Approved!

CNO gives green light to cammies and khakis. More changes yet to come By Mark D. Faram NavyTimes staff writer 13 March 2006 Issue It's official. The Navy is changing uniforms, overhauling almost everything in the seabag except dress duds. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen gave the go-ahead Feb. 24 to implement both a new Battle Dress Uniform-style working uniform for all ranks and a new service uniform for E-6 and below. Task Force Uniform officials plan to issue the new uniforms to the fleet as early as next fall. Mullen also directed TFU to develop and implement a PT uniform; investigate bringing back dress khaki jackets for chiefs and officers; look into adopting an optional ceremonial cutlass for chief petty officers; and design a new all-weather coat for all ranks. These are good uniforms. Durability, safety, ease of wear and cleaning were all factors that weighed heavily on my mind, as did, quite frankly, the survey data and the opinions of wear testers, Mullen said in an e-mail to the Navy senior leadership. He was unavailable for comment March 3, officials said. It was very clear to me during recent visits to the fleet that sailors are ready for a change, and not just for change sake, the e-mail stated. I believe they honestly desire better and more professional uniforms than the ones we are issuing them today. That matters. The moves are the largest approvals to date for the three-year-old TFU, which was chartered by former CNO Adm. Vern Clark in 2003 to streamline and improve the Navy uniforms. In fact, these uniform changes are the largest for the Navy since the crackerjack enlisted service dress blue uniform was eliminated and reinstated in the 1970s. That ill-fated move weighed heavily on TFU officials, who promised to take their time and fully research all options before recommending any changes to the CNO. "We said all along we wanted to get this done right, not fast", said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/AW) Terry Scott. I believe we have done that here. It was Scott who appointed CNO-designated Command Master Chief (SS) Robert B. Carroll to head TFU three years ago. Carroll, a machinist's mate in submarines before joining the command master chief program, said living through poorly developed uniform changes made him extra cautious in this assignment.  It really helped to have 30 years of Navy experience when you are talking about making changes of this magnitude,  Carroll said.  When you live through changes that were not well researched or tested, it can make life for sailors tougher, not easier. Those are things you do not forget. By most accounts, that wasn't the case in this latest change. Both styles of uniforms were tested worldwide in a variety of commands in nearly all possible climates — including the frozen winters at Recruit Training Command Great Lakes, Ill.  I think this move is just outstanding, said Chief Boatswain's Mate (SW) Todd Mangin, who wear-tested the new working uniform at RTC last year. Mangin said he's missed wearing the BDU-style uniforms this year during the cold Chicago winter. He's happy with the Navy's decision, he said, though he would have preferred a woodland — not blue digital — pattern. St Still, he said, he's elated and thinks most sailors will be, as well. That's really only a question of style in my book. What counts is the function of the uniform, and I think most sailors will be happy with what they get once they have a chance to wear it. Blue BDUs The new BDU-style working uniform is made of a 50/50 nylon and cotton blend. Though the dominant color in the digital camouflage pattern is blue, it also contains some haze and deck gray, the most common colors of paint used onboard ship. The design also includes black. The purpose of camouflage patterns in this version of the uniform is not for sailors to blend in with their surroundings,  Carroll said. It is to make them more compatible with their environment. This material and color pattern will be more durable and long-lasting, he said, because the multicolored pattern will hide dirt, paint and normal wear. The permanent-press feature also makes the uniform suitable for wash and wear, he said. The BDU blouse will feature a new emblem on the left breast pocket: the ACE, which stands for the words anchor, Constitution and eagle. The design is similar to the eagle, globe and anchor, or EGA, worn by the Marine Corps. The Navy's design is taken from the service's official seal, Scott said. The blouses will have silver name tapes for sailors E-6 and below and gold for chiefs and officers, Scott said. Most sailors will sport the blue version of the uniform, although Carroll said two other color schemes will be created for desert and woodland settings. "Other than color, these uniforms will be identical to the blue NWU in all its features", Carroll said. We have said all along that sailors will wear the uniform appropriate for environment, whether that is shipboard or tactical in nature. Seabees, SEALs and security forces will wear the woodland version, for example, and will not be required to keep and maintain a blue version. In a Navy-specific move, the blouse will only have breast pockets and two tactical pockets on the sleeves. This will enable sailors to tuck the blouse into the pants for safety or tactical reasons. Though the official manner of wear has yet to be developed, Carroll said sleeves will likely be rolled Army-style, allowing them to be snapped down quickly for general quarters. Collars will be pointed, reflecting the preference of most of the wear testers, he said. The pants will sport two large cargo pockets that will not only be sealed by a button flap but also have elastic tops to help keep items secure. Waistbands will also feature elastic. The NWU belt will be a black web belt with a closed-face buckle. And the hat: Yes, we will have the traditional Navy and Marine Corps eight-point cover, Scott said. That was preferred by an overwhelming majority. What has not been decided is how this will impact the wear of command ball caps. Scott said that decision will be given much thought. "I still like my ball caps", he said. Under the uniform, sailors will wear a black cotton T-shirt. "The decision on whether to make performance-style undershirts available for optional wear is pending", Carroll said. In addition, a turtleneck undershirt will be adopted for optional winter wear. As expected, the boots will be smooth black leather — essentially adding nine-inch tops to the traditional low-cut boondocker. It also will be enhanced with speed laces, a feature requested by the wear testers. "Sailors told us this feature was important to them and made it easier to quickly don the boots", Scott said. In addition, the black suede "no-shine" boot will be authorized for optional wear while sailors are assigned to non-shipboard commands. Desert and woodland variations are being developed, as well. For cold and foul weather, sailors will now be issued a Gore-Tex jacket with removable fleece lining. The NWU will eliminate seven officer and enlisted working uniforms. These include the current enlisted utility, working khakis, winter working blues, aviation greens, as well as the current woodland and desert camouflage utility uniform. Coveralls will continue to be issued to sailors, but, like the dungarees of old, they will be for 'dirty work' only and will not be authorized as official uniforms ashore. "We will continue to issue coveralls to sailors", Carroll said. But coveralls will be downgraded to organizational clothing. Khaki and black Mullen also has approved the adoption of a single, year-round service uniform for E-1 to E-6 sailors. Gone will be the summer whites and winter blues. In their place will be a new uniform composed of black pants and a short-sleeve khaki shirt for men and a khaki overblouse for women. Both will be made of a 75/25 polyester and cotton mix and have permanent military creases. No longer will sailors have any sew-on rank insignia or unit identification marks. Instead, miniature silver anodized metal rank insignia will be worn on their collars. Also included will be a new version of the now-optional garrison cap, on which sailors will wear a larger version of their rank insignia. For now, the overblouse design is only for junior female enlisted sailors. "It all depends on the feedback we get", Scott said of the possibility of that design going fleetwide. That's really a question for the next phase of TFU. In addition, the current E-6-and-below windbreaker will be scrapped in favor of the Eisenhower jacket currently reserved for chiefs and officers. And what about the Dixie cup hat? It will no longer be an everyday wear item, though it will live on in the service dress blues and whites. "That hat says sailor to me and always has", Scott said. The crackerjack uniform and its traditional design is well-loved by our sailors and is here to stay, though we might find ways to improve it in the future. The next step Mullen told admirals he expects the new uniforms to hit the fleet in as little as 18 months. "It really depends on a lot of factors outside our control,", Carroll said. There are contracts ... and other details to be worked out, but we're moving forward as fast as possible on this. In the meantime, sailors must maintain their existing seabags and keep the complete inventory of items maintained in good working order. Once the new items are available for purchase and issue, sailors will be provided with an increased uniform allowance to help defray the cost of the switch. Scott would not provide individual cost estimates for either of the new uniforms, saying contract specifications are still pending. He did say they cost more than the current uniforms sailors buy. Still, he said, the new uniforms are expected to last longer than current versions, helping mitigate any increases. Moving forward, TFU officials are looking at what they call Phase II: overhauling service uniforms for chiefs and officers and improving dress uniforms for everyone. In addition, Scott said they will research the possibility of adopting a cutlass as an optional ceremonial item for chief petty officers, an option that has been raised and shot down a few times in the past. I'd like to see the cutlass become the symbol of enlisted leadership", Scott said. Mullen got into the act, too, requesting TFU to examine the possibility of bringing back dress khakis for chiefs and officers, reprising another traditional uniform that was mothballed in the 1970s. "Along with crackerjacks, there's no other uniform that says Navy as much as that khaki jacket with shoulder boards", Carroll said. This has the potential of being a very popular uniform and we intend to investigate this idea fully. Nine new details • PT uniforms on the way • Dress khakis for chiefs and officers • New all-weather coat under review • Ceremonial cutlass is proposed for chief petty officers • Your own foul-weather jacket • No more shorts • Patches eliminated for service uniforms • Snap-rolled Navy Working Uniform sleeves • Reduced role for Dixie cup hats ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Contributed, YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret) Editor's Note: So far as I know and to the best of my knowledge, the Crackerjack uniform, Service Dress Blues and Whites along with the Dixie Cup (white hat) will not be affected by this change. At least not for now.