Dear General Odierno and SMA Chandler:
I am led to believe, according to an article in this weeks Army Times there is consideration of making changes to the Army Service Uniform.
Over the last twenty years the Army has shown it is inept in buying uniforms as it is in procuring equipment—I am sure there is a correlation, other than Natick could fuck up a wet dream in a whore house.
Let me briefly review:
a. The famous Army PT Uniform who was either designed for midgets or for the idealized version of a soldier. Dark, hard to see, it has been universally panned since its introduction.
b. The Army Combat Uniform in universal camouflage pattern, with lots of Velcro and a Mandarin Collar. When first introduced in Iraq a young Specialist was heard to remark; “They send me to Iraq for a year, tell me I can’t have sex, and now they give me a uniform when you have the collar up makes you look like a fucking priest.”
(1) Of course the Army found out the universal camouflage pattern wasn’t or at least the troops said so in Afghanistan. Which led to the late Congressman John Murtha to introduce legislation which required the Army to buy multi-cam for troops in Afghanistan.
(2) The Velcro has been very popular with the troops—not; and even less popular with the Seamstress Mafia found outside every US military based in the world.
(3) And the purpose of the Mandarin Collar?
(4) Let’s not forget the pants whose crotches rip out too easily; or the stupid edicts by some Senior Officers and Non-Commissioned officers that the cargo pockets could not be used.
(5) The one thing you got right was the brown rough side out combat boots, but it is only a matter of time before we decide we need black boots that are highly spits shined to be professional.
c. Let’s us not forget the Beret. While I happen to like the Beret; I do not like the way the US Army (except the Special Forces) wear the Beret. We have become addicted to shaping the Beret a la Airborne which results in some interesting shape. I of course ditched the US Beret after a Brit gave me one of theirs, made by the Small Crown Beret Company; that did not excessive material and was easy to put on one’s head and wear (one handed I might add).
d. The baby shit green shirt with the Old Army Green Uniform. Of course to come up with this abortion they got rid of the TW’s aka Khakis which was one of the best uniforms the Army ever had.
e. The Black, non belted over/rain coat. This was so seventies that it luckily was replaced by the Black Over/Rain Trench Coat, while not bad is still not as good as the Trench Style Rain Coat and Heavy Wool Trench Style Green Overcoat I had when I came in the Army.
f. Army Service Uniform. Uniforms ought to be simple and utilitarian; they should not look like Boy Scouts in heat. When the decision was made to go back to the Blues as the official uniform I thought it was a step in the right direction, although I would have preferred them adding a belted waist. But it didn’t take long for the GI to start bitching and complaining and pretty soon the CSM mafia convinced the CSA to ditch the gray shirt and replace it with a white shirt. Then it was decided that everyone had to have a former combat unit identifier and to wear all their tabs. Rather than sew all this stuff on we came up with badges, and so now we look like either the Boy Scouts or a Doorman at the Holiday Hotel.
(1) The Army Blues and Army Service Uniform have always been one of the best looking uniforms. It was simple, plain, and most importantly uniformed. Over time we have added more and more stuff to it, but it still looks pretty good.
(2) Patches are a recent development in the culture of the Army. Combat patches were not recognized until World War II although individuals had worn them in World War I—they did so despite not being authorized.
(3) Combat Action Badge is a new and not needed piece of uniform kit. George Marshall created two Combat Badges in World War II; the Combat Infantry Badge to recognize the dog faced soldier who did the heavy lifting; and the Combat Medic Badge which recognized the Angles of the Battlefield. I wish we would go back to the simplistic days of the past. . .we won’t the genie is out of the bottle. Rather we are like the Little League Baseball Teams where every team, regardless of whether they are winners has to get a trophy. I guess we are going to ride the small yellow bus soon!
(4) There was actually a proposal to add epaulets so people could wear their leadership tabs. Luckily this went no where yet.
(5) The survey that the Army leadership shows a couple of changes:
(a) Replacing the White Shirt with either a Blue (no too much like the USAF), a Gray (tried that once the CSM fashion police said no), Brown (no too much like the Brown Shirts of the SA), or Khaki (other than white probably the best choice.)
(b) Replacing the Gold Stripe with a Black stripe like was on the old greens. (Probably a Bad Idea).
(c) Adding Patches for both present and combat service; or adding a present unit of assignment badge. (Again I think bad ideas.)
The Army has not had much luck in redesigning its uniforms in the last twenty years; nor has it had much luck in fielding new equipment. There are a lot of reasons for this some of which is called the Acquisition Corps.
A couple of years ago a friend suggested that if the Army really wanted to redesign its uniform they would get Ralph Lauren to do so. My guess if this had happened we would have some version of the Pinks and Greens. But the Army didn’t and we are where we are.
First of all I am a retiree, as such I won’t wear a uniform again until I am buried. Like all retiree I have an opinion, and like assholes most opinions stink.
Having said all of this let me offer you some advice. Don’t change the Army Service Uniform—you may want to rename it—leave it alone. If you change it there is a cost—amongst the American public who will probably think you fickle, Congress will wonder why you are spending money stupidly and you will still have soldiers bitching.
Some how we have forgotten the little lessons of frugality, telling people to STFU, and remembering we work for the American public. Anything you do is going to look wrong, stick with the ASU and when the money flows like wine again then go in for a new uniform; until such time, bide your time.
Uniforms alway seem to inspire the most passionate comments, don't they? I agree with much of what you've said–I miss TWs–they really were a nice looking uniform that was simple and easy to maintain. I thought going to a blue service unform was a truly stupid idea–greens were fine–we were all used to them–we could quibble over the shirt color, but we did manage to get successfully through a number of wars in spite of it.
As for the blue uniform, I think the white shirt is fine–soldiers look a lot like the USMA Band, however, in the class B version. But you're right–we've stuck too much crap on it, and since it already contains a lot of crap–gold piping or braid, gold buttons–all the other crap simply makes soldiers look like doormen, as you point out. It didn't look so bad on greens because we had patches (which I liked), and the color itself reduced the badge glitter effect.
Multi-cam is probably the wave of the future, and I would dump the beret. Why the Army has never developed a functional hat (aside from summer weight BDU cap, perhaps) besides the helmet is beyond me.
The Navy enlisted service unform is now a khaki shirt and dark trousers, making them easy to confuse with Marines, and they have subbed coveralls and their BDU for dungarees. So uniform stupidity is not solely an Army disease.
At the same time, I wonder. I look at the history of the Army uniform and note that during the war of 1812, not a high point in American military history, uniform changes were frequent. I'm beginning to wonder if uniform changes work in the opposite direction from war winning.
Of course, you and I went to a school where uniforms hadn't changed much in a hundred years, so perhaps we are used to little or no progress at all. And our uniforms were famously uncomfortable!
Yes, I think I still have ingrown hairs where the collars of both the blouse and coatee rubbed me.
Mike it has gotten totally out of hand. I don't really care what uniform they come up with, but there has to be some consideration to not costing the soldiers or taxpayers any money.
It seems as every Chief of Staff has to change the uniform, the Army Operations Doctrine, reorganize the BCT, reinvent the Army, transform the Army; do this in four years and then retire. . .so the next guy can do the same thing.
I'm a Marine but tremendously admire the army uniforms prior to what my eye's see as the 60's. Prior to that you could really see the fine tailoring, the few and simple color combinations, and a much more structured, and architectural build out – simple jackets with easily fitting pants. Nowawadys it seems to have gone completely in the opposite direction – everyones jackets look too large and all the pants are elephant eared because they are too tight. Finally, isn't there anything that anyone can do to reduce the number of badges and such on your unifroms – there really is just so much there it makes it all seem less important and cheapens it all. At the pentagon the other day I saw a soldier with 6 or so qualification badges all lined up above the pocket on his cammies… honestly, is that for real??
INFIDEL !!!
Soldiers wear their resume on their uniform. The better the resume, the more Alpha one is. For example, badges: Jump wings, Bullwinkle Badge, Ranger tab, SF tab, DA badge, SecDef and Joint Staff badge – each counts as a male child, a clear indicator of one's virility and Alpha maleness.
The ribbons are also indicators of virility. The "been there" badges and awards is like women (or men): the more ribbons, the more popular one is with the members of the opposite gender (or same, if one goes that way).
So it is clearly the mind of an Infidel or marriage counselor that advocated for well-tailored trews instead of the baubles of Manhood.
I have not liked the ARMY uniform since WW2.
They need to go back to WW2 style Class B and Service uniforms. The reason they did away with them after WW2 is because everyone was wearing so much surplus stuff since a huge number of people were discharged, they had a hard time telling the difference between civilians and military personnel.
Why not go back now to the styles of WW2?
Townie, The Duffel Blog attacked this problem with its usual flair: re-issue the forest cammo BDU's and assess the cost of new ones to everyone who had them and thew them out when the Army switched to the ACU's, which a friend of mine called "UGGs and Jammies" That way, the Army an save costs AND f*ck with the troops. Two birds, one stone. Seriously, the Army needs a professional-looking uniform that doesn't look like a Christmas tree. We have too damn many Sunday school medals, given for just showing up, let alone "proficiency badges"–we're starting to look like the AF where everyone gets to wear a set of wings. Seriously, JAG wings!?!
Has anyone thought of adding a sassy and oh-so professional looking sash like the one found at the bottom of the page here?
http://www.jbsa.af.mil/photos/mediagallery.asp?ga…
I really think it does alot to make the uiform and officer more professional – great for combat, and, the Parade of Roses.
LOL., love the sash. Should be cammy, though.
Compare and contrast…
Eisenhower; 5 Stars and 3 ribbons
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/images/ac10000…
Casey; 4 Stars and countless baubles and ribbons
http://www.acus.org/event/general-casey-complex-o…
The ACU mandarin collar was supposed to be worn "up" when wearing body armor, so the armor wouldn't chaf the neck…the problem was that the collar itself was so rough and stiff with velcro backing that it was more uncomfortable that the IBA cover!
And while you mentioned the peculiar fitting of the PTU, I always found it strange that even though it was designed with reflective insignia and lettering, one still had to wear the "reflective belt" over it (and with any other uniform too it seemed).
Something to be said for wearing personal decorations only. Every couple years the Marines debate decorations in our journals. Even we're starting to look a little like JROTC cadets – but – I will say that is ending now that so few are deploying to combat. More and more young Marines are leaving with 2-3 ribbons. After my first tour in the 80's I can't tell you how pleased I was to paste that overseas service ribbon on my shirt next to my good conduct medal – boy was I a salty dog!
And MacArthur and Patton looked like Christmas trees when all decked out in their feathers and finery.
Ralph Lauren??????? Hush you mouf! Stifle thyself!, Oscar de la Renta did the Boy Scout uniform, and Unpopular is its name! (Nicknames unprintable, not to mention un-Scout-like.)
(USAF Ret'd, from SAC.)