Army makes it official: Green Class A’s done

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Army Times Link: >> HERE <<

Army makes it official: Green Class A’s done

Posted : Wednesday Aug 20, 2008 12:36:20 EDT

The days of the green Class A’s are over.

The Army’s plan to make dress blues the only Army Service Uniform has been approved and soldiers who own the uniform are encouraged to begin wearing it now, the Army announced Wednesday.

The move to eliminate the green uniform is designed to streamline soldiers’ clothing bags while modernizing the way the traditional blue uniform is worn.

The new wear policy was announced Wednesday in an Army-wide message from Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston.

The most significant change, aside from the switch from green to blue, is the option to wear a combat service identification badge, something that was not allowed with the blues.

“This uniform is part of a larger modular uniform system. It’s the culmination of a transformation effort that began back in 2004,†Preston told Army Times, referring to the development of the Army Combat Uniform and its introduction in May 2005. “The ACU really streamlined the impact on soldiers and, of course, that same thought process was really applied to our dress uniform.â€

Preston said the blue uniform has come out overwhelmingly ahead in several surveys of soldiers asked their preference for a dress uniform, and in more than 150 forums he conducted over the past two years.

The vast majority of soldiers also expressed a desire to display their combat credentials, he said.

Other changes include:

• Soldiers who wear green, tan or maroon berets, soldiers assigned to air assault coded positions and military police on duty will be permitted to blouse their trousers with the black leather combat boot.

• The black, tan, maroon and green beret will be permitted with all uniforms. Men and women in the rank of corporal and above will have the option of wearing a service cap, for which there will be a stipend. Commanders will be authorized to determine which headgear should be worn for a particular event.

• During the development of the uniform, a grey shirt had been considered, but the Army decided that white shirts will be worn with all Class A and B uniforms because it “showcases the soldiers’ uniform,†Preston said.

The new uniform will be available at clothing sales stores next summer.

Soldiers graduating from basic training will get it as part of their clothing bag by the summer of 2010.

Clothing allowances will be adjusted, and every soldier will be wearing the blue uniform by 2014.

Yet another change of the times...

[TripleDigitRide]

Obviously there were plenty of "don't ask, don't tell" folks involved in the designing of that uniform.

I'm just sayin;.

[Guest Linoge]

On a semi-related note, I was very, very happy to be out of the Navy before I had to deal with the new, blue digicams. Of all the ideas out there...

[Guest bkelm18]

Not as cool as the Navy's blue digital camo they are issuing this winter.

[Guest nraforlife]

Looks real ****ty

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Am I the only person who thinks that blousing dress trousers over combat boots looks like crap?

Combat boots are one thing. Dress uniforms IMO are quite another. I'm not feeling the combination of the two.

[Guest shortfri]

Question, may be my eyes or moniter. But isn't the top soldier wearing a maron beret and on his flash a special forces d.o.l

[BimmerFreak]

Question, may be my eyes or moniter. But isn't the top soldier wearing a maron beret and on his flash a special forces d.o.l

Soldiers assigned to US Special Operations Command, US Special Forces Command, and the 1st Special Forces Regiment (1st,3rd,5th,7th,10th,19th, and 20th Groups) not assigned in a Victor (Airborne Ranger) position, or with a PMOS within CMF 18 wear a maroon beret.

All soldiers assigned to the 1st Special Forces Regiment (1st,3rd,5th,7th,10th,19th, and 20th Groups) wear the Special Forces Distinctive Unit Insignia on their berets regardless of beret color.

The male soldier in that picture looks to be a former 11series Infantryman (Note the CIB, but no blue cord) assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division.

[Guest bang-flash]

navy digi cam?

Edited August 21, 2008 by bang-flash

[Guest Linoge]

navy digi cam?

Yes, that heinous thing.

[strickj]

Am I the only person who thinks that blousing dress trousers over combat boots looks like crap?

I dont think it looks bad,but it does sound gay

[BigPoppa]

Combat boots are one thing. Dress uniforms IMO are quite another. I'm not feeling the combination of the two.

Agreed

And I like the digi cam.

[herr.baer]

Glad I am not in any more. That just doesn't look right.

[DWARREN123]

The ARMY has always had in the last 40 years a very ugly dress uniform!

Just my opinion.

[Magiccarpetrides]

Yes, that heinous thing.

Sure would suck to have that on and fall in the water at night.

[Mike.357]

The ARMY has always had in the last 40 years a very ugly dress uniform!

it's obvious nothing has changed then.

If I was on the fence as to joining the service and unable to make a decision that uniform would take the Arny out of the running.

Dunno about digital camo for the Navy, sounds kind of odd. If you were on a ship and needed to be camo'ed wouldn't gray be the color to wear?

[Guest Verbal Kint]

Dunno about digital camo for the Navy, sounds kind of odd. If you were on a ship and needed to be camo'ed wouldn't gray be the color to wear?

Nah... it's for when they fall overboard, into the ocean. That way they're totally hosed and no one will find them.

[Mike.357]

it's for when they fall overboard, into the ocean

I thought of that too. I dunno how frequently they fall off the ship but in that digi cam they will wear they are going to not be seen.

[Guest GUTTERbOY]

Sure would suck to have that on and fall in the water at night.

I always wondered about that. They were just starting to really talk about the new camo stuff when my ROTC association came to an end, and I had the idea there that they were going to be using the digi camo for the frigging coveralls that everybody wears underway. That made tons of sense to me- there's basically ZERO need to be camo'd on the ship, and plenty of reason not to be, such as a man overboard situation. In fact, I'd think that if they wanted to change the coveralls, they would go from the current navy blue to a day-glow orange or something. I guess that's a little too flashy for daily wear, though.

From what I'm reading about the new NWUs, the camo is there to make the appearance of stains and wear/tear less obvious. Seems they're basically going to replace the dungaree ensemble... I was a little worried they'd be supplanting coveralls, which were a true Godsend. Hard not to like a uniform that goes on in five minutes.

[Guest Grout]

Ya'll sound like a bunch of fashionistas.Probably wear white after Labor Day too.

[Daniel]

that i like for dress blues.

the class b style in the first pic i do not like and wont be wearing.

also this story is dated 2006 which is approx when i first learned we were dropping the greens

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060616/news_1n16army.html

[enfield]

The new Army uniform is nasty. He looks like a Junior Birdman.

Glad I got to wear greens and khaki.

[Guest jackdog]

I think it sucks but then again I like USMC dress blues. Except that color is a killer

[Guest shawnpepper]

IMO, im ex army, i had a set of blues i hardley got to wear, but i did like them. On another note i don't like the b version and dress uniforms are not to be bloused by anything other than an airborne unit.

[Marswolf]

I think that all dress uniforms look goofy but I'd let them wear about anything if they would just get rid of those sissified Berets.