# New US Army Uniform **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 20, 2008, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730 "2008-08-20T22:40:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/41 "2008-08-21T16:45:44Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Then there’s the [Navy Utility Uniform](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:New_US_navy_Working_Uniform.jpg), which is…yeah. [/QUOTE] The dude on the right in your photo looks like he is about to bust out laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/42 "2008-08-21T17:39:51Z")
I tell you something, I’ve always lived here in Columbia within spitting distance of Fort Jackson. When I was a kid, the only thing you saw all those guys in outside the fort was tucked in, ironed, and shined. I can’t believe they let them out in their BDUs now - they look like they wandered out in their pajamas. It’s disgraceful. My boyfriend’s dad was a Navy electrician when he was a kid. (He just got out five years ago or so.) He never in his life saw his dad in his coveralls, although that’s what the guy wore for like 90% of his waking hours. Say what you will about the Nazis, they did have a flair for military style. ETA - are those poor Navy guys trying to blend in with the _water_? You’d think if they’re going to camouflage them they’d just paint them grey. That guy on the right can’t hold it in anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/43 "2008-08-21T17:59:19Z")
[QUOTE=Zsofia] ETA - are those poor Navy guys trying to blend in with the _water_? You’d think if they’re going to camouflage them they’d just paint them grey. That guy on the right can’t hold it in anymore. [/QUOTE] Yeah, why does the Navy need camouflage? If the bad guys are close enough to see the individual seamen, they’ve probably already blown their ship out of the water. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/44 "2008-08-21T18:29:58Z")
[QUOTE=Terminus Est] Yeah, why does the Navy need camouflage? If the bad guys are close enough to see the individual seamen, they’ve probably already blown their ship out of the water. [/QUOTE] Serious answer? They don’t need camouflage for concealment, which is why the Navy has never had camouflage before now. However, Navy personnel have been using hand-me-down USMC camouflage utilities for so long (because they are very practical and wear like iron) that they finally wanted some of their own. Why keep the camouflage pattern? It hides the grease stains. Really. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/45 "2008-08-21T19:16:47Z")
What would Ike say? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/46 "2008-08-21T19:24:03Z")
That is a comically terrible uniform. Why in God’s name is the Army wearing BLUE? ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/47 "2008-08-21T19:47:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Bus Guy] [This official message](http://www.marlowwhite.com/army/uniforms/service-dress-blue/asu-wear-policy.html) is all the reason I’d need to land on a grenade. Bureaucracyspeak at it’s finest. [/QUOTE] Why are they yelling at us in that message? Didn’t anyone tell them that all caps are hard to read? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/48 "2008-08-21T20:06:44Z")
[QUOTE=winterhawk11] Why are they yelling at us in that message? Didn’t anyone tell them that all caps are hard to read? [/QUOTE] It’s the old format the military uses in printing an official message. Lower case letters are not used. Notice the “DTG: 201200Z AUG 08”. All that means Date Time Group = 20 August 2008, 1200z (“Zulu”, or Greenwich Mean) time, which was when the message got “sent”. Hold over from the radio message days, even though more and more “traffic” is being sent (presumadely encrypted) over the net electronically now. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/49 "2008-08-21T20:59:13Z")
[QUOTE=Amp] Don’t get me started on the damn berets. I am so glad I got out before all this fashion craziness started. [/QUOTE] I am probably older than you and probably got out before you did, but I so agree. [QUOTE=Alessan] Hey - what’s wrong with berets? Lots of respectable militaries wear berets! [/QUOTE] Yes, I know other militaries wear them, but I am waiting for hair nets, bunny ears or chefs’ touqes. I remember the old saying, “Suppose they gave a war and nobody came?” At least with those head gear, it would be an entertaining war. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/50 "2008-08-21T21:17:39Z")
They’re still better than those folded napkins you guys used to wear on your heads. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/51 "2008-08-21T21:25:30Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] That is a comically terrible uniform. Why in God’s name is the Army wearing BLUE? [/QUOTE] Remember the old song from the early 60’s “Blue Navy”? The army is still jealous that the only song they got was “Ballad of the Green Beret” by Barry Sadler. They figure, this way they can combine the two and get another hit song out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Drake\_Tungsten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@Drake\_Tungsten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake_Tungsten)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/52 "2008-08-21T22:01:49Z")
Actually, up until about the Spanish-American War the Army uniforms were always blue. Go look at Civil War uniforms for an example. The poorly-fitted Class B’s with bloused boots do look certifiably ridiculous. The only people who blouse their Class A or B boots are airborne units, though. Most of us wear low quarters. The Class A’s look far better than the Class B’s for the new uniforms. I didn’t spend the time to find a picture, but have a look. Not a huge deal anyway; I can count on my fingers the number of times I’ve worn my greens. The last board I went to while I was back in the States was even held in ACUs. Here in Baghdad, I can say that the ACUs are quite nice. The fit is good and they hold up reasonably well. We have the Army Combat Shirts to wear under our armor and they are a lifesaver during a long dismounted patrol. The digital pattern is laughed at, but you would be surprised how effective it is at breaking up your outline. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/53 "2008-08-21T22:10:53Z")
The Army blue! The Army blue! Harrah the Army blue! Someday I’ll put away cadet gray to wear the Army Blue! “National Blue” is simply the American military color. Gray for Germany, Red for the UK, White for Italy, Blue for the US. === [Here](http://www.army.mil/symbols/uniforms/timeline.html) is a neat timeline of US Army uniforms. Note all the blue. ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/54 "2008-08-21T23:13:33Z")
[This would have been far more cool.](http://prorev.com/606BATMAN.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![SkeptiJess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/55 "2008-08-21T23:22:18Z")
The younger guys all seem to like the BDU-style uniforms the best Maybe that’s why all the services are switching to that style. I have a friend who recently retired from the Navy and she really hated the new utilities, but said all her guys really liked them. The color seems stupid to me, though, for the navy ones anyway. One time you don’t want to be camoflaged is when your ass has fallen overboard. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/56 "2008-08-22T00:07:48Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] [This would have been far more cool.](http://prorev.com/606BATMAN.JPG) [/QUOTE] I see you, and [raise](http://www.ironhands.com/jinrock2.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/57 "2008-08-22T00:20:02Z")
I remember when the Air Force and Navy went with the Army’s camo BDU’s for “work wear.” At the time it seemed to be about uniformity among the services (which I’m for) and cost savings, not having to make all sorts of different work uniforms etc. It wasn’t about whether Navy or AF had to be camo-ed. I don’t know what’s going on now though. The services are in some sort of fashion contest to see who can come up with the most evil anti-uniform. Where’s that money coming from? Aren’t we hearing complaints from the field troops have to buy their own fucking flak jackets? ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/58 "2008-08-22T01:08:43Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] I don’t know what’s going on now though. The services are in some sort of fashion contest to see who can come up with the most evil anti-uniform. Where’s that money coming from? Aren’t we hearing complaints from the field troops have to buy their own fucking flak jackets? [/QUOTE] Maybe they’re attempting to create a uniform so ugly it repels bullets? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/59 "2008-08-22T01:14:33Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] I see you, and [raise](http://www.ironhands.com/jinrock2.jpg). [/QUOTE] Who the fuck are those guys? Is than an actual military unit? The guy in the back is holding a World War II-era German assault rifle. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730/60 "2008-08-22T01:19:03Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] Who the fuck are those guys? Is than an actual military unit? The guy in the back is holding a World War II-era German assault rifle. [/QUOTE] They’re from [Jin-Roh](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin-Roh), a Japanese film. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-us-army-uniform/460730.md?page=4)