U.S. Army Service Uniform

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The U.S. Army service uniform is the military uniform worn by personnel in situations in which non-formal dress is called for. It is worn in most workday situations in which business dress would be called for. It can be worn at most public and official functions.

The current main service uniform is the green service uniform.

The blue Army Service Uniform will be the "new" service uniform to be adopted Army-wide after Fall of 2011, replacing two uniforms already in use – the "Army Green" uniform and the "Army White" uniform. It will be based on the current dress uniform known as the "dress blue" uniform. It has its roots in the historical "Army blue" uniform, which dates back to the Revolutionary War, in which blue coats were worn by the Continental Army. It also recalls the Civil War Union Army's blue uniforms, which caused the two sides to sometimes be referred to in literature and other works as "the Blue and the Gray."

Contents 1 History of the Army uniform 2 Current service uniforms 2.1 Green service uniform 2.2 White service uniform 3 New service uniform 3.1 Description of new uniform 3.1.1 NCOs & enlisted personnel 3.1.2 Commissioned & warrant officers 3.1.3 General officers 3.1.4 Female personnel 3.2 Availability 4 See also 5 Notes 6 External links

[edit] History of the Army uniform

In the early days of the U.S. Army, the uniform worn in combat was the same uniform worn for everyday business. This was the common practice with most armies of the time. This changed in modern times, as the increased demands of modern combat required soldiers to wear a field uniform which was more practical, and less visible on the battlefield.

For more details on this topic, see Military uniform#The end of bright colours.

During the Civil War era, Army uniforms were relatively simple, as the same uniform served as a garrison uniform and as a combat uniform. Combat soldiers in the Civil War wore a standard dark blue four-button coat, just like personnel in garrisons or in Army offices and headquarters.There were no patches or badges. Rank was indicated by a shoulder strap for officers, and a shoulder patch for enlisted men. Branch or specialty could be indicated by the color of the enlisted badge of rank, or the background color for officers' shoulder straps. Regiments had their own flags, and corps could have their own banner, but there were no unit patches.

Beginning with the Spanish-American War, the Army had two uniforms for general everyday use; a blue uniform for winter wear and a cotton khaki uniform form for summer. After the war, the Army had two uniforms: a uniform of wool olive drab melton cloth for use by soldeirs in the field, and a blue dress uniform used for ceremonies and off-post wear by enlisted men. ^[1]

The first service uniforms appeared following World War I. Until that point, soldiers went to battle in the same uniform worn by personnel at ordinary functions and postings. Thus, World War I combat soldiers wore the same uniform worn by most personnel on ordinary duty and postings, consisting of four-button jacket with a standing collar.

Lt. Gen. Edmund B. Gregory, the Quartermaster General, pointed out in 1946 that WW I uniforms had changed from a comfortable loose-fitting garment to a tight-fitting uniform suitable only for garrison wear. At the outbreak of World War I, one of the things the Army had to do was develop new loose-fitting patterns which the men could live in, as well as muster on the parade ground. Gregory noted that this gradual change to a tight-fitting uniform in peacetime has been characteristic of the history of uniforms in all armies. ^[1]

Around 1940, Army soldiers began to use special uniforms designed for combat or field operations, with numerous special equipment and packs. The M-1941 Field Jacket was one of the first clothing items which was approved specifically for use in the field, and which was not meant to be part of a standard service uniform. After this, service uniforms started to become more elaborate, as they were not needed to be useful in combat, and could take on a unique appearance, with new features and embellishments. Army units began to display their own special patches, and badges were added for various specialties.

The first unit patch ever used by the Army was for the 81st Infantry Division. This unit trained at Fort Jackson, S.C., near Wildcat Creek. They created patches showing a wildcat, so that they could identify each other quickly in combat. Some officers questioned this, but General John Pershing decided it was a good idea, so the Army started to implement it for all units.^[2]

The first commendation ever used by the US Armed Forces was the original Purple Heart, designed personally by Gen. George Washington. It was originally a medal for valor, and at the time was the only one issued by the US Army. It fell out of use after the American Revolution, but was later revived and became the modern commendation for wounds in battle, which is how it is used today. World War I was the first time that the Army began to award a variety of medals and decorations, except for the Medal of Honor, which was first awarded during the Civil War.

The first proficiency badges were the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Expert Infantryman Badge, which were created in 1943 by the United States Secretary of War. The CIB was originally awarded for valor in combat. In 1947, every soldier who earned it was given a Bronze Star, and since then, it is awarded for having participated in ground combat.

In World War 2, the main service uniforms were in various khaki and brown color schemes. the most commonly-worn service uniform was a four-button belted coat, with tan slacks. The great increase in various army commands and units caused a growth in variety and quantity of specialty badges and unit patches. For the first time, proficiency badges also appeared, for specialties such as infantry marksmen.

[edit] Current service uniforms

[edit] Green service uniform

The main current service uniform is known as the green service uniform or class A's. The Army reviewed various ideas in the late 1940s in order to create a distinctive uniform. Pride in the uniform became a major issue in morale and retention, due to use of drab colors. Also, many civilian workers were mistaken for Army personnel, due to massive use of army surplus clothing after World War II. ^[3]

Army commissions reviewed various factors of design, durability and appearance. Blue was considered because of its acceptance in men's clothing, but it would have been difficult to distinguish it from Air Force and Navy service uniforms and the Marine Corps and Navy dress uniforms. Several colors were reviewed, and finally green was designated the basic color for new dress uniforms. ^[4]

The green uniform has been worn with minor variations since its official adoption in 1954. The green color was adopted in order to provide a color which was more military, and distinct from various uniforms of civilian service workers. ^[1] It is scheduled to be discontinued in 2011. It features a main jacket with four buttons. Enlisted personnel wear insignia denoting their branch of service on their lapels. Officers wear two sets of insignia consisting of the letters "US" and their branch on their lapels.

Proficiency badges, such as the marksman's badge, are worn on the left part of the uniform on the upper pocket. Above this are ribbons which are earned for various duties and training. Above the ribbons are qualification badges, such as the paratrooper badges and Combat Action Badge. On the right part are unit commendations along with the soldier's last name. Special duty badges, such as the recruiter's badge, are worn on the lower two pockets of the jacket.

On each shoulder of the uniform are unit patches. The left side will have the patch of the current unit the soldier is stationed with. On the right shoulder of the dress uniform the soldier may wear the patch of the unit to which the soldier was assigned while deployed to a combat zone.

[edit] White service uniform

Another uniform, the Army White Uniform, is the Army's equivalent to the Dress White uniform worn by Officers in the U.S. Navy, but unlike the Navy, which mandates the owning and wearing of the white uniform througout the summer months (year round in tropical locations) by all ranks (E-1 to O-10), the Army White Uniform is treated as an "optional" uniform, and is only required to be purchased by officers and Sergeants Major assigned to posts in the tropics and the southern United States. Introduced in 1902 as a summer undress uniform, its wearing, along with the dress and undress blue, was suspended during World War I and was reintroduced in its present form, along with the modern-day dress blue uniform, in 1935.

With the impending hostilities of World War II, production of both the blue and white dress uniforms were suspended, but the Army White Uniform itself served as a model for the Class "A" Army Tan Uniform, which was introduced in 1942 (replacing a belted version designed around the Sam Browne Belt) and discontinued in 1968 (the shirt & trousers "Class B" uniform was replaced with the Army Green Class "B" uniform in 1985), the post-war beltless Army Blue Uniform, and the present-day Army Green Uniform, which replaced the WWII "Pinks & Greens" and "Ike Jacket" uniforms in 1956. Like the Army Green Uniform, the Army White Uniform features a main jacket with four buttons, worn with matching white trousers and service cap, but unlike the Army Green Uniform, no unit patches, specialty tabs, or the black beret are worn. Officers wear their silver or gold-colored rank insignia pinned onto the shoulder epaulets, while Sergeants Major wear gold-on-white rank insignia and service stripes on both sleeves as that on the Army Blue Uniform. A white dress shirt and either a black bowtie or four-in-hand necktie, for formal and semiformal functions, is worn.

[edit] New service uniform

The "new" uniform was announced in 2006 by then Army Chief of Staff General Peter Schoomaker, and will serve as the U.S. Army's dress, garrison, and ceremonial uniform. Once the new Army uniform is phased in, the only green uniforms remaining in the U.S. Armed Forces will be the Marine Corps Service uniform and the rarely worn Navy Aviation Working Greens, both of which are olive green in color.

The new Army service dress made its "debut" at the 2007 State of the Union Address when General Schoomaker wore his Army Blue "B" uniform at the otherwise non-ceremonial event (his fellow members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff wore their "Class A" service/garrison uniforms).

[edit] Description of new uniform

As of 2006, it is expected that the new uniform will use the current "Army Blue" uniform as a model. Accordingly in terms of color the uniform will resemble the campaign uniforms worn by Army personnel during the American Civil War, Indian Wars, and the Spanish-American War prior to the introduction of khaki uniforms in the 1890's (phased out in 1985) and olive drab (OD) uniforms in 1902 (phased out and replaced with "Army Green" in 1955-57), making the blue uniform a dress uniform. Dress uniforms of dark blue tunics and light blue trousers were worn by all ranks until 1917 and reintroduced in a modernized form (with open collar and tie) for officers and warrant officers in 1937.

In order to distinguish enlisted personnel and NCOs from officers, the new service uniform will require some adaptations to reflect their status.

[edit] NCOs & enlisted personnel

The new "Army Service Uniform" for NCOs and enlisted personnel will most likely consist of the current regulation "Army Blue" coat, which is a four-button open-front coat similar in cut to the current "Army Green" uniform, but the sleeve cuffs and shoulder epaulets ("loops") are trimmed with ⅛-inch golden piping. A white dress shirt and black necktie is worn with the uniform coat.

The trousers are a lighter blue than the coat. Officers and NCOs (sergeants of all ranks and corporals) will continue to wear a gold 1½-inch stripe down each leg; trousers of privates and specialists, however, will now be stripeless. While this corresponds to the U.S. Marine Corps wear of scarlet trouser stripes by officers and NCOs, it actually revives earlier Army practice. Army officers and NCOs wore trouser stripes beginning in 1832, in branch colors after 1851. Gold replaced branch colors by 1953, and male junior enlisted Army blue uniforms gained stripes after 1955.

The black beret and ribbon bars will most likely be worn for most garrison situations, with the enlisted "Army Blue" service cap will be authorized for wear by NCOs. The blue cap has a black leather visor and chinstrap. The mohair hatband has a ½-inch gold stripe o the top edge. The cap badge is the U.S. Army seal (the Seal of the United States) on a round metal disk. Full-sized medals and a belt may be optional or prescribable in certain circumstances, a black bowtie and miniature medals for evening wear. Rank chevrons will be worn on both sleeves, as well as diagonal service stripes indicating 3 years of service at the bottom of each sleeve.

[edit] Commissioned & warrant officers

Commissioned & Warrant Officers will wear the same coat as the NCO/Enlisted, with the following differences. The sleeve piping is replaced by a ¾-inch gold braid on each sleeve, with a ¼-inch stripe of the officer's branch color in the middle. The branch colors include red for artillery, light blue for infantry, yellow for cavalry, etc. These color distinctions date back to the nineteenth century and appeared as trouser stripes, tunic piping, hat bands, cords and tassels in the blue dress uniforms worn until 1917.

In place of the shoulder epaulets (or "loops"), officers will wear their rank on short rectangular shoulder straps with a gold border and branch-colored background. Like the branch colors these shoulder straps are an historic feature of the U.S. Army's blue uniforms, dating back to before the Civil War. The trousers are identical to those of the NCO uniform, with 1½-inch trouser stripes.

For garrison wear, it is anticipated that the beret and ribbons will be worn, with the officer's version of the peaked or service cap, large medals, and saber belt optional or prescribable in certain circumstances.

The officer's service cap, while similar in appearance to the enlisted service cap, differs in certain respects. The cap badge is the Seal of the United States, but larger than the enlisted version and without a round metal backing. The chinstrap is gold instead of black leather. The 1¾-inch hatband is grosgrain instead of mohair, with a ½-inch gold stripe at the top and bottom edge, and branch color (or colors) between. Field-grade officers (majors to colonels) wear two arcs of golden oak leaves on the visor. For evening wear, a black bowtie may be worn with the coat or mess jacket.

[edit] General officers

General officer uniforms will be identical in appearance to the commissioned/warrant officer uniforms, except for the following changes:

• The sky blue trousers will be replaced with trousers in the same color as the coat and bearing two 1-inch gold stripes down each leg.

• The sleeve cuffs will have a 1½-inch gold braid in place of the two-colored branch-of-service stripes worn by other commissioned officers. This reflects the fact that most General Officers do not belong to a particular branch. For this same reason, most general officers do not wear branch insignia on their lapels. They may, however, wear branch insignia at their option. If they choose this option, general officers wear the branch insignia for the position to which they are appointed, or for their duty assignment.^[5] Typically, for example, the Judge Advocate General, the Surgeon General, the Chief of Engineers, and all Chaplains wear their lapel insignia of branch.

• The visored service cap worn for formal occasions will have a hatband of oak leaves on blue-black velvet in place of the grosgrain hatband of other officers.

• The shoulder strap background for general officers is blue-black velvet.^[6]

[edit] Female personnel

Female personnel, from Private up to General Officers, will have female versions of their respective uniforms. Currently, the female "Army Blue" uniforms are worn with a skirt, unlike their female Marine counterparts who have access to slacks for formation wear. The new Army Service Uniform will have either a dark blue skirt or sky blue slacks available for female personnel to wear, depending upon the situation of the nature that requires either item to be worn.

[edit] Availability

The Army Service Uniform will be introduced at the beginning of 2009. It will not be required for wear until 2011.^[7]

[edit] See also

• Army Combat Uniform
• Military uniform
• Uniforms of the United States Army

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Army page
• Public Affairs announcement
• Army Clothing History articles from the Quartermaster Foundation