SECNAV Criticizes 'Blueberries'

[Sapper!]

The last page of this thread kicks @$$

Ironically, the Army went the extra mile with issuing OEF dudes multi cam, they actually get boots that work in the hilly, rocky stuff where we walk. Soldiers flat out love the hiking boots. And imagine that, camo pattern gets all the talk but they still issued the old school, steel shanked, suede jungle style boots forever. Guess the Army has to do something right on accident every once in a while. Soooooooo, on that note, the Comanche should be here any day now....right?

Is it just me or does it seem a crime that sailors have the NWU and the boots aren't really that great. I know that some desert Bates can't really be that good to walk around a boat or get dirty while wearing. That just me?

 

[HueyCobra8151]

Just curious, are you saying they are issuing some hiking boots (which I read as civilian style), or the old school jungle boots?

 

[squeeze]

Are we talking about the same US Army "uniform" where no two soldiers have the same pair of boots? I guess when you don't bother blousing your boots, it's hard to tell though.

 

[Spekkio]

The NEX sells two different style NWU boots, and there's no requirement to buy from the NEX, so they're not unique in having non-uniform boots.

Spekkio: Why does a requirement (real or perceived) to put creases in a uniform make it broken?

Pickle nailed it. Some people might say it doesn't exist or it was limited to a few stupid people in leadership positions, others will just point the finger and say there was no problem except for poor divisional leadership, but I've heard many complaints about the uniform and the Navy-wide expectations for wear similar to Pickle's. It didn't function well as the makeshift service uniform some expected it to be, and it didn't function well as a working uniform because it wasn't rugged enough to withstand the kind of work some Sailors do.

Well, the CNO listened and the overal attitude among Sailors toward the NWU was welcoming of the change. They liked having cold weather gear that actually kept them warm (and you can just de-blouse when it gets hot), they liked having a uniform that fit comfortably, and they liked having a uniform they could wear to and from work without getting bitched at by a 'khaki' as long as they threw it in the wash every couple of days and put a coat of polish on the boots. You can scream "but tradition!" all you want but the above improvements could not have been made on the existing utilities. If we're gonna stick with tradition, why don't we just go back to wearing blue overcoats and knee-high knickers?

But it is far from perfect. The uniform fades to a brownish-gray color over time and if you are stationed in a year-round warm climate the heavy material is uncomfortable. It's expensive to purchase and few Sailors I've talked to who were in at the time of the shift have the full seabag complement of 4 uniforms. Blue camoflauge doesn't exactly look professional. The boots are uncomfortable until broken in.

Then there's the fire-proof piece, which was poor headwork by the uniform board, but is a bit overblown. Someone posted a link where it took something like 12-15 seconds of direct flame to ignite the NWU. If you're in a situation where your NWU is exposed to direct flame like that, you've probably got a lot more to worry about than just the uniform. There are a lot more issues with Navy firefighting gear than the NWU, which hopefully are being changed, albeit slowly.

 

[Gatordev]

(and you can just de-blouse when it gets hot)

Maybe on a boat, but this isn't the case everywhere. I've seen it where certain khaki won't allow for deblouse when it's hot. Is it stupid? Yes. But it's another case of divisional or command specific guidance for a uniform, which means we're right back where we were before the NWUs, except now the uniform is even hotter.

 

[picklesuit]

Maybe on a boat, but this isn't the case everywhere. I've seen it where certain khaki won't allow for deblouse when it's hot. Is it stupid? Yes. But it's another case of divisional or command specific guidance for a uniform, which means we're right back where we were before the NWUs, except now the uniform is even hotter.

Then those Khaki are stupid and/or wrong.

 

[Gatordev]

Then those Khaki are stupid and/or wrong.

I completely agree. But they were wrong back with Utilities, too.

By the way (and not directed at you Pickle), Utilities =/= Dungarees. I think some here that haven't seen the Dungarees in the fleet may not realize that.

 

[Renegade One]

When men were men, and sheep were afraid!
The "Navy Tomcat Team" from the AIM/ACEVAL efforts of the late '70s:

 

[jmcquate]

When men were men, and sheep were afraid!
The "Navy Tomcat Team" from the AIM/ACEVAL efforts of the late '70s:
View attachment 12543

Nice ferris scheme.

 

[picklesuit]

I completely agree. But they were wrong back with Utilities, too.

By the way (and not directed at you Pickle), Utilities =/= Dungarees. I think some here that haven't seen the Dungarees in the fleet may not realize that.

I agree, and I'll do what I can to squash said retardation. And I've heard those dungarees were pretty sweet.
Pickle

 

[e6bflyer]

I agree, and I'll do what I can to squash said retardation. And I've heard those dungarees were pretty sweet.
Pickle

I started my Navy career as a proud dungaree wearer. I wouldn't say they were that great. They were pretty dated looking, couldn't go off base in them, and the stenciling ranged from funny looking to just plain nasty. The one and only redeeming quality they had...cheap as hell. I always had a "dress" set pressed and in my locker for when it was required, and if you ruined a set, it was only 35 or so dollars to replace them and you could have them ready to wear from hanging on the rack in about 30 minutes.

Some of the "not so great" things about them:
The jeans used some sort of dye that would literally stain your skin blue and run in the washer for about 4 washes.
White stencil pen on dark blue jeans...it would wear off quick.
The jeans faded quick. Turns out that blue dye has a half life of about 10 washings.
Seems like the more you washed them, the more they shrank.
Bell bottoms...enough said.
Flat pockets plus bulky items equals awkward bulges. Thankfully before the days of cell phones.
The boon docker boots...what the fuck was the navy thinking?

I think utilities were honestly a step backwards, and now we have a uniform that was like two steps forward, a step sideways, and then tripping and falling on our faces. I can't wait for the next installment of TFU, the retired Master Chief endowment fund, and whatever the current CNO has a hard on for. The good thing (I think) is that they seem to wait at least a decade or so before they punish us with another change. I think I can get by with my one set in the meantime.

I also wore wash khakis for a little while (Shooter tour) and really liked them. Of course, they weren't broken, so we had to fix them.

 

[helolumpy]

Let me see if I have followed this thread correctly:
The Marines got new cammies (which may or may not be a copy of a Canadian cammie pattern) which everyone likes, but they won't share.
The Army spend a shit-ton of $$$ and screwed it up.
The Air Force tried to outdo the Army and now has green boots.
Nobody likes NWU type I. Type II and III are pretty good but very few folks get to wear them.
The Marines don't like getting blamed for the other services being morons and now have crappy cammies.
Any uniform that someone brings up, someone else will bitch about.

Have I missed anything?

 

[LFCFan]

Nobody likes NWU type I. Type II and III are pretty good but very few folks get to wear them.

Maybe instead of spending more money developing new uniforms we could just eventually wear the type II and III instead.....?

 

[Jim123]

I also wore wash khakis for a little while (Shooter tour) and really liked them. Of course, they weren't broken, so we had to fix them.

I always thought they were kinda lot like wearing jeans to work (only a different color). If you can't get away with wearing pajamas (aka flight suit) every day, jeans are the next best thing...

 

[e6bflyer]

I always thought they were kinda lot like wearing jeans to work (only a different color). If you can't get away with wearing pajamas (aka flight suit) every day, jeans are the next best thing...

I just thought they were made of a sensible material that hid coffee stains and was comfortable. Plus, you had that old school WW-2 navy feel about them and you could pull off a leather or nomex jacket with them. With the NWUs, I am required to spend over $200 on parka and liner. No thanks.