The musings of a politically incorrect dinosaur from a forgotten age where civility was the rule rather than the exception.
Webster
The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions." --American Statesman Daniel Webster (1782-1852)
Friday, July 24, 2020
U.S Army Uniform goes to the traditional "Pinks and Greens"
I wish they had this style uniform when I was in the service, rather than what I had issued when I was in. We called what we had "The Bus Driver Uniform".
Look kinda like that.....
If we really wanted to look good, we had to buy the "Dress Blues" and to really make it pop. get the belt with it. We were issued "the Garrison cap", and I never cared for it and I purchased a "Service" cap
My Service Hat on top of the Center Helmet
and it was an acceptable option under regulations and I had a copy of the regulations in case while I was wearing it someone tried to give me crap about wearing it(Yes it did happen twice) and I put the copy of the regulation inside of the service cap. I did spend the extra money to get the better quality cloth from clothing sales than what was issued to me when I was in basic, it was a little darker in color and better weave and when I went in front of the Soldier of the month boards for promotions and stuff like that, it helped me look sharp. When promotions points are high in your MOS, you do what you can do to get what you can get the extra recognition to help your career. It is nice to see the military services going back to the traditional uniforms of our past. Tradition is important to a military organization, it reminds us of our past, of what the unit has done, of it past glories and of what is capable of and the standards that it has set so the soldiers will strive to meed the goals of the unit, especially during "the suck" it will let them dig way down and embrace the standard because others have already have already done it and they don't want to let their unit down, it is "esprit de corp" and it will let a group of people do the impossible if necessary.
Soldier models pose in the final prototypes of the proposed "pinks and greens
The
US Army uniform is getting a ‘glow-up’ it has been confirmed, with the
new duds looking rather like the old WWII ‘pinks and greens’, but with a
modern flavor.
The
Army has made no secret of the fact that the new issue uniform is based
on what grampa was wearing back in ’45 and expects it to be standard
issue to all new soldiers enrolled in 2021.
US Army Product
Manager, Lt. Col. Jonathan Allen, said the new uniform was a response to
the fact that the current options available to the military were not
suited for ‘everyday business environments’, and that the army was keen
to set, ‘a more appropriate standard for professionalism in an office
setting.’ Dwight Eisenhower, at his desk, 1942.Beginning
in January 2021, soldiers completing basic training will receive the
new pinkish-brown trousers and olive-green jackets. Before then the new
look will be rolled out to recruiters and drill sergeants in October
this year.
It is being sold as a cost-neutral change which will have no impact
on US taxpayers and will not hit enlisted soldiers in the pocketbook
either.
850 of the new service green uniforms have been
distributed to senior leadership, the Army Band and others for their
comments on the new style/old style uniform
Sergeant Major Daniel Dailey told reporters that the US Army had been
cautioned against referring to their new dress uniforms as ‘pinks and
greens’. ‘We’re calling them Army Greens,’ he said, ‘pinks and greens is
a World War II nickname.’ The
new “Army greens” will be a general service uniform while the blue Army
Service Uniform (center) will return to its former use as a ceremonial
and parade uniformThe new Army Greens are expected to be adopted by all 1.1 Million
soldiers within the next eight years, which might seem like a long time,
but to get from recruiters to the National Guard and Army Reserve
Dailey said would take time.
‘We also have to give soldiers time,’
said Dailey, ‘to receive that money in their clothing allowances so
they can pay for that uniform prior to it being required.’
In the
meantime, the Army Service Uniform, the blue ASU the new Army Greens
will replace will be retained as a traditional dress uniform. World War II U.S. Army officers wearing the “pinks and greens” uniform
The famous forebear, the ‘pinks and greens’ uniform was brought in in the 1920s and included a Sam Browne belt up until 1942.
In
1944 a field jacket was introduced, which was adopted by Dwight
Eisenhower and nicknamed the Ike jacket as a result. A new version of
the Ike jacket is also being considered by the Army, along with an
option for a leather flying jacket.
At the end of WWII, the US
Army was eight million strong and a source of immense pride for a nation
emerging as a global power. Sadly, ten years after the end of the war
there was a huge surplus of the uniforms as the Army slimmed down. The
new “Army greens” will be a general service uniform while the blue Army
Service Uniform (center) will return to its former use as a ceremonial
and parade uniform.The change from the ‘pinks
and greens’ to the dress green service uniform came quickly when in 1958
it was ‘deauthorised’ for US Army officers and the National Guard in
1959. Part of the reason for the change was that the uniforms were being
used as cheap work clothes for labourers and agricultural workers.
In some states surplus uniforms were even being used to clothe prison inmates, driving the need for change. SMA
Dailey wore the Army’s proposed ‘Pink and Green’ daily service uniform,
modeled after the Army’s standard World War II-era dress uniform.However,
seven decades on from WWII the abiding memory of the ‘pinks and greens’
remains one of pride, and the new uniform has received a warm welcome
throughout the service, with many commentators welcoming the return of a
classic.
Whatever Sergeant Major Dailey says the new ‘glow-up’
will invite comparisons with the famous WWII uniform, taking the Army
back to when its status back home in the USA was riding as high as it
ever has.
That
the new iteration of the uniform could possibly capture some of the
pride of 1945 is undoubtedly a target within Army sights.
My feeling? Anyone in any military branch working in an office should wear office wear. Like.. pinks and greens.
BDUs of all flavors should only be worn in the field or where it is useful, like the motor pool or in the warehouse or such. But in an office?
Our servicemembers should look sharp.
And there are more practical uniforms for daily wear than BDUs, like in the Navy, where dungarees and a shirt are better for working around machinery than BDUs.
My feeling? Anyone in any military branch working in an office should wear office wear. Like.. pinks and greens.
ReplyDeleteBDUs of all flavors should only be worn in the field or where it is useful, like the motor pool or in the warehouse or such. But in an office?
Our servicemembers should look sharp.
And there are more practical uniforms for daily wear than BDUs, like in the Navy, where dungarees and a shirt are better for working around machinery than BDUs.
I have a picture of my father wearing pinks & greens from 1956
ReplyDeleteHopefully, the stupid beret will go away except for those that actually EARN it now.
ReplyDelete