The daily dress codes for U.S. Marines may soon be changing. The Marine Corps Uniform Board launched a survey this week, giving active-duty and Reserve Marines a chance to vote online for three uniform changes. The Marines’ feedback on all these questions may be a major influence on final decisions, said a Marine Corps Uniform Board manager.
Here’s a look at the changes being proposed:
Changing Seasonal Uniforms
The first recommendation would require commanders to establish and coordinate seasonal uniform periods based on the climate in their area of operation. Currently, Marines worldwide wear desert camouflage utilities in the spring and summer, and woodland cammies in the fall and winter.
This seasonal uniform change was mandated in 2008 and was designed to bring uniformity to the Corps’ look worldwide. However, “This homogeneous approach has long presented a challenge for troops living in widely varied climates around the world,” according to Marine Corps Times.
The second recommendation would remove the Marine Corps combat utility uniform from the seasonal rotation altogether. Instead, commanders would just dictate the appropriate “cammies” uniform on a non-seasonal basis, taking into account climate and training requirements.
A third option would make ‘uniform of the day’ the more formal service uniform, reserving cammies for fieldwork, training or deployments only. Right now, the “bravo” or “charlie” service uniform is only uniform of the day, on Fridays. That trend started back in 2013, in an effort to improve Marines’ professional appearance and crack down on overweight troops who preferred the looser-fitting utility uniform.
Ditching Desert Utility Cammies
Marines can also vote on whether to do away with the requirement to maintain utility uniforms in the desert MARPAT color scheme. If this option is approved, Marines would be required to have four woodland MARPAT uniforms instead.
Desert MARPAT cammies were added to the mix in 2003 to ensure Marines had two styles of utility uniforms to meet contingency requirements. Choosing this option would save the Marine Corps money since Marines will no longer be paid to maintain two different styles of utilities.
In 2006, Marines began deploying with flame resistant organizational gear as their combat uniform instead of the desert MARPAT because of the threat of improvised explosive devices on the ground.
With this new option, the desert MARPAT will only be worn in combat in the absence of an IED threat, officials said.
A Unisex Dress Blue Coat
As more combat jobs open up to women and physical standards become gender-neutral, the question of a unisex dress blue coat seems fitting. It comes after two years of tests and experiments with new looks for female dress blues.
Marines may vote if they’d prefer to keep the blazer-like female dress blue coat with a lapel collar. Or, they can go with a redesign, which resembles the male version, with a high mandarin collar. Finally — they may also vote for another option, which would allow them to keep the current coat, but use the redesign on special-assignments only.
When I was on active duty (’70’sand ’80’s) cammies (and sateens) were work and/or field uniforms. The uniform of the day was Charlies or if it was cooler, Bravos. I think that they should be issued 2 sets of woodland/jungle cammies and 2 set of desert cammies and the command should decide witch is appropriate for the area they are operating in.. As far as dress blues go their should be a difference in male and female uniforms. C’mon dummies, their bodies are different and women look ridiculous wearing men’s dress blues. Also we were NEVER allowed to wear utilities off base anywhere and would be subject to NJP if we were caught.
I don’t know brother…..gunny looks hot in that dress blue coat in the above picture…..just saying….
The Marine in the picture is a Master Sargent, not a gunny.
Marines should stay in cammies all year round because if you have them and dress uniforms more of us are no longermore of active duty Macy the s*** bags we have in the Marine Corps now and make it more obvious to dishonor to see and camouflage uniform was not hard to camoufl so I think seasonal Kamis should be imposed Semper Fidelis
E8, retired 1980.
Kiss – keep it simple stupid. Next will be uniforms for gays and cross-genders. Ask your self what Chesty Puller would do.
Cammies should be for the field and work details. NOT for off base! Nothing says dogfaced pogue like seeing someone in cammies strolling through the mall. But let the Marines roll their sleeves up for crying out loud.
I think this woman Marine’s dress blues shown on this page (patterned after the male set) is awesome. Dress Blues say “USMC” all over the world, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a boy poopie Marine, or a girl poopie Marine, they are Marines first and foremost. Give ’em all the REAL uniform.
Last bit of soap box is unrelated to this article, but timely. HQMC, PLEASE proved at least one Marine UNDER ARMS at all posts! Tough if it’s in a “Gun Free Zone”, or municipality. Marines need to be able to protect themselves, and the people around them, from all threats, at all times. Line in the sand time, gents. Again, what would Chesty Puller do? No more Chattanooga’s.
I would like the same dress coat as the males. I earned the EGA the same as the males.
It shouldn’t matter. Boys wear one uniform, girls wear the another. There’s nothing wrong with the girl uniform. Yes, you are both Marines. But dress blues are just to look nice. Doesn’t mean you are less because you have a different outfit.
That’s a Master Sergeant. Not a gunny.
He’s a Master Sargent, and i agree with B. Fletcher. I also served from ’78 to ’86.
So let me get this straight: Marines nowadays are issued a desert camouflage uniform in the spring and summer months regardless of WHERE they are stationed??!! And vice versa for the woodland cammies in the autumn/winter months?? Meaning if a Marine is stationed in Okinawa he’s wearing desert camouflage in the summer? And if say for example something happened on the Korean peninsula those Marines would have to go fight in Korea in the summer wearing a DESERT uniform?? Even though the nearest desert to Korea is hundreds or thousands of miles away? And a Marine stationed in Kuwait if he was in combat in Iraq in the wintertime would be wearing a woodland uniform simply because it’s winter?? That literally has to be the dumbest effing thing I’ve heard in years. Whoever came up with that idea needs their ass kicked up over their shoulders.
Yes regardless of where you are stationed you rotate uniforms but if you are deployed you wear the uniform that best fits that place.