear you, the military advisers would wear uniform or dress civilian cloths. In the latter case, the old saying “When in Rome do like the Romans” would be applicable .. with the necessary adaptations.
UN Military Advisers (MILAD) and UN Military Observers (UNMO), by definition, do not carry weapons. The rational is that an unarmed officer does not pose a threat to anyone, and they are more likely to be accepted by the warring factions in order to engage in negotiation meetings.
Should the meeting be with Afghan Armed Forces, or NATO representatives, the MILAD would present himself wearing his/hers battlefield uniform; if the meeting would be with local ancients and religious authorities, a local civilian attire could be more appropriate. Not only the international military staff would look less aggressive; it was also the locals liked to see (a the Western officer respecting their traditions and way of living) and it had a security aspect in it. In regions where the insurgency was particularly active, the presence of unarmed foreigners in military uniform could attract unwanted attention to the rest of UN staff, jeopardizing the safety and security of the UN civilian personnel travelling with the Military Advisers, and the success of the mission .
It was not a perfect solution, but then again … “perfection is a Divine task, we only sought excellency“.
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