Army Adopts WW II Throwback

[Bluefalcon]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/05/us/new-army-greens-uniform.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/05/us/new-army-greens-uniform.html

 

They look awesome...but I truly hope the Army didn't bring them back due to nostalgia for the last time the USA won a (declared) war.

[Bluefalcon]

Mods, please move this to The Lounge...my bad.

[Mitch B]

They look so much better than the “pickle suit” I wore. 

[MJWalker45]

I don't know where that general was, but I've never been confused for a policeman when wearing my blues. When we moved from the pickles, it cost upwards of $400 for some troops to make the switch to blues. Now they'll pay closer to $600-$800 if they aren't coming in with the new uniform. It does look better and moving the combat patch back to the sleeve instead of the lower right pocket is a massive improvement. They'll still look horrible when worn with a beret though. That's the only time the blues will be superior. 

[Mitch B]

These new greens need to be paired with a side cap.  It makes for a sharp service uniform.  The blues are gorgeous and should still be used for formal dress.

[MJWalker45]

4 minutes ago, Mitch B said:

These new greens need to be paired with a side cap.  It makes for a sharp service uniform.  The blues are gorgeous and should still be used for formal dress.

Blues will remain as the formal uniform as they were prior to 2008. The standard cap for the blues was the black beret when they were designated the primary dress uniform as a concession to the majority of the cost being charged to the soldiers not receiving them during initial training (boot camp). The dress cap is authorized, but the rule is that if everyone doesn't have the cap during formations and other events, everyone will be wearing berets. It's also possible they may bring back the soda jerk caps but then that's two required dress caps with a multitude of optional wear. I wonder how many veterans will buy the bomber jackets though? 

[tBBP]

If I was still in, I know I'd sho' try to get me a bomber jacket . (That is, I'd pull some strings with the 4-shop and "barter" my way into one... being food service AND S-1 had its advantages!)

 

Man, can the Army EVER quit jacking around with their uniforms? This is now their third uniform change just since I got out four years back--first it was the switch to the coyote ugly joints, then the APFU, and now the Class As (again). I get wanting to get back to "spit and polish" and all that (and I actually applaud that; I remember how pissed I was when we went to the at-that-time Advanced Combat Uniform, which didn't have the black leather boots), and wanting to "remove the stigma of the image of war" and all that--but how much more $ they wanna burn through trying to "look" the part? I mean... there's a reason the Marines, Navy and even Air Force uniforms have a certain luster to them, both dress-A and service uniforms: they don't go changing them up every 8-10 years like the Army does! (Nor do they concern themselves with adorning their sleeves with unit/combat patches either--but that's a different discussion.)

 

All that said...HOOAH.

[MJWalker45]

8 minutes ago, Buc said:

If I was still in, I know I'd sho' try to get me a bomber jacket . (That is, I'd pull some strings with the 4-shop and "barter" my way into one... being food service AND S-1 had its advantages!)

 

Man, can the Army EVER quit jacking around with their uniforms? This is now their third uniform change just since I got out four years back--first it was the switch to the coyote ugly joints, then the APFU, and now the Class As (again). I get wanting to get back to "spit and polish" and all that (and I actually applaud that; I remember how pissed I was when we went to the at-that-time Advanced Combat Uniform, which didn't have the black leather boots), and wanting to "remove the stigma of the image of war" and all that--but how much more $ they wanna burn through trying to "look" the part? I mean... there's a reason the Marines, Navy and even Air Force uniforms have a certain luster to them, both dress-A and service uniforms: they don't go changing them up every 8-10 years like the Army does! (Nor do they concern themselves with adorning their sleeves with unit/combat patches either--but that's a different discussion.)

 

All that said...HOOAH.

I've seen 3 PT uniform changes, 3 combat uniform changes and just missed out on the triple trifecta of 3 dress uniform changes. It is a bit insane. The Air Force just borrowed the new combat pattern so I joke with my AF buddies they should rebrand as the Army Air Corps. 

[dont care]

I’m just glad that when I was deployed I was able to stock up on all new OCP’s for free, and won’t be required to purchase these for a few more years anyways because I’m in the guard. Also being combat arms we won’t have to wear it hardly ever. It’s basically a uniform to fill a segment that doesn’t exist. SMA Daley is basically the definition of leadership doing pointless things to make oer/ncoer bullets

[walkerws]

1 hour ago, dont care said:

SMA Daley is basically the definition of leadership doing pointless things to make oer/ncoer bullets

Maybe, but the SMA before him should have just made this happen when they phased out the greens. EVERYBODY in my units wanted these. 

[M4One]

Damn, I didn't know you had to pay for your own uniforms.  I would have thought that would be free.

[walkerws]

26 minutes ago, M4One said:

Damn, I didn't know you had to pay for your own uniforms.  I would have thought that would be free.

It depends on when you come in. Basic trainees get all the latest stuff and don't pay a thing. Enlisted Soldiers get  a clothing allowance specifically to get new uniform items and pay for tailoring. It's not going to pay for every item that is supposed to be in their closet, but it offsets most of it I think. As an officer, I had to pay for all my stuff unless I was deployed. The new dress stuff, that's all on the officers for that. 

[MJWalker45]

58 minutes ago, walkerws said:

It depends on when you come in. Basic trainees get all the latest stuff and don't pay a thing. Enlisted Soldiers get  a clothing allowance specifically to get new uniform items and pay for tailoring. It's not going to pay for every item that is supposed to be in their closet, but it offsets most of it I think. As an officer, I had to pay for all my stuff unless I was deployed. The new dress stuff, that's all on the officers for that. 

The clothing bonus is for upkeep so basically you're replacing parts of your uniform collection each year. 

 

1 hour ago, M4One said:

Damn, I didn't know you had to pay for your own uniforms.  I would have thought that would be free.

Thankfully we're not the Yeoman Wanderers. Their red uniforms cost £10,000 and are gifted to them by Queen Elizabeth II. They use actual gold in the stitching patterns.

4 hours ago, dont care said:

I’m just glad that when I was deployed I was able to stock up on all new OCP’s for free, and won’t be required to purchase these for a few more years anyways because I’m in the guard. Also being combat arms we won’t have to wear it hardly ever. It’s basically a uniform to fill a segment that doesn’t exist. SMA Daley is basically the definition of leadership doing pointless things to make oer/ncoer bullets

The idea these would be an everyday wear item is pretty laughable at most units. I can think of a couple places that could occur but even then I don't see units requiring it more than once a week. 

[stumpygremlin]

18 hours ago, Bluefalcon said:

Mods, please move this to The Lounge...my bad.

Actually, should probably go to "General Design"

[tBBP]

5 hours ago, MJWalker45 said:

The clothing bonus is for upkeep so basically you're replacing parts of your uniform collection each year.

 

The idea these would be an everyday wear item is pretty laughable at most units. I can think of a couple places that could occur but even then I don't see units requiring it more than once a week. 

 

Even when I was on AD my units may have held one Class-A inspection per year...on a hanger. Very rarely did I ever actually wear it... Only for ceremonial events, Honor Guard, graduation ceremonies or the like. Then again I had something of an atypical experience during my time in uniform.

 

I can recall when the formerly dress blues were being phased in to replace the greens as the official Class-A..my unit at the time wanted me to purchase mine to be "in regulation" with the rest of the unit for the military balls and such...I laughed right at them. I l was not finna pay no $350 of my own money for a new set of blues when my greens were still authorized. (Coincidentally, I never attended one military ball in my entire 15-year career...it wasn't mandated, and I didn't care for the politics or the dog-and-pony show that often went along with it.)

[McGlinchey23]

On 5/7/2019 at 7:46 PM, Buc said:

If I was still in, I know I'd sho' try to get me a bomber jacket . (That is, I'd pull some strings with the 4-shop and "barter" my way into one... being food service AND S-1 had its advantages!)

 

Man, can the Army EVER quit jacking around with their uniforms? This is now their third uniform change just since I got out four years back--first it was the switch to the coyote ugly joints, then the APFU, and now the Class As (again). I get wanting to get back to "spit and polish" and all that (and I actually applaud that; I remember how pissed I was when we went to the at-that-time Advanced Combat Uniform, which didn't have the black leather boots), and wanting to "remove the stigma of the image of war" and all that--but how much more $ they wanna burn through trying to "look" the part? I mean... there's a reason the Marines, Navy and even Air Force uniforms have a certain luster to them, both dress-A and service uniforms: they don't go changing them up every 8-10 years like the Army does! (Nor do they concern themselves with adorning their sleeves with unit/combat patches either--but that's a different discussion.)

 

All that said...HOOAH.

The Navy probably has an even bigger problem with constant uniform changes

[tBBP]

8 hours ago, McGlinchey23 said:

The Navy probably has an even bigger problem with constant uniform changes

 

Really? If so, I certainly hadn't noticed--and I grew up in a Navy town.

 

What all changes have they gone through?

[oldschoolvikings]

I love that this thread is staying in this forum.  And that it has legs.

[McGlinchey23]

2 hours ago, Buc said:

 

Really? If so, I certainly hadn't noticed--and I grew up in a Navy town.

 

What all changes have they gone through?

In the past ten years, their working uniform has gone from utilities, to blue camo, to regular camo, and they’re already about to introduce another one. There’s a service uniform too that was changed fairly recently. 

[Gothamite]

25 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said:

I love that this thread is staying in this forum.  And that it has legs.

 

It certainly belongs in General Design, but there are parallels with sports.

 

The Army isn’t the first organization to abandon a classic uniform because they wanted to refresh their image, only to swing wildly with a couple new designs in turn, and then bring back the classics in hopes of tapping in to old glories.