Uniform Changes Approved

[GLW]

Is it possible after hundreds of years of tradition that E6 and below will no longer be reminded by visual re-inforcement that they are "beneath their superiors",....
you know when the Mongol's were driven from China, many Chinese men were loathe to give up the shaved forehead and pigtail, the mark of subordination to thier conquerors, kinda of a reverse pride thing,....
careful what you ask for you just might get it,...
I always liked the "utilities" back in the day,....
and for some odd reason lotsa women liked "cracker jacks",...
oh well, things change,......
just my random thoughts you know,....

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2006/03/navy_approves_new_uniforms_/

peace,...marssim 

[ODiesel]

Can someone give me a reason why the Navy needs to wear camos??  I'm on a sub and I'll tell you up front, no one is gonna see us reguardless if we are wearing camos or hunter orange! Army and Marines need them sure. Air Force, perhaps. Navy, No Way! The one uniform I love to wear, coveralls, is going away!! Why?!?

[Already Gone]

My favorite uniform was the blue poopy suit, topsiders, and a Baltimore Orioles baseball cap (even though I am a lifelong Pirates fan).
Then, they made us sew dolphins and name patches over the pockets, and crows on the collars.  Then I couldn't wear my hat.  At least I didn't have to wear uniform shoes underway.   It was still better than those flimsy dungarees.

Cammies?  How freakin ridiculous.  Frankly, they should be wearing day-glo orange so they could be found when they go overboard.

When I enlisted, there were no dixie cup hats, or "Cracker jacks" any more.  They came back when I was in boot camp.  Although I sometimes liked to wear them, they did look pretty silly when you think about it.  Women were only wearing them on an experimental basis in Pearl Harbor in those days.  When I finally saw a young girl sailor in "jacks" at the Atlanta airport, I realized that I had been dressing in drag all those years ago.  Face it, cracker jacks and white hats are a costume for toddlers and women.  They are no way a military uniform.  I'm glad to see them go.  Cracker jacks and dungarees, and those impossible-to keep-clean dixie cup hats (though I looked pretty cool in mine) were a constant reminder that there were two Navies in this country, and I was in the one that always had to clean the bilges.

[Rad Sponge]

Just stand watch naked.

Maybe a belt to hold the TLD and diggit tool.

I am glad I only had to go through 1 uniform hange, but during that whole time I hated the ill fitting, useless uniforms I had to maintain.

I don't think coveralls will go away on a sub, at least I hope SUBLANT and SUBPAC takes these findings with a grain of sea salt and establishes coveralls as special uniforms.

The good thing to come of this is getting rid of all those uniforms. Man that got expensive.

[Rad Sponge]

Utilities, in their current conception, are the most useful uniform in the fleet.

If it is clean and pressed w/ creases, it should be worn in public w/o limitations.

Second would be the coveralls.

The only other uniform I liked was the Dinner Dress Coat (optional). That is a sharp dress.

[taterhead]

RAAUZYUW RUENAAA4131 0611842-UUUU--RUCRNAD.
ZNR UUUUU ZUI RUEWMCF5926 0611939
R 021842Z MAR 06 ZYB MIN ZYW PSN 021633K15
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
TO NAVADMIN
INFO RHMFIUU/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
RUENAAA/CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1NT//
BT
UNCLAS //N01020//
NAVADMIN 070/06
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1NT/MAR//
SUBJ/NEW NAVY WORKING UNIFORM AND SERVICE/UNIFORM CONCEPTS APPROVED//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1.  PHASE-ONE WORK OF TASK FORCE UNIFORM (TFU) IS
COMPLETE.  PHASE ONE BEGAN IN MAY 2004 AND INVOLVED STUDYING THE
FEASIBILITY OF DEVELOPING A SINGLE NAVY WORKING UNIFORM AND A
SERVICE UNIFORM FOR E-6 AND BELOW.  THAT STUDY INCLUDED FLEET-WIDE
SURVEYS, WEAR TESTS BY SAILOR PARTICIPANTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A
THOROUGH BUSINESS CASE ANALYSIS.
2.  TFU PRESENTED ITS PHASE-ONE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CNO.  HE HAS
APPROVED THE FOLLOWING:
    A.  PRODUCTION OF A SINGLE NAVY WORKING UNIFORM FOR WEAR BY ALL
SAILORS E-1 TO O-10 -- AT SEA AND ASHORE AND ACROSS ALL COMMUNITIES.
THIS BDU-STYLE UNIFORM WILL FEATURE THREE COLOR VARIANTS:  A
PREDOMINANTLY BLUE DIGITAL PATTERN FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR NAVY AND
SHIPBOARD USE; AND A WOODLAND DIGITAL PATTERN AND A DESERT DIGITAL
PATTERN FOR SAILORS SERVING IN UNITS REQUIRING THOSE TYPES OF
UNIFORMS.  IT WILL INCLUDE AN EIGHT-POINT SOFT COVER AND BLACK
SMOOTH LEATHER BOOTS.  BLACK SUEDE NO-SHINE BOOTS WILL BE
AUTHORIZED FOR OPTIONAL WEAR FOR THOSE ASSIGNED TO NON-SHIPBOARD
DUTY COMMANDS.  BOOTS APPROPRIATE FOR THE WOODLAND AND DESERT
UNIFORM WILL BE INTRODUCED.
    B.  PRODUCTION OF A SINGLE YEAR-ROUND SERVICE UNIFORM FOR
SAILORS E-6 AND BELOW.  THE SERVICE UNIFORM WILL BE COMPRISED OF A
SHORT-SLEEVED KHAKI SHIRT AND/OR BLOUSE, AND BLACK TROUSERS AND/OR
OPTIONAL SKIRT.  MINIATURE SILVER ANODIZED METAL RANK INSIGNIA FOR
PETTY OFFICERS WILL BE WORN ON SHIRT AND BLOUSE COLLARS.  THIS
UNIFORM WILL INCLUDE A BLACK EISENHOWER-STYLE JACKET WITH A KNIT
STAND-UP COLLAR AND EPAULETS, ON WHICH PETTY OFFICERS WILL WEAR
LARGE SILVER ANODIZED METAL RANK INSIGNIA.  THOSE ENTITLED TO WEAR
GOLD CHEVRONS WILL CONTINUE TO WEAR GOLD CHEVRONS AS THE JACKET S
LARGE METAL RANK INSIGNIA.
3.  TROPICAL UNIFORMS WILL BE ELIMINATED.
4.  TFU IS DEVELOPING THE MANNER OF WEAR FOR THESE NEW UNIFORMS, AND
IS DEVELOPING THE PLAN FOR PHASE-OUT OF UNIFORMS THAT THE NEW
WORKING UNIFORM AND SERVICE UNIFORM FOR E-6 AND BELOW WILL REPLACE.
THESE POLICIES WELL BE EFFECTIVE WHEN GUIDELINES ARE INCORPORATED
INTO THE NAVY UNIFORM REGULATIONS AND WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY NAVADMIN
AT A LATER DATE.
5.  THE NAVY WORKING UNIFORM AND SERVICE UNIFORM ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AND WEAR UNTIL THE FALL OF 2007, AFTER
WHICH THEY WILL BE INTRODUCED TO RECRUIT TRAINING COMMAND AND
EVENTUALLY DISTRIBUTED TO THE REST OF THE FLEET.  DETAILS ON WHEN
THE UNIFORMS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AND WEAR AT SPECIFIC
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS WILL BE RELEASED AT A FUTURE DATE.
6.  ALL EXISTING UNIFORMS AND UNIFORM REGULATIONS WILL APPLY UNTIL
THE NEW UNIFORMS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE ASSOCIATED GUIDELINES FOR
WEAR ARE PUBLISHED IN THE NAVY UNIFORM REGULATIONS.  DURING THE
TRANSITION PERIOD, ALL MEMBERS MUST MAINTAIN A COMPLETE INVENTORY OF
SEA BAG ITEMS AND EACH ITEM MUST REFLECT A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE.
ONCE THE NAVY WORKING UNIFORM AND SERVICE UNIFORM ITEMS ARE ADOPTED,
MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE A UNIFORM MAINTENANCE ALLOWANCE TO SUPPORT
PURCHASE AND WEAR.
7.  PHASE TWO OF TFU WILL CONSIDER THE COST AND FEASIBILITY OF
ADDITIONAL UNIFORM OPTIONS, TO INCLUDE A SERVICE DRESS KHAKI UNIFORM
FOR CHIEFS AND OFFICERS; THE USE OF A CEREMONIAL CUTLASS FOR CHIEFS;
AND A SERVICE-WIDE PHYSICAL TRAINING UNIFORM.  TFU WILL CONTINUE
EFFORTS ALREADY UNDERWAY TO EVALUATE AND STUDY CURRENT OFFICER AND
ENLISTED DRESS UNIFORMS, AND INVESTIGATE THE PRACTICALITY OF
ADOPTING A SERVICE-WIDE ALL-WEATHER COAT.
8.  THE DECISIONS ANNOUNCED IN THIS NAVADMIN REPRESENT THE
CULMINATION OF THREE YEARS OF DEDICATED EFFORT AND RESEARCH BY EVERY
MEMBER OF TFU, AS WELL AS FLEET SAILORS WHO PARTICIPATED IN SURVEYS
AND WEAR TESTS.  THEY ARE ALL TO BE COMMENDED FOR ESTABLISHING AND
MAINTAINING A CAREFUL, MEASURED, AND DEEPLY ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO
DETERMINING THE RIGHT UNIFORMS FOR MODERN SAILORS.  THE WORK
IS NOT YET OVER, BUT FROM THESE FIRST CRITICAL STEPS THE NAVY NOW
HAS THE KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE TO CONTINUE TO REFINE THE SEA BAG
OF THE 21ST CENTURY.
9.  RELEASED BY VADM J. C. HARVEY, JR., N1/NT.//
BT
#4131

NNNN


Here is the actual NAVADMIN.

There are some errors in that OTB article.  Coveralls will not be going away.  In fact, I think they will be the exclusive shipboard uniform.  Dress Blues will not change, nor will dress whites.

Those ridiculous Johnny Cashes and Summer Whites are replaced with one uniform, the khaki shirt/black pants. 

The utilities, which I thought were a BAD uniform, and the wash (cotton) khakis are replaced with the digital BDUs. 

These are the changes as they were briefed to us.

[mxpxbigd285]

Can someone give me a reason why the Navy needs to wear camos??  I'm on a sub and I'll tell you up front, no one is gonna see us reguardless if we are wearing camos or hunter orange! Army and Marines need them sure. Air Force, perhaps. Navy, No Way! The one uniform I love to wear, coveralls, is going away!! Why?!?

From what I understand, the camo isnt intended to hide the sailor.  It's intended to hide dirt, and small stains.  After the Navy wide survey on uniform issues, they got a lot of complaints about these things.

They intentionally used 4 colors that are used a lot onboard ship.  This way, if you get a spot of paint on your uniform, nobody will be the wiser, whereas if you get a spot on your utilities, its all that anybody will see.

Makes sense, i think.

[taterhead]

To reiterate:

Gone: Utilities, Wash Khaki
Replaced By:Camo

Gone: Summer Whites and Johnny Cash
Replaced By: SS Khaki Top/Black Pants

Gone: Tropical Uniform (who cares?)

Coveralls are not affected by this uniform change.  Whether you sub guys know it or not, this is the uniform most surface sailors wear at sea, too.

[Rad Sponge]

I thought all the surface guys just wore dress whites, sang anchors aweigh, and sewed stuff.

[taterhead]

We also star in recruiting commercials, and go out of our way to call each other shipmate.

Also, there are bowling alleys, gangs, and prostitution on carriers (semi-kidding here).

Taylor