I’m from the pre-velcro age of USMC “utilities”. [the Army calls them “fatigues; we Marines don’t fatigue.... ;-) ]
Actually, if the truth be told, I am from the pre-zipper age. We had buttons on our utilities, even the “fly” was button.
I never could understand why anyone decided to put velcro on a combat uniform. Sure, buttons break or the thread lets go, but buttons are SILENT! Opening a velcro pocket is a dead giveaway (literally), like jingling dog-tags or banging metal canteens.
I went to Basic Training in the button-fly, OD “505” uniform. Not nearly as good as the BDU, but no velcro.
The whole thing about velcro being noise was a non-starter, as there are plenty of other things to make noise and very few ninjas in the military. It was a bad idea for the new uniforms and I’m glad they’re doing away with some of it.
He claimed that when winter jackets came out with zippers, he was among the first to buy one. He accidentally cut off his tie.
I was in the Army from 93-99 and everthing was buttoned, including the fly. No velcro, no zippers. Too noisy and plastic is easier to subdue.
Some of these changes don’t improve things.
He claimed that when winter jackets came out with zippers, he was among the first to buy one. He accidentally cut off his tie.
And you can resew buttons in the field. Silently for that matter.
Actually, if the truth be told, I am from the pre-zipper age. We had buttons on our utilities, even the “fly” was button.
In general, I agree.
However, our tanker's coveralls, like aviators' flight suits, go on and off a LOT quicker with zippers instead of umpteen billion buttons to undo and button back up.
And inside a tank, anything that burns or melts is a bad idea. Including Velcro.
