The great NWU's

[707guy]

...and the CPO with nothing to do but harrass an E4...

I thought that was the CPO's job?

 

[helolumpy]

We can't have that!

You're absolutely heartless, 707. With proven COTS purchases, how else would we be able to justify standing up and manning such mission-critical units as "Task Force Uniform"? Think of all the fitrep bullets, awards, and per diem you'd be shorting our Sailors...

Oh...and while you're at it, think of the well-connected prior Navy-types who whose pockets won't be lined with sweet multimillion-dollar uniform contracts. Are you going to be the one to look their children in the eyes and tell them that Santa won't be flying them to Hawaii in their G5 again this year?

You can't pick on our Task Force Uniform, only WE (Navy) can pick on Task Force Uniform.
You can only make fun of the Navy as a whole for the stupidity that results from Task Force Uniform!

Afterall, if the Marines didn't decide to go their own way with MARPAT, then we'd all be in BDUs and DCUs and I wouldn't look like a freakin' smurf.

 

[KBayDog]

Afterall, if the Marines didn't decide to go their own way with MARPAT, then we'd all be in BDUs and DCUs and I wouldn't look like a freakin' smurf.

I'm with you. It brought me no joy to shell out good coin so that I'd be camouflaged in a room full of computers.

The only downside to going back to the Woodland camo pattern is that all of our uniforms would be...uh...uniform.

 

[Jim123]

... and I wouldn't look like a freakin' smurf.

(TF Uniform is the one on the right.)

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Most of the gripes re old uniforms revolved around the fit for pants and the CPO with nothing to do but harrass an E4 getting gas bc it didn't fit the CPOs definition of a quick stop.

The solution was apparently spending millions on blue digicam. Makes perfect sense.

several years ago I had just left the base when there was a LT walking down the street in his NWU's, so it isn't just the E-4's that do it, no public transportation stops around there either.

 

[Spekkio]

several years ago I had just left the base when there was a LT walking down the street in his NWU's, so it isn't just the E-4's that do it, no public transportation stops around there either.

I think that you misunderstood my point. NWUs are authorized in a lot of situations that utilities were not, which saves junior enlisted from catching grief for trying to follow the restrictive rules. That includes shopping in big box stores, grocery stores, or malls after work on your way home. But the same policy changes could've been made without changing to NWUs.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

I think that you misunderstood my point. NWUs are authorized in a lot of situations that utilities were not, which saves junior enlisted from catching grief for trying to follow the restrictive rules. That includes shopping in big box stores, grocery stores, or malls after work on your way home. But the same policy changes could've been made without changing to NWUs.

I see what you are saying now, if you would have seen this LT you would have understood that were he was at and the authorized stops don't match up.

 

[kmac]

So what's the solution to the requirements problem? If the requirement went away in 1996, then are we going to see a change back to the former requirements anytime soon? Since the flight suit and engineering coveralls are the only flame retardant uniforms, what would the easiest/cheapest solution to ensure that Sailors have appropriate working uniforms? I see the "need" to operate in three different environments: at sea, on shore, and in the air. Add to that a requirement for formal events and we have to have a minimum of 3-4 uniforms.

Here's my solution for all of the Navy's uniform issues:
*Afloat uniform- coveralls (FR version)/flightsuits. Black or brown boots (black with coveralls, brown or black with flightsuit). This uniform would be used on ship and in spaces ashore where work is around grease/paint/etc.
*Ashore uniform- NWU Type III (FR version if required). Same boots as before, so either black or brown would work with the Type III with field boots also an option. This would be the uniform for office work, classroom, field work (NECC types, IAs), and general every-day wear.
*Formal uniform- Service dress blues. Tropical weight wool for year-round wear. Could be used in NCR, at change of commands, or any other event requiring suit and tie.

There you have it, a sea bag with one type of boot and one type of dress shoe. All occasions would be covered. Outerwear would probably be a problem since there aren't good cross-over jackets/coats, but it wouldn't be any different than the variety we have now.

***I bring you solutions! Promote immediately!*** <- tongue in cheek

 

[helolumpy]

So what's the solution to the requirements problem? If the requirement went away in 1996, then are we going to see a change back to the former requirements anytime soon? Since the flight suit and engineering coveralls are the only flame retardant uniforms, what would the easiest/cheapest solution to ensure that Sailors have appropriate working uniforms? I see the "need" to operate in three different environments: at sea, on shore, and in the air. Add to that a requirement for formal events and we have to have a minimum of 3-4 uniforms.

Here's my solution for all of the Navy's uniform issues:
*Afloat uniform- coveralls (FR version)/flightsuits. Black or brown boots (black with coveralls, brown or black with flightsuit). This uniform would be used on ship and in spaces ashore where work is around grease/paint/etc.
*Ashore uniform- NWU Type III (FR version if required). Same boots as before, so either black or brown would work with the Type III with field boots also an option. This would be the uniform for office work, classroom, field work (NECC types, IAs), and general every-day wear.
*Formal uniform- Service dress blues. Tropical weight wool for year-round wear. Could be used in NCR, at change of commands, or any other event requiring suit and tie.

There you have it, a sea bag with one type of boot and one type of dress shoe. All occasions would be covered. Outerwear would probably be a problem since there aren't good cross-over jackets/coats, but it wouldn't be any different than the variety we have now.

***I bring you solutions! Promote immediately!*** <- tongue in cheek

You realize you make too much sense... you will have to be executed immediately... we can't allow your thinking to populate the masses!!!

 

[Spekkio]

So what's the solution to the requirements problem? If the requirement went away in 1996, then are we going to see a change back to the former requirements anytime soon? Since the flight suit and engineering coveralls are the only flame retardant uniforms, what would the easiest/cheapest solution to ensure that Sailors have appropriate working uniforms? I see the "need" to operate in three different environments: at sea, on shore, and in the air. Add to that a requirement for formal events and we have to have a minimum of 3-4 uniforms.

I disagree that an "at sea" and "in-port" working uniform need to be different. For the guys who do maintenance, they get dirtier in-port than at-sea. We should take a page from the CG -- two piece FR coveralls, authorized in-port and at-sea.

 

[kmac]

I disagree that an "at sea" and "in-port" working uniform need to be different. For the guys who do maintenance, they get dirtier in-port than at-sea. We should take a page from the CG -- two piece FR coveralls, authorized in-port and at-sea.

Agreed, with the only exception that the NWU Type III does fulfill a distinct purpose and looks more "professional" amongst the other services than coveralls. Since it's the same number of uniforms, I'd agree with your idea of FR coveralls (two piece) for afloat/CONUS and then make Type III for land stuff OCONUS.

 

[Jim123]

I disagree that an "at sea" and "in-port" working uniform need to be different. For the guys who do maintenance, they get dirtier in-port than at-sea. We should take a page from the CG -- two piece FR coveralls, authorized in-port and at-sea.

We sorta did with the old blue coveralls (one piece) that came out in the late 1990s... but they were basically not allowed off the pier because everyone was afraid that Seaman Schmucatelli would wear his worst set (the ones that were torn and had paint and grease stains) out in public.

I'd say it's just a matter of time before those make a comeback and we'll have gone full circle

 

[scoober78]

So what's the solution to the requirements problem? If the requirement went away in 1996, then are we going to see a change back to the former requirements anytime soon? Since the flight suit and engineering coveralls are the only flame retardant uniforms, what would the easiest/cheapest solution to ensure that Sailors have appropriate working uniforms? I see the "need" to operate in three different environments: at sea, on shore, and in the air. Add to that a requirement for formal events and we have to have a minimum of 3-4 uniforms.

Here's my solution for all of the Navy's uniform issues:
*Afloat uniform- coveralls (FR version)/flightsuits. Black or brown boots (black with coveralls, brown or black with flightsuit). This uniform would be used on ship and in spaces ashore where work is around grease/paint/etc.
*Ashore uniform- NWU Type III (FR version if required). Same boots as before, so either black or brown would work with the Type III with field boots also an option. This would be the uniform for office work, classroom, field work (NECC types, IAs), and general every-day wear.
*Formal uniform- Service dress blues. Tropical weight wool for year-round wear. Could be used in NCR, at change of commands, or any other event requiring suit and tie.

Seems solid...only gripe I have is that IMHO, the flight suit should be the authorized uniform for daily wear ashore...period. NWU as alternate. It is just as iconic as the jumper and when kept reasonably, looks fine.

 

[kmac]

Seems solid...only gripe I have is that IMHO, the flight suit should be the authorized uniform for daily wear ashore...period. NWU as alternate. It is just as iconic as the jumper and when kept reasonably, looks fine.

Yeah, sorry, I thought that part was just a given. Stupid me, making assumptions. The reality is that as an aviator you need a flight suit and a formal suit to cover 99% of the types of things you'd be doing in life. If somone can come up with another scenario that can't be covered by either of those two, I'm all ears.

 

[Spekkio]

We sorta did with the old blue coveralls (one piece) that came out in the late 1990s... but they were basically not allowed off the pier because everyone was afraid that Seaman Schmucatelli would wear his worst set (the ones that were torn and had paint and grease stains) out in public.

I'd say it's just a matter of time before those make a comeback and we'll have gone full circle

We still have those as an underway uniform. Same pier only restrictions exist. What changed is much stronger language dictating that the NWU shall be the normal inport uniform.

The fear of torn and stained uniforms holds true. It's just done with $80 NWUs instead of $25 coveralls because changing 3-4x a day just to avoid being flame sprayed by the COB for attending training or eating in coveralls is too inconvenient. Figure that takes 20 min total over a work center of 10 and you lose 3.3 man hours a day just for that. Easier to just C/I the san pump or take apart a commutator to clean carbon dust in NWUs. And when they're done with that, now they can go shopping in the mall on the way home, complete with all the aromas of grease, poo, and amine.