Posted on Dec 13, 2013
SGM Matthew Quick
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Uniforms
If you had a choice, which uniform pattern/style would you want to wear?<div><br></div><div><span style="color: rgb(44, 44, 44); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">This year, the Joint Staff’s top enlisted adviser, Marine Sgt. Maj. Bryan Battaglia, said the mix of uniforms makes the U.S. military look like a “Baskin-Robbins” and signaled his support for a common uniform.<br></span><br><span style="color: rgb(44, 44, 44); font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">But Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos recently said preserving the Corps’ MARPAT pattern is a top priority and declared that his service will stick to it “like a hobo to a ham sandwich.”</span><br></div>
Posted in these groups: 4276e14c UniformsMaskowanie Camouflage
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MAJ Gregory M.
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Multicam works great, there's a ton of kit on the market in the pattern, and I already have it in my closet from the last deployment. Let's just go with that.
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MAJ Latin Teacher
MAJ (Join to see)
11 y
Sir, your last point was the most apropos! ;)

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SFC Senior Small Group Leader (Ssgl)
SFC (Join to see)
11 y
A man who makes sense, I like it Sir!
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MSG(P) Student
MSG(P) (Join to see)
>1 y
Why is it that so many on this discussion board can see the facts about multicam and why we should just go to that uniform, and yet the powers that be have yet to make the switch?  Could it have anything to do with saving face and making money?  Nah, couldn't be....
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CPT Jacob Swartout
CPT Jacob Swartout
>1 y
I still have my multicams but just can't wear them anymore for work unless on deployment again. I would take them over the ACUs any day. We shall see here soon enough what gets approved. Do wish the velcro was gone and sewing was back like the BDUs had when the Army wore those uniforms.
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SFC Fire Support Specialist
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Honestly, as long as it is durable, functional, inexpensive and actually WORKS as intended (to camouflage) I really don't care which it is. I do, however, like the MARPAT better than the others. It certainly isn't the only thing they do well, but the Marines definitely have a lock on the uniforms.&nbsp;
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TSgt Scott Hurley
TSgt Scott Hurley
>1 y
I agree there. I saw a Marine at Eglin AFB wearing the MARPAT. All I could see was his face hands and boots. The rest of him I had to guess until I could tell the rest of his features when we got closer. That is how well he blended into the environment around him. And that was in a parking lot.
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CW3(P) Network Defense Tech
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I wish they would just stop changing the uniform. Someone is making money.
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If you had a choice, which uniform pattern/style would you want to wear?
1SG Infantry Senior Sergeant
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Edited 11 y ago
We are testing new uniforms here at APG. We will have new stuff soon and that's all I will say about that!!!
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LTC Deputy Division Chief
LTC (Join to see)
>1 y
Agreed. We have designs already. What more testing do you need? Also I would say yes to the black boot in some sick way. Kids these days have no understanding of taking pride in the uniform. Just stay away from starch.
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CW2 Stephen Pate
CW2 Stephen Pate
>1 y
I couldn't agree more with getting rid of the stupid Velcro.  I think the buttons are fine.  Multicam is what I am wearing and I even lose myself sometimes on the way to the parking lot to the motorpool!  I darker, more comfortable boot would be great too.  Working in as shop tends to ruin boots quick, so now my Soldiers have a work pair of boots that they change in to when they get to work.
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CW2 Stephen Pate
CW2 Stephen Pate
>1 y

UPDATE:

First wear of the multicam and when I went to remove the name and US Army tape from my top the Velcro came off with them...

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SFC Platoon Sergeant
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>1 y
Lowest bidder my friends. "Invest in your Career"
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SFC James Baber
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Does anyone remember that the BDUs lasted for almost 2 decades with no issues, and were used by at least 3 if not 4 of the 5 services during that time period, and we utilized them for garrison/field/combat and were quite successful in all areas. Somebody is just looking to help out a friend of a friend to make a buck and maybe even receive a kickback or a job upon retirement, that is normally what is the bottom line when it is truly looked deep enough through all the bs and rhetoric.
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LT Project Engineer
LT (Join to see)
11 y
I would go for modifying the uniform to the Marine cut, since it does work a lot better but keep the pattern or digitize it, but we should all be wearing it.
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WO1 Senior Drill Sergeant
WO1 (Join to see)
11 y
Don't know why the went away from the BDUs.
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CMSgt Senior Enlisted Leader
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>1 y
WO1 (Join to see)
I agree! The BDUs were perfectly functional. If for no other reason than spilling morning coffee on them, wipe, and press on for the day. Lol
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SFC Behavioral Health Specialist
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I would have to respectfully disagree with the Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos.  There are so many benefits that would come out of having a common camo uniform.  I do not think we will ever find a uniform that will fit all environments.  I believe we classify one primary uniform for wear when we are not deployed and then have multiple uniforms that are only issued when we deploy.  This would also make the uniforms more affordable for personnel at all ranks.  I believe our senior leaders have to make solid business decisions that are based on knowledge rather than emotion. 
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LT Project Engineer
LT (Join to see)
11 y
I agree. It would say a lot of money if we had one common uniform at home. It would make it easier to get replacement pieces at other branches if that occurred as well. I was on a Army base for a school and I only brought one rank device (my bad) and it got ruined in the washer (came out looking like an exclamation point). Went to the uniform shop and could only find Air force and Army. Make sense since both of those branches were present, but sucked for me.
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1SG Military Police
1SG (Join to see)
>1 y
All it takes is the Army Chief of Staff to direct the Marines to drop the globe and anchor from the MARPAT and we would have a DOD uniform. There will always be specialized needs, but a base/common uniform is completely doable.
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1SG First Sergeant
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At the end of the day, the choice has to make financial sense.  All branches have used the BDU in the past, they all have regulations to govern the wear of the uniform, they are easily integrated back into the supply system, and are still being produced by manufacturers.  The BDU would serve as the duty uniform while in a training or non-deployment status. Starched and Spit is the Garrison standard.  Contingency/deployment operations will use Multicam.

The era of Joint bases is not an excuse to blend our forces nor is it a reason to cling to uniform segregation.  Joint Force Senior Leaders will continue to work together to enforce standards across the installation. 

P.S.  The Army could learn a few things from the Marine Corps when it comes to enforcing uniform standards, but that's another conversation!  

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CH (CPT) Heather Davis
CH (CPT) Heather Davis
11 y

1SG Jozwiak:


I know I am dating myself. I stayed out of trouble as a young E-3 due to shining by boots on the weekend. I am in agreement with you
BDUs were a more durable uniform.

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SPC Squad Member
SPC (Join to see)
11 y
There's a reason this man is a 1SG, great comment.
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CW2 Special Agent
10
10
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Back to BDU or Multicam, but please think of a long term solution instead of having to think about the same problems in a few years *cough*
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MSG Paralegal Specialist
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I have said it before and I will continue to say it..bring back BDUs and black boots. In my opinion taking care of your uniform and putting effort into making it look good is the base level of discipline in the military. This wash and wear, fluff and buff age needs to end regardless of the pattern that is chosen. Give me a uniform that I can iron and boots that I can shine. I can still remember the feeling of walking out to Monday morning formation at 0900 with a clean, pressed, creased, sharp looking uniform and boots that looked like glass. I felt pride because I knew hat it was my effort that was put into the way I looked. I remember my leadership looking at me like they were proud to call me their Soldier. I also remember getting scuffed up when my uniform looked ate up. We were taught that our uniform is the first impression that others get of you and you only get one chance to make that first impression. 

 

Either that or make Class B's the garrison "day-to-day" uniform.

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SFC Senior Small Group Leader (Ssgl)
SFC (Join to see)
11 y
I agree with you SFC Van Natta.  You really knew who your spit-polished Soldiers were, and who were your dirtbags.  I hated scuffing my boots on the aircraft, but you better believe I was home that night buffing it out with a brown t-shirt, some kiwi and a heatgun because I wasnt going to be that guy.
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MSgt Keith Hebert
MSgt Keith Hebert
>1 y
SFC (Join to see) - that is why i had a different pair of boots for formation and going to and leaving work
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MSgt Keith Hebert
MSgt Keith Hebert
>1 y
Plus steel toes(the old clown shoes) were next to impossible to shine
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SGT Public Affairs Broadcast Specialist
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I agree with those that have said just PICK one and STICK WITH IT!!!<br><br>And they need to get a group of guys who've BEEN THERE and DONE THAT to wear them for a couple of weeks and tell them what WILL and WON'T work... (e.g. the STUPID velcro on the ACU)<br><br>I will say, though, that against a technologically equipped force (such as China) we simply MUST be wearing a digital pattern... the purpose of the Digi-cam is to make you difficult for a COMPUTER to identify, and as a former graphic designer, I can tell you that the ACU was EXCELLENT at that... &nbsp;I had to spend HOURS and HOURS trying to select a Soldier in ACU, while one in BDU only took a couple of clicks with the magic wand, and I had them selected...<br><br>This means that an optical recognition software could EASILY tell that a Soldier in BDUs was a person, but in ACUs he would look like some kind of bush to a computer...
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Cpl Security Investigator And Trainer
Cpl (Join to see)
7 y
I know this is an old post but this is something I did not know.
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