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Aviation Uniforms and Customs for the new ENS

zipmartin

Never been better
pilot
Contributor
We wore the salt & peppers for a short time at Cecil in the late '70's and the Johnny Cash's were popular in the winter at Oceana in the mid-late 80's because of the long sleeves.
 

wink

War Hoover NFO.
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
I think the Johnny Cash was around until about '86-87.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
@HAL Pilot may have something else in mind, but perhaps he's referring to the all-black "Johnny Cash" uniforms...long sleeved shirt over SDB trousers. Either with both tie and ribbons (service uniform), or without both (working uniform). Much bigger on the east coast, I think, than it ever was on the left.
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Wore that in the winter my first few years as an NROTC Mid in the late 90s. It was awful because it was itchy and the winters in ATL aren't cold enough to warrant long sleeves and a tie. Plus you had to haul around the combo cover.
 

Treetop Flyer

Well-Known Member
pilot
The yachting uniform?

We did it once in VP-46 for a dinning in on Diego Garcia in the late 80s just because... Never saw it other than that one time.

But on USS Theodore Roosevelt in the mid 1990s when we had a MARDET, we used to have the Marines dress up like that (dress blue jackets, white pants) to usher and serve drinks/hors d oeuvres to visiting VIPs during port visits during our cruises. We'd set up tents and stuff on the flight deck and have a VIP party. The Marines called it a "Sunset Parade" as it was usually the evening time and the Marines thought being part of a "parade" was better than being called waiters...
These days the white pants with blues are only for officers and staff nco’s and only in the summer. I guess it was more unofficial since back then there were dress whites but also only for officers and snco’s

Also, holy shit they Navy has had a ridiculous array of inane uniform combinations. About the only USMC nonsense I’ve seen in my time involves changes to when to wear green/tan cammies or flight suits and when to roll or not roll cammie sleeves.
 

Pags

N/A
pilot
These days the white pants with blues are only for officers and staff nco’s and only in the summer. I guess it was more unofficial since back then there were dress whites but also only for officers and snco’s

Also, holy shit they Navy has had a ridiculous array of inane uniform combinations. About the only USMC nonsense I’ve seen in my time involves changes to when to wear green/tan cammies or flight suits and when to roll or not roll cammie sleeves.
Most of the older uniforms combos have gone away. But there's still no shortage of uniforms. When I finished up my time in USN I had to bring 5 pairs of shoes with me on cruise: black, white, and brown shoes and brown and black boots.
 

Jim123

DD-214 in hand and I'm gonna party like it's 1998
pilot
I remember the salt and peppers and the winter blues (Johnny Cash) while in NROTC 1981-1985. I want to say the winter blue stayed for awhile after that.
They were still issuing us a set of Johnny Cash at combined OCS in '98-99. We just assumed they were still in the sea bag because some SWO daddies up in Newport must like them; it's puzzling they lasted as long as they did. They were a good uniform but they were rather redundant to khakis, especially if you included long sleeve khaki shirts.

They did make a good winter service uniform for enlisted. Dungarees and utilities were no good for quarterdeck watch but these would save a guy having to change into his SDBs/crackerjacks before watch and then changing back out again at the end.

Sometimes we called it the "Hitler Youth" uniform, but that one didn't exactly stick.

Also, holy shit they Navy has had a ridiculous array of inane uniform combinations.
IMHO, what was quite possibly the singularly most retarded thing the Navy Uniform Board ever decreed was to mandate black T-shirts for all flight suits. We'd had the smurf cammies for several years by then and that meant navy blue T-shirts were widely available, at the Exchange or the ship's store, let alone already in most people's seabags (standard issue at boot camp and commissioning sources). But the oxygen thieves known as the NUB decided that fliers should stuff their kit with more shirts.
 

jointhelocalizer

Well-Known Member
pilot
They were at USNA up to a few years ago. Now the only the summer variant of the Johnny Cash's are used with the idea that one would wear the Ike/All-Weather Coat/SWOter/Reefer or do the short sleeve challenge when winter rolled around. For those curious, Ikes and the SWOter were common sights. There has also been an uptick in MIDN wearing the Reefer. One of those "wearing it like it's going out of style" type situations since the newer classes aren't getting it. All-Weather Coats are authorized, but people just wore the Ike in the rain.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
...long sleeve khaki shirts.
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I liked the Johnny Cash. Sharp looking with the G1, hid beer stains. In our hangar on the seawall in Norfolk, the squadron spaces split the difference between thermostat setting and OAT, so they were ideal winter wear.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
These days the white pants with blues are only for officers and staff nco’s and only in the summer. I guess it was more unofficial since back then there were dress whites but also only for officers and snco’s

Also, holy shit they Navy has had a ridiculous array of inane uniform combinations. About the only USMC nonsense I’ve seen in my time involves changes to when to wear green/tan cammies or flight suits and when to roll or not roll cammie sleeves.
Yeah, but you folks have conniptions if people wear their cammies off base, because oh, the horror over something that’s apparently uniquely horrifying to Marines or something.
 

nittany03

Recovering NFO. Herder of Programmers.
pilot
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
Most of the older uniforms combos have gone away. But there's still no shortage of uniforms. When I finished up my time in USN I had to bring 5 pairs of shoes with me on cruise: black, white, and brown shoes and brown and black boots.
I manned the rail in SDBs a month into cruise, and then put my black shoes in a locker in my stateroom, 100 percent in order.

Fast forward 7 months as I’m packing up to go home, and I realize they’ve somehow decided to have a Bates blowout. While just sitting there doing nothing, not being worn. Piles of crumbling foam rubber all over everything. :rolleyes:
 

xmid

Registered User
pilot
Contributor
We wore the Johnny Cash's at OCS in 2007 timeframe.

At HSC-2 we recreated a picture from 50 years ago, on the sea wall. In the original picture there were 3 pilots that were in AWG. Everyone else was in SDB's. It just so happened 3 of us had AWG's. The picture turned out well. It blew the enlisted guys minds. They didn't know if we were Marines or if they should salute us or what. It was great. I wish I still had a copy.
 
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DanMa1156

Is it baseball season yet?
pilot
Contributor
They were at USNA up to a few years ago. Now the only the summer variant of the Johnny Cash's are used with the idea that one would wear the Ike/All-Weather Coat/SWOter/Reefer or do the short sleeve challenge when winter rolled around. For those curious, Ikes and the SWOter were common sights. There has also been an uptick in MIDN wearing the Reefer. One of those "wearing it like it's going out of style" type situations since the newer classes aren't getting it. All-Weather Coats are authorized, but people just wore the Ike in the rain.

As a I mid I always wore the reefer. Love that coat. It's not being issued to new classes anymore?
 
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