Multicam: 
or 
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.
If it was a suit & jacket type with an officers type cover rather than the dixie cup yea that's the beast. Era early to mid 1970's and gone Navy wide by mid 1980 thank goodness.
Multicam: or
So, the USMC doesn’t teach the history of its uniforms origins?
Other away around, my friend.
Other way around.
The stripe will stay for officers (double stripe for generals), as it makes knowing when to salute (and when to behave) so much easier. Its been on the greens all along and I think most who wear the ACUs agree that it is annoying to not be able to identify an officer from afar to pay proper respects.
No, I just saw a guy wearing one at the Meridian airport (near NAS Meridian) about two years ago.
I didn’t see the cover, but it was a really sharp looking uniform.
Why they didn’t make either you or me Chief of Staff of the Army is beyond my understanding.
>>, the USMC doesn’t teach the history of its uniforms origins?
Other away around, my friend.
Other way around.<<
I well remember the USMC history classes at Parris Island. The article clearly states that it was the soldiers who had “uniform envy” of Marine Dress Blues.
I stand by my comments. FWIW, both Army and Marines have worn blue uniforms since The War Between the States. Only the Army chose to go all green.
Lighten up. There has always been cross services ribbin. I guarantee all of your relatives who have served, those who rolled into Baghdad, Battled at Chosin all have heard the same stuff, it is normal.
I agree.
https://www.peosoldier.army.mil/factsheets/SEQ_CIE_ASU.pdf
This is a good page, but I think the gray shirt for daily wear has been nixed.
Bringing back the gold vest would also be nice.
As they say, “There’s history and then there’s USMC history.”
USMC uniforms began as cobbled uniforms taken from US Army uniforms. Look at the pants, as it’s obvious to anyone not parroting what they heard in boot.
And, FWIW, the Army had khaki class A/b uniforms and blue dress uniforms. I don’t know where you heard it, but the Army never went “all green”. We ditched the khakis for green and kept the blue dress uniforms. Now, they’re ditching the green so they can use the blue dress uniform in place of both.
It’s a bad decision, but the facts are nothing close to what you’re posting.
Goodbye Crest Toothpaste green shirts! Halleluja!
What I have seen of Marines, they make anything look good !!!!!!
Yep.
And a ton of REMFs tried really hard to edge combat soldiers out of their combat jump.
Now, the Ranger assault on that airfield was a true combat jump.
My first assignment with the Army was Hawaii.
I bought dress whites instead of the blues. Dress whites were acceptable in the tropics.
I looked like an ice cream salesman.
I still have them and half of me would now fit in them.
OUT damned pickle suit... Nobody liked that that piece of polyester shite. That was one piece I never wanted to be seen in. Looked like I was a bus driver, or sellin used cars.
Its not a gold vest, its a buff waistcoat. Buff, the color of untanned leather, is today known as tan or khaki. Its the current branch color of the Quartermaster Corps, but in the American Revolution was used as the facing color for a number of regiments and from 1779 as the color of the command and staff of the Continental Army, hence the appearance of George Washington is this costume.
I’ll have my retirement in Greens. The Blues look like a cross between the Shriners uniform and the Fire Department Dress. In my opinion, we never should have modified the khaki uniform or gotten rid of it. I’ll be glad to leave the velcro army behind, at least the uniform BS aspect of it.
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