Covering the faces of the passing soldiers is thus a measure of protection of these women and men engaged in the defense of the country. In 2025, with regard to increasing geopolitical tensions, identities of special forces, paratroopers, deminers or cyber specialists should not be easy to obtain.
Here is why some soldiers will parade masked this July 21 in Brussels: “It’s not paranoia”
But, beyond the physical constraint that this obligation represents in the event of hot weather, the neck is today cringing teeth within the defense for … its cost. The soldiers are, in fact, required to buy a share of their clothing equipment. And on the Defense purchase platform, the “buff” is sold at more than 13 euros parts.
The soldiers receive an attachment compensation to provide for their equipment manufacturer. But this compensation has not been revised since the early 2000s, we are bubbling within the Grande Muette.
Internal
According to Boris Morenville, responsible manager at the SLFP-Defense, a certain dissatisfaction rumbles internally. The military understands the need to ensure their own safety, but they find it abnormal to be forced to buy, at their expense, the equipment however provided by the defense.
A young soldier cut his ear with his sword during the July 14 parade in Paris
For the trade unionist, the fact that the defense feels today the need to hide the faces of his staff in the era of facial recognition illustrates, once again, the specificity of the military profession. “”This also shows that the risk remains permanent, including during operations carried out on the national territory. In the current geopolitical context, this requires increased vigilance with regard to defense personnel. “
