Army Dress Blues
Posted on 08/24/2008 4:26:16 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
After a century of green uniforms, the last one is being retired from the U.S. Army. The new "Class A" uniform, as of August 21st, 2008, will be the current blue "Dress Uniform.". By 2010, troops graduating from basic training will be issued the "dress blues" as their "Class A" uniform. The "Class B" uniform will be the dress blue trousers and a white shirt with decorations (ribbons, combat badge and so on). For both enlisted and officers, rank will be worn on epaulets. The new uniform "system" is similar to the one the U.S. Marine Corps has been wearing for decades, and that's no accident.
All this in response to decades old efforts by the troops, to drop the green "Class A" uniform (green jacket and pants, with light brown shirt and tie) and go to something, anything, more impressive.. The new Class A uniform is simply the existing dress uniform. This uniform, unlike the green Class A's, that were introduced in 1954, is based on the 19th century dress uniform. Most enlisted troops do not have the dress blue uniform, because they have to buy it themselves, and that is optional for most troops. But over the next six years, the old Class A will be phased out completely.
All this is the result of longstanding "uniform envy" soldiers have had for marines. The USMC has always sported the most impressive dress uniform, and young enlisted marines were glad to spend at least $300 to buy themselves one. The marine "Class A" uniform is also green, but a darker green, and the jacket is worn with a belt. This looks much snappier, and many soldiers have suggested something like this for a new army Class A uniform. But many career army types have been campaigning for a spiffier Class A uniform, and something in blue, preferably with a belted jacket. But instead of a new uniform design, the army simply made the current dress blues the new Class As. The dress blues have been around for a long time, and have a good reputation. That doesn't mean that a belt cannot be added down the road. The important thing right now is to dump those hideous green Class As, which have embarrassed several generations of soldiers.
The Class A uniform is not actually worn that much, with most troops wearing BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform, with the camouflage pattern) or the Class A uniform without the jacket, when at work. The BDUs come in several different shades, none of them featuring much green. So after a century, the green is gone. The army is also eliminating the all white tropical dress uniform, which was rarely used.
This thread is useless without pics.
Army Dress Blues
What ever became of teh Air Force plan to emulate the USMC dress uniform with a Black and Silver color combo?
Heck, its the same uniform that Army has been wearing since the civil war. Dark blue jacket, light blue slacks, gold strip down the leg. If you go to my profile there is a picture of me wearing it back in 2000 at the FR Presidential Inaugural Ball.
All the Army has done is eliminate the green uniform. It has always had the blue uniform. It also has a white uniform too, but it is hardly every used.
Pleh. Looks too much like the Air Force.
I'll vouch for that, I met you an li'l there.
But I gotta admit I'm an OD Green kinda guy.
Hey....it’s okay.
Not everybody has what it takes to be one of us.
The Army is okay, though. :-)
Blue is the most traditional dress uniform of the Army and goes back to before the Civil War. Blue vs Grey!! Also there is a touching song song called “Army Blue” which has been a standard at West Point for many generations. I have great respect for the Marines uniform, and this is not a personal response. It is simply a point of information.
I vote for these uniforms in spandex.
..but it should be!
It would look like the NFL...at least from the waist down...
Blather. Army BDU's have been obsolete since 2005 replaced by the FOLIAGE GREEN pixelated Advanced Combat Uniform.
The USMC has two different pixelated utility uniforms, a desert and a woodland, but the ACU only comes in one color. Green.
And the Class A uniform "without the jacket" (and tie) is the Class B uniform.
I have not seen the official directive on the new Class A, but it has been in the works for a very long time.
Tell that to the tens of thousands of Marines here in San Diego and my relatives who are in the 1st Marine Div., the ones who first rolled into Bagdad
Or my Dad who was with the 1st Marines at the Frozen Chosin and Inchon Landing in the Korean War under Gen Chesty Puller.
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