U.S. Army Approves New Dress Uniforms On Veterans Day

Soldier models pose in the final prototypes of the proposed "pinks and greens" dress uniforms. A skirt and pumps would be optional for women. (Army)

Army Times: It’s official: Army approves ‘pinks and greens’ uniform on Veterans Day

The Army was able to straighten out its congressionally mandated notification requirements in time to announce on Sunday, Veterans Day, that the much anticipated “Army Greens” will indeed be your next service uniform.

Formerly known as the “pinks and greens,” the World War II-era officers uniform could go Army-wide as soon as 2020, according to a release that was posted Sunday to the Army’s website but was not shared through any of its social media channels.

“The current Army Blues Uniform will return to being a formal dress uniform, while the Army Greens will become the everyday business-wear uniform for all soldiers,” the release said.

The new uniform will be “cost-neutral,” according to the Army, though details of the budgeting plan were not immediately available.

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WNU Editor: What was old and out of fashion is now new and in fashion.

More News On The U.S. Army Approving New Dress Uniforms

What's old is new: Army rolls out 'pinks and greens' service uniform -- Stars and Stripes
U.S. Army announces roll out of new Army Greens uniform on Veteran’s Day -- KOAA News
Army Adopts World War II ‘Pink And Greens’ Uniform For All Soldiers -- Task & Purpose
The history of the US Army's uniforms since 1776, in images and depictions -- Business Insider

The U.S. Navy Will Have New Uniforms In October

Sailors have the option of wearing either the blue- or green-camouflage uniforms, but will be required to own the new clothing by Oct. 1, 2019, when the blue uniform will no longer be authorized. (U.S. Navy/Blake Midnight)

Task & Purpose: The Navy’s Replacement For ‘Blueberry’ Working Uniforms Is Coming This Fall

After years of forcing aquaflage on sailors, the Navy announced on Aug. 17 that it will begin fielding its new working uniform — Navy Working Uniform Type III — in October 2017.

The roll-out of the tough-looking uniform will take roughly two years, but sailors will continue to wear their cool-toned NWU I uniforms, more fondly known as “blueberries,” until they are phased out on Oct. 1, 2019.

The new uniform, which consists of green and tan woodland cammies, has been issued to expeditionary sailors for six years, and presents a stark but welcome contrast to the NWU I’s blues.

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WNU Editor: This is different from the U.S. Marines who (after 4 years) are still trying to develop a new female dress blue coat .... Four Years In, Marines Still Developing New Female Dress Blues Coat (Military.com)

Another Change In U.S. Military Fashion

CNN: Military's fashion don'ts cost hundreds of millions

Washington (CNN) In 2008, the Navy debuted a new blue, black and gray uniform named Navy Working Uniform Type I. It just had a couple of hiccups: It melted in heat, weighed a ton and was effective camouflage only for sailors who happened to find themselves in water.

Mockingly nicknamed "aquaflage" -- though the Navy noted upon its release that it wasn't intended for concealment -- the Navy deep-sixed the design this month. Instead, it will clothe its staff in a new green uniform, known as Navy Working Uniform Type III.

While the move was widely welcomed among the ranks, it is perhaps a pyrrhic victory.

The recent uniform change is just the latest in a spate of redesigns and modifications across the services in the post 9/11 era. Most have been more short-lived than their predecessors, costing the Pentagon hundreds of millions of dollars. As a result, Congress two years ago refused to provide funding for any new styles.

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WNU Editor: I miss the old khaki greens.

U.S. Marines Test New Combat Uniforms And Boots For Jungle Warfare

WNU Editor: This will have a huge impact on the battlefield. I am just surprised that they are coming around to doing something about it only now.

The U.S. Military Wants 'Smart Uniforms' That Can Combat Chemical And Biological Threats

Gunners Dave Archer and Paul Van Helvert, both with the Canadian 129th Anti-Aircraft Defense Battery, stand by at a Blowpipe anti-aircraft guided missile system position on the edge of the base during exercise Cornet Phaser, a NATO rapid deployment exercise conducted under simulated wartime conditions. The men are wearing nuclear, chemical and biological protective gear (including C3 gas mask). Wikipedia

FOX News: US military aims to combat chemical threats with ‘smart uniform’

In the next decade, U.S. soldiers could get new smart uniforms that are breathable but also designed to shield them from hazards like viruses and chemical weapons, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced on Wednesday.

The uniforms could be made of fabric that contains tiny carbon nanotubes that function as channels to let water vapor out, but at the same time block biological agents like viruses from entering. Each tube is tiny in diameter: a human hair is roughly 5,000 times wider. The lab said that that’s small enough to keep out biological hazards like the dengue virus.

According to the lab, the fabric— a technology they call “second skin”-- is more breathable than Gore-Tex.

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WNU Editor: You would still need to wear protective gear over the head, hands, feet, etc. .... but this will probably be a better and more comfortable outfit to have on when deployed to an environment that has a high chemical/biological threat level.

U.S. Navy Work Uniforms Extremely Flammable

Navy Admits Standard-Issue Uniform Is Highly Flammable And Will Melt Onto Skin (But It's Very Easy To Wash!) -- Daily Mail

* Navy textile research facility performed impromptu test on Navy's Type I blue-and-grey military fatigues
* Results found that nylon-cotton blend uniforms were highly flammable
* However, would be cost-prohibitive to recall uniform
* Top Navy spokesman adds that fire-retardant gear is available for those who come in contact with fires aboard ships and aircrafts

The U.S. Navy’s standard-issue blue digitized camouflage fatigues are highly flammable and will burn ‘robustly until complete consumption,’ a report revealed last month.

The findings show that the digital-print camo, which is made from 50 percent cotton and 50 percent nylon, will drip as it burns, causing potentially hazardous burn injuries.

But the Navy’s top spokesman said that the government organization is aware of the report findings, and added that sailors had asked for a fade-resistant uniform that was also comfortable.

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More News On Concerns That U.S. Navy Work Uniforms Are Extremely Flammable

Two boards to gauge uniform fire risks -- Navy Times
Navy says working uniforms are extremely flammable -- Stars and Stripes
Standard-issue Navy uniforms are highly flammable, report shows -- FOX News
Navy reviews fire safety of working uniforms -- Boston.com/AP
Report: Navy Uniforms Very Flammable, Top Officials Have Known -- CBS
Test shows U.S. Navy work uniforms are highly flammable -- Digital Journal
Navy details review of flammable uniforms -- Pilot Online
Navy reviews fire safety of working uniforms -- Huffington Post

My Comment: If true .... this is a huge screw-up.

A Look At Military Uniforms Of The Future

Combating Chemical Agents A U.S. Army private prepares for a chemical training drill wearing the service's current chemical protection suit, which is both hot and restrictive. United States Army

Military Uniforms Of The Future Will Automatically Turn Into Chemical Suits In The Presence Of Threats -- Popular Science

Next-gen combat fatigues could incorporate a new kind of breathable fabric that instantly turns into a protective shell in the presence of chemical or biological threats.

Soldiers on the battlefield may soon be getting a second skin. Researchers at UMass Amherst are developing a new nanotube-based fabric intended for use in military combat uniforms that protects grunts from chemical and biological agents. But unlike the cumbersome and (really, really) hot chemical suits the military currently issues to mitigate those kinds of threats, this material will automatically switch from a highly breathable state to a protective one, triggered by the presence of a chemical or biological threat. The uniform may well know the threat is present before the soldier does.

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Update: Developing 'second skin' military fabric to repel chemical and biological agents -- Phys.org

US Navy Is Developing 'Intelligent' Uniforms

One of the U.S. military's many attempts to design a uniform of the future. Photo: RDECOM

New Navy Uniform Could Monitor Sailors’ Pee for Signs of Nuclear Attack -- The Danger Room

The military’s uniforms will probably never be runway ready. But in the future, a soldier’s threads might very well be quite a bit sharper.

As in, more intelligent. At least if the Office of Naval Research gets its way. On ONR’s latest call for research proposals, the organization is asking for uniforms to be capable of measuring soldiers’ vital signs, detecting the location and severity of their bullet wounds and even transmitting their location to medical personnel via GPS sensors implanted into clothing fabric.

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My Comment: I expect the fruits of this research to one day also show up in regular clothing.

The Ultimate Army Uniform

Sgt. Robert E. Blackwelder, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear NCO, 4/2 Stryker Cavalry Regiment, decontaminates his equipment during a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Course. U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Fredrick P. Varney

Army Wants Uniform To Repel Nearly All Invisible Threats, Too -- MSNBC/Innovation

Clothing would stop chemicals, bacteria and viruses, as well as rain, dirt and snow.

Whether soldiers want to avoid infection during the theoretical zombie apocalypse or just keep clean on modern battlefields, the U.S. Army has their backs. Military researchers have begun sniffing around the idea of specially treated clothing that could not only repel dirt, rain and snow, but also invisible threats from chemicals, bacteria and viruses.

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My Comment: Something tells me that when the ultimate uniform has finally been developed .... it's going to be very very very expensive. But hey .... I know that there is always room for improvement.

U.S. Army Pants Are Ripping

U.S. soldiers (including one still in boxer shorts) come under fire from the Taliban yesterday in northeastern Afghanistan. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

New U.S. Army Uniform Recalled After Soldiers Complain Of Ripping Pants -- Daily Mail

They have to endure the rigours of enemy fire, extreme heat and the emotional stress of spending months away from families and loved ones.

And it appears the U.S. soldier now has another enemy to contend with - ripped pants.

The new uniforms - which were supposed to be more durable than previous iterations - are ripping apart at random, according to soldiers in the field.

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My Comment: It`s the small things in life that are important .... like pants that do not rip when you bend down to pick up something.

Velcro Is Now Optional For U.S. Army Uniforms

Change: Soldiers will now also be allowed to sew on name tags and service badges instead of having to just use velcro to hole them in place

ACU Changes Make Velcro Optional, Patrol Cap Default Headgear -- U.S. Army

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 11, 2011) -- The voice of the Soldier has been heard: the Army announced the patrol cap will replace the black wool beret as the default headgear for the Army combat uniform.

Also changing are the options for how Soldiers can attach certain items to their ACU shirts. Army Chief of Staff Martin E. Dempsey said Soldiers will soon be able to sew on name tapes, service tapes, rank insignia and skill badges, instead of using Velcro.

The changes were made after Dempsey received input from Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond F. Chandler III, who had been tasked to gather opinions from Soldiers in the field.

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Update: Big Changes For Army ACU -- DoD Live

My Comment: I prefer the velcro option .... but I guess some prefer stitching their name and rank on their uniform.

So Much For The Army Beret

Army Ends Black Beret Requirement For Most Soldiers -- ABC News

Complaining is as common as saluting in the U.S. Army, but over the past decade the piece of soldiering that received the most carping was the uniform's black beret.

The beret, made of wool, is itchy, requires two hands to put on properly, and literally stinks in the summer heat, soldiers claim.

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More News On The Army Ditching The Beret

In US Army, the beret is out and the cap is back -- Yahoo News/AFP
Army ditches beret as official combat headgear -- USA Today
Army backtracks on black berets after more than a decade of debate -- CNN
Army Shelves Beret As Official Headgear Of Combat Uniform -- NPR
US Army to abandon the beret -- The Telegraph
US Army abandons 'impractical' black berets -- BBC
In US Army, the beret is out and the cap is back -- AFP
Army dumping berets for combat uniform -- UPI
Army Ditches Hated Berets in Favor of Caps -- Newser
Army soldiers toss black berets for brimmed caps -- CBS
U.S. Army Ditches the Most Hated Part of the Uniform -- the Stir
Army ditches black berets in favor of caps -- Miami Herald/AP
'I hate having to wear a wet sock on my head': U.S. army to replace berets with caps... because soldiers complained they were too hot -- The Daily Mail
U.S. Army dumps berets for patrol caps -- USA Today (Photo gallery)

My Comment: I wear a cap all the time .... and yes .... I prefer that than wearing a silly sock over my head.

Formal Uniforms Now Required At The Pentagon

The Army announced that soldiers at the Pentagon will no longer be able to wear their combat attire inside the Pentagon and must wear their formal service uniform instead. U.S. Army

Army Ditching Fatigues for Formal Uniform at Pentagon -- FOX News

The Pentagon is going corporate.

Soldiers who once wore combat fatigues — or, as some call them, “pajamas” — to work at the Pentagon will have to dust off their ironing boards, as the Army announced Tuesday a new Pentagon dress code requiring the formal service uniform.

The wardrobe change came after Sgt. Maj. Raymond F. Chandler III took suggestions from soldiers he talked with in the field.

After the terrorist attacks of Sept.11, 2001, then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had soldiers at the Pentagon wear combat fatigues, in part to remind them the country is at war.

Now nearly 10 years later, the Army is taking a more business-like approach to its Pentagon presence.

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My Comment: What is my take .... I favor former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's decision to have soldiers at the Pentagon wear combat fatigues, in part to remind them (and the country) that we are at war. But it is clear that a different mindset in the Pentagon has taken hold .... hence the return to formal attire.

Military Uniforms Of The Future?

Solar-Powered Soldier The superimposed numbers are readings for anticipated sunlight. Engineering and Physical Research Sciences Center

‘Solar Soldier’ Project Creating Power-Harvesting Uniforms for British Infantry -- Popular Science

Future camouflage uniforms will draw power from the sun during the day and from a soldier’s body during the night, turning infantrymen into true sunshine patriots. The system could provide continuous power for a radio, GPS and weapons, but at half the weight of traditional battery packs.

The Engineering and Physical Research Sciences Center in the UK is working on a new type of fabric that uses solar photovoltaic cells, thermoelectric devices and advanced lightweight batteries. Because the system absorbs heat, it could even serve as a type of wearable stealth cloak, making a soldier less susceptible to detection with infrared cameras.

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My Comment: I never thought that the science behind military uniforms would be as complicated as it is today.

A New U.S. Army Uniform For Female Soldiers

U.S. Army To Design New Uniform For Female Soldiers -- Bradley's Military Surplus

Women account for 15.5 percent of the U.S. Army, and now the military has decided they deserve a uniform that fits.

Many female soldiers have complained that their uniform was designed for men. In order to get the uniform jacket to fit across the chest, for instance, they have to buy larger sizes — making the shoulders far too big.

The military plans to introduce uniforms cut for female soldiers. Women make up more than 15 percent of the U.S. Army.”We need to ensure our women are wearing something they are comfortable in, and it doesn’t make them look like their uniform doesn’t fit,” Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller told Army Times.

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My Comment: After all of these years, someone in the military chain of command has now figured out that women dress differently. Hmmm .... when will the other services get up to speed?

No More Velcro On U.S. Army Uniforms

Rip it off: Velcro on a US army uniform. Photograph: Getty Images/Erik S Lesser

US Army Ditches Velcro From Its Uniforms -- The Guardian

It was an essential part of US soldiers' uniforms, but Velcro's ripping noise betrays their position to the enemy – and gets clogged with dirt

Is this the end of the line for Velcro? According to USA Today, the US army has decided to ditch that once most fashionable and space-age of fasteners from the pockets of trousers issued to soldiers in Afghanistan, and replace it with the humble button. The Velcro fasteners have, apparently, been failing to cope with bulging pockets – as well as collecting dirt and sand and even, with that unmistakable, fingers-on-blackboard ripping sound, betraying soldiers' positions to the enemy. US sergeant Kenny Hatten wrote on an army website, "Buttons are silent, work just fine in the mud, do not clog up with dirt and do not fray and disintegrate with repeated laundering."

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My Comment:I guess this means that the Army is going back to the sewing machine.

New Camouflage Uniforms For US Soldiers In Afghanistan

Soldiers wear MultiCam during a demonstration at Fort Bliss, Texas. Army sources said Feb. 17 that MultiCam will be the new camouflage pattern for soldiers in Afghanistan. Maj. Deanna Bague / Army

Soldiers To Get New Cammo Pattern For Wear In Afghanistan -- Army.mil

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Feb. 19, 2010) -- Starting this summer, Soldiers sent to fight in Afghanistan will wear an Army Combat Uniform with the "MultiCam" pattern instead of the standard-issue universal camouflage pattern.

Secretary of the Army John McHugh made that announcement Feb. 19, after the service conducted a rigorous four-month evaluation of various uniform patterns to determine what could best protect Soldiers in Afghanistan.

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More News On The New Camouflage Uniforms For US Soldiers

New camo for the ’Stan -- Army Times
Army Selects New Camouflage for Afghanistan - -War On Terror News
New fire resistance dresses for US forces in Afghan -- Press Trust of India
Murtha's Legacy -- New Army Camo Uniform for Afghanistan -- ABC News

The U.K. Military Is Getting New Uniforms .... From China

The new uniform has a combination of seven colours which help
troops to merge into the background Photo: David Rose

British Army To Get New Uniforms – Turned Down By The US And Made In China -- The Telegraph

The British Army is introducing a new camouflage design for all its soldiers after tests showed that it made them less likely to be seen by the enemy.

The new uniform has a combination of seven colours which help troops to merge into the background. Commanders hope the move – the biggest change to the uniform for more than 40 years – will help to reduce casualties in Afghanistan.

The design will replace both the "desert" camouflage used on operations in the country as well as the darker coloured, "temperate" – or "woodland" – camouflage worn by forces stationed in Europe and elsewhere.

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My Comment: The Brits are finally catching up to what the Americans have spent a considerable amount of time and monies to develop .... about time.