when i was in the US ARMY 1967-1970, fatigues were not to be worn in town, or any where else for that matter. it was either the class A's or civilian clothes.
when i got back from Vietnam inprocessing made sure we had dress uniforms before anyone went home.
i see returning GI's from sand land wearing BDU's, boots etc. at the airports and such.
wonder why the change.
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MOE! LARRY! THE CHEESE!
Life Member the Elmer Fudd Hunt Club
When I joined in 1980 we could run in and buy milk or something at a convenience store but we couldn't go into bars or anywhere else in our fatigues. We couldn't fly unless we wore our blues or we had to wear civilian clothes.
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Interesting observation Papa G. What is your take on it? Good, bad, indifferent?
really don't matter to me. but i was wondering why the rules were changed. in my day it was something that was the rule and accepted as such. but i would think that after a tour in funky fatigues that the folks would appreciate something different to wear.
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MOE! LARRY! THE CHEESE!
Life Member the Elmer Fudd Hunt Club
I for one take of my uniform as soon as possible. Its a work uniform not a run around doing things uniform. I understand that some soldiers have busier schedules than mine so I am indifferent on the matter. As far as flying I have been told and trained that wearing the uniform makes you a target. So I never fly in uniform of any kind or carry military items.
As far as military functions I have had to wear my uniform while flying. Go figure guess I am not a target when I am flying on orders. For the guys coming back alot of them just wanna get home and don't bother changing into their civilian cloths "if they have them."
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i was never in the service but to me you guys earned the right to wear whatever the hell you want to wear. if you want to go into a bar in your undies well you should be able to wear them. now local laws might say diferent about the undies but as for as uniforms WHATS THE BIG FREAKIN DEAL WHAT YOU WEAR. YOU DONE YOUR TIME AND SERVICE YET THEY WANT YOU TO HIDE IT????
Location: Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C.
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When I was in in the early 1980's other than stopping for gas or picking up the kids, being in public in fatigues or later BDU's was strickly a no no. The MP's would periodically stake out the close by 7-11's and fast food resturants looking for soldiers breaking the regs.
I drive by my local metro station every evening coming home from work. Lots of military types going home. The Army and Air Force personal are all in ACU's or ABU's. The few Marines I see are almost always in class A or class B uniforms. Suprisily I see very few Navy types, they are also usually in class A or class B's.
I heard a few years ago that the reason the Army is wearing ACU's in public is as a show solidary with their fellow soldiers in the combat zones. Add to that they are more comfortable to wear and that the Army doesn't have the huge bad public image it had in the 1970's and 1980's, the military services aren't afraid to let the public see it's soldier and airman in their work a day uniforms right now.
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When I was in in the early 1980's other than stopping for gas or picking up the kids, being in public in fatigues or later BDU's was strickly a no no. The MP's would periodically stake out the close by 7-11's and fast food resturants looking for soldiers breaking the regs.
it was like that to at least 2001
and if im not mistaken the wording of the regs has not changed but commands are looking the other way. it may be a marketing thing for recruiting because numbers need to be kept up and they already give away black berets ( when i was in we had to be in ranger battalion and we had to earn the right to wear them but thats a whole nother story there)
it would not be so bad if the soldiers had pressed uniforms but today i see them looking like a bunch of rag bags that got hit with wrinkle grenades .
and if im not mistaken the wording of the regs has not changed but commands are looking the other way. it may be a marketing thing for recruiting because numbers need to be kept up and they already give away black berets ( when i was in we had to be in ranger battalion and we had to earn the right to wear them but thats a whole nother story there)
it would not be so bad if the soldiers had pressed uniforms but today i see them looking like a bunch of rag bags that got hit with wrinkle grenades .
And that is the problem. It is not so much the uniform ... as how its worn and presented. Of course, there is something to be said about wearing the uniform with élan and originality during certain … occasions.
and if im not mistaken the wording of the regs has not changed but commands are looking the other way. it may be a marketing thing for recruiting because numbers need to be kept up and they already give away black berets ( when i was in we had to be in ranger battalion and we had to earn the right to wear them but thats a whole nother story there)
it would not be so bad if the soldiers had pressed uniforms but today i see them looking like a bunch of rag bags that got hit with wrinkle grenades .
Cant blame the soldier on the uniform blame the military. You are not supposed to press or iron the acu uniform. wash and dry thats it.
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In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.
Herodotus
really? things have changed. we used to have creases that could cut you while in garrison .
yes it is true. I feel it has led to some of the I dont really care attitude with some soldiers. Just one less thing for them to have to do and maintain. personally I wouldnt mind if the army went back to a stricter uniform standard. with polished boots and 10lbs of a starch in the uniform.
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In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.
Herodotus
On the way to and from theater we are supposed to fly in uniform. (I'm AF security forces by the way) Coming back from Kuwait in 06 there were 13 of us going through security going from Baltimore to Madison. Even while in uniform, I got nailed for "extra security screening" by those bumbling idiots they call TSA. This is what happens when you give a guy with a double digit IQ and a triple digit income a fake badge and the idea of "power."
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I hate those new Navy uniforms. I got out right before they mandated them
I borrowed these images from another thread on this forum about the ongoing uniform changes in the armed forces. These are the two notable changes for the Navy that I see in my area. Additional changes include improvements in the summer and winter formal dress uniforms and the return of the dress khakis for officers and chiefs. We have two major Marine bases here and a lot of Navy personnel who serve with them. We also have a Navy hospital. I'll admit, the old summer duty whites do look good and this summer or the next will be the last time they're authorized. However, these new uniforms are really sharp and much more practical. I wish we had them back in the 70s instead of the "Zumwalt" issue. Even the Marines here are saying how sharp the Navy looks.
ABOVE: New Navy NSUs. BELOW: New Navy NWUs.
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I was talking about the dungarees. I didn't know about those^
Oh yeah, those %(@#!#& dungarees. The only place I can picture where they were appropriate was aboard a destroyer while kicking up a wake in equatorial waters. My respect for them is only due to the role they played during World War II and other points in history. The Navy could have done better than dungarees, and for that matter, utilities. I guess that after 60 years of fits and starts, the Navy finally came up with something that doesn't look out of place with the other services. However, I have a feeling that the NWU blouse will still be shed during the above mentioned cruises in "equatorial waters."
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Yeah, we had the early version with the elastic at the small of the back and on the sides. Being a torpedoman, I also had a pair of black steel-toe molders' boots with the elastic side panels to go with them. I wish I still had them.
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