Posted on 09/08/2008 12:09:05 PM PDT by cll
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Aug. 25, 2008) -- Out with the old, in with the blue. The Army has made it official; the green service uniform, which has defined the service since the mid-1950s, is on the outs.
In place of the green uniform will be a variation of the blue uniform, something many Soldiers already own. Official word on the new "Army Service Uniform," or ASU, was released Aug. 20 in a message to all Army activities. The message defines the wear policy and the "bridging" strategy for transition to the new uniform.
"It's a culmination of transformation efforts that started in 2004," said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston of the new ASU. "We had three 'Class A' style uniforms, all the same style jacket, with just a different color -- the policies on how we wore accoutrements on them were different. We asked the question -- if we wear one only, which would it be? And the blue uniform was the most popular of the three."
The new ASU coat, similar to the existing blue coat, will be made of a wrinkle-resistant material and will have a more "athletic" cut.
Other changes to the uniform include authorization of a combat service identification badge to recognize combat service, overseas service bars authorized on the jacket sleeve for both enlisted Soldiers and officers, the wear of distinctive unit insignia on the shoulder loops of the blue coat for enlisted Soldiers, authorizing paratroopers to wear the black jump boots with the blue ASU, and the decision to transition to a new short sleeve and long sleeve white shirt with shoulder loops.
It is also permissible for enlisted Soldiers to wear both overseas service bars and service stripes on the new blue ASU coat. Officers and Soldiers in the grade of corporal and above will additionally wear a gold braid on their slacks to indicate leadership roles.
"That is kind of a right of passage as you transition from being a (junior) enlisted soldier to a noncommissioned officer," Preston said of the gold braid.
New items for the ASU will be available in military clothing sales after July 2009.
Soldiers will be expected to possess the entire uniform by July 2014. The two key components of the uniform, the coat and slacks, are expected to cost around $140, with modifications bringing the total cost to $200. Enlisted Soldiers will receive an increase in their annual uniform allowance to help offset the cost of the uniform.
The Navy recently got rid of its summer white uniform for enlisted. There was great rejoicing since white attracts dirty like Clinton does a scandal.
It’s soooo encouraging to see that the Army is going to keep the dry cleaners in business.
Maroons.
The Army is just never going to get it. They keep changing the unform and cover it with all sorts of do-dads to improve moral, but never do anything of substance to instill service-wide warrior ethics. A proper uniform would highlight a vital few milestones for a heritage of victory.
My screen is too small, but I assume the leg stripe is an officer designation for “please shoot me first.”
Looks a little “Coastie” to me.
I think Ike was the only one permitted to wear an Ike jacket.
They are just awful.
Becki
I liked the greens better, and I wore them for years. They should have gone with either the Ike coat or just used the Blue two-tone Army Dress Uniform. Who the heck wants to look like the Air Force? Besides, the Army Dress Blues looked awesome with a Stetson and spurs!
No, then they’d be drunk and have pee stains on the trousers.
If I’m not mistaken, the gray shirt won the favor of most soldiers surveyed, but Gen. Casey changed it to white.
For a very long time US Army uniforms did look French, and deliberately so as the French Army used to set the prevailing international military style. The US even copied the French Zouave uniform, which originated in the French colonies of North Africa.
And then for a while the US copied the Prussians/Germans, when the war of 1870 made them the new style leaders, spiked helmets and all.
The beret was copied from the British who copied it from the French, who had much earlier adopted it for many of their elite troops (Chasseurs Alpins, etc.).
And of course many countries copied US styles after WWII.
I think they should lose the Made in China berets (except for Special Forces) and go back to the garrison cap (piss-cutter) and the combination cover.
The blue uniforms date back to both Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and, as such, are a connection with an illustrious history.
This thing is gawd awful. They tried to please everybody and have ended up with a cobbled together clown suit that looks like something for the Gay Caballero’s Marching Band Drill Team - except for the red silk sash.
Sounds like Nutty Globalists have infiltrated the Pentagon, too.
We will be like all the soft Euro countries....and end up calling all our military “defense forces”. This is scary
First everyone will be in one uniform
Will look simply marvelous with the light blue UN beret
Baseball caps, folks. Baseball caps.
It will go better with the baby blue U.N. helmets.
Horrible. When we switched from the khaki shirt to that puke-green one in the 80s that was bad enough, but blue? With a white shirt? That looks like some cheap security guard uniform. The Navy and Air Force can have blue. Army has not been blue since the Civil War, and we really should keep it that way.
Never mind, I thought they went with the Air Force style single blue uniform.
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