Advice on a planned outfit for a parade. Servicemen please chime in.

**The Thirsty Viking** · 15th March 11, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Drac

I doubt that anyone is going to report you if you do ;D

Even with the rank and pants it's to Marine for most nonmilitary.

Jim

Hear, Hear!

I got out about a year or so before they switched to that uniform (2007), And I am so happy. One of the guys in our Veterans Club at school (mostly a group to help eachother sort through issues with our GI Bills) is still Active Duty, and sometimes wears his uniform to school. When I first saw it from afar I thought he was a Marine.

**Spartan Tartan** · 15th March 11, 03:17 PM

I don't thinking you have anything to worry about. As I said before, if you are comfortable then that is enough. The important thing is you honor yours service, the service of those that have served before you and those that took up the watch after you completed yours. I may plan a trip to DFW for memorial day weekend, if so I'll look forward to shaking your hand and buying you a beer (or soda or whatever your preferred beverage)!

**Whidbey78** · 15th March 11, 03:28 PM

Originally Posted by The Thirsty Viking

Hear, Hear!

I got out about a year or so before they switched to that uniform (2007), And I am so happy. One of the guys in our Veterans Club at school (mostly a group to help eachother sort through issues with our GI Bills) is still Active Duty, and sometimes wears his uniform to school. When I first saw it from afar I thought he was a Marine.

I got out in '07 also, so I missed the new uniforms.

I might be one of about ten people who actually likes the new working uniform. It's not really the uniform I like as much as the fact that they finally got rid of working whites. I hated wearing them--my CNT's rarely went thirty minutes before there was something nasty on them. I never could wear white! And utilities going away was probably a good thing too in the long run. They weren't really all that well made and didn't hold up well. I always liked the working blues with garrison cap and wished they would just make it a year-round uniform.

I have a "Johnny Cash" top that I wound up never using, never sewed my crow or rocker on it either. I wear it with the kilt now and then, including once in a parade with US Army tartan and American Legion garrison cap. IMHO it looks better with the kilt than a dungaree or working white shirt. I still haven't gotten my Edzell kilt even after six years active duty and two years selres in the Navy. My stint in the Army was much shorter due to a training injury which has resulted in two operations, the second one coming next month.

My next kilt will most definitely be an Edzell.

**Drac** · 15th March 11, 03:56 PM

I too hated the "Good Humor Mans" and liked the Johnny Cash the best but the utilities are a good overall uniform. I am definitely all for making our seabag smaller.

As for the old utilities I hated even more than I hated the dungarees. The dungarees were just ugly but the utilities were ugly and didn't last. Right now I'm in OUUs with the seabees but were are shifting over to the NWU-3s in the future. I would rather keep the camies.

Supposedly the dress uniforms are next for revamping. We are going back to the dress whites instead of the undress whites we have now. They are also changing the material away from the poly to a cotton blend. Both dress uniforms are suppose to have a decorative 13 button fly and a zipper on the side.

Jim

**Whidbey78** · 15th March 11, 04:09 PM

I was pretty lucky that I didn't have to wear the old utilities hardly at all. We called them "Conoco's". 95% or the time it was cammies, or flight suit, sometimes coveralls. Watches were stood in working whites(Milkman's) or Johnny Cash's and my dress whites got worn twice(change of command and my squadron's decommisioning) and Crackerjacks once for a command photo. Probably wore ute's 25 times outside of attending various schools, and still managed to destroy two ute shirts and a pair of pants. The TP in the heads on the Nimitz were made of tougher material!

**Whidbey78** · 15th March 11, 04:21 PM

When I was at Ft Sill I saw a few Seabees there wearing ACU's with an 8 point cover in ACU camo. NMCB-3 and 17, maybe thirty guys altogether. I was with NMCB-17 Det 1 at Ft. Carson when I was a reservist...even though I was an AM. It was odd to see DON personnel in ACU's considering they still had the SCU's. I wonder if it was one of those Operation Uniform tests to check the feasibility of the uniform for their purposes. I wouldn't use them given the choice. ACU's don't "breathe" very well compared to the ripstop summer weight uniforms. Plus prior-service personnel going through Warrior Transition Course wore the beret, so it's hot and humid, we wore a hot-as-hell uniform, AND a wool cover. I actually sweat less during PT than I did marching to the chow hall.

**The Thirsty Viking** · 15th March 11, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan

I don't thinking you have anything to worry about. As I said before, if you are comfortable then that is enough. The important thing is you honor yours service, the service of those that have served before you and those that took up the watch after you completed yours. I may plan a trip to DFW for memorial day weekend, if so I'll look forward to shaking your hand and buying you a beer (or soda or whatever your preferred beverage)!

I will Humbly accept such a beverage.

@Whidbey - I was also an AM. Worked on H-3's, and MH-60S's At Norfolk, and P-3 Orions in Brunswick.

**davidlpope** · 15th March 11, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by The Thirsty Viking

When I first saw it from afar I thought he was a Marine.

<<shudder>>

**Geoff Withnell** · 16th March 11, 03:44 AM

Originally Posted by Spartan Tartan

For what it's worth, I don't claim to understand why awards are looked at differently. Rather just expressing my understanding. I reserve the right to be wrong

Well, USMC regulations state that honorably discharged Vets may wear medals, ribbons and badges with civilian attire "at appropriate civic and patriotic occasions". I don't know about the other services, but I suspect they have similar regs. So if you earned it, flaunt it. I do know that a piper (active duty) played at the Retreat at 8th & I (USMC Hdqtrs) in a Leatherneck kilt and dress blue blouse.

**Whidbey78** · 16th March 11, 10:05 PM

I think, in most instances anyhow, the if thing are conducted in a respectful and dignified manner few if any will say boo about it. Many may actually appreciate someone tying their own heritage to it, such as a piper in blues and kilt. It's an honor that in a case like that goes both ways, just as it should! There probably isn't a country that isn't represented by someone in the US, which is just another amazing and unique part of our heritage. That's one of my avorite things about being American...we incorporate everyone and honor them all in our unique way, some as Americans and others as immigrants who honor the others in their traditional ways. The "melting pot" is awesome!