Fewer now permitted to wear cammie jammies in the Pentagon. Yaay!

[Captain Hilts]

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2010/02/military_uniforms_jointstaff_021910w/

Battle fatigues will be off limits as of March 1 for all 1,200 members of the Pentagon-based Joint Staff, according to a new policy issued last week.

The Feb. 12 policy letter, signed out by Rear Adm. B.E. Grooms, vice director of the Joint Staff, requires that all service members assigned to the staff wear their service’s Class B-equivalent as the uniform of the day.

For the Army, that’s the Class B uniform. Airmen will wear their service uniform blues. Marines will wear their service B or C uniform, while Coast Guardsmen will wear their service dress blue or white uniform, depending on the season.

The change will have no effect on members of the Navy, who already wear winter or summer khakis in the Pentagon.

In general, the uniform of the day will be a dress shirt, slacks or skirt, and dress shoes. Utility uniforms will be permitted only when service members are performing manual labor or are in direct support of contingency or exercise operations, Grooms said.

Dressier uniforms will be worn on special occasions, such as official visits of dignitaries, visits to Capitol Hill or official formal occasions.

The change follows a review of Joint Staff uniform policies ordered in early February by Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs. Mullen had prohibited his half-dozen or so front-office personnel from wearing fatigues or flight suits since he became the nation’s top officer in October 2007, but that policy did not affect the rest of the Joint Staff, said Mullen’s spokesman, Capt. John Kirby.

Joint Staffers currently follow their respective services’ Pentagon uniform policies.

...

The Joint Staff uniform change comes on the heels of Defense Secretary Robert Gates’ decision to require his front-office military staff to wear service uniforms, a move Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said was made to present a more professional image for the many visiting officials and dignitaries who come to meet with Gates.

[LiberalFighter]

1. Why do they wear fatigues to work at the Pentagon?

Is it a macho thing? Financial? Laundry?

[northzax]

2. Quite a few officers in dc do

Although many, if not most, don't. Frankly, they are easier to deal with than dress uniforms and is what they're used to. I have a friend who's a two-star, he and his staff wear them as their everyday attire in the office pulling out the dress for more formal occIsions. Like when you might wear a tie in a business casual office.

[Captain Hilts]

4. They're trying to cut down it because it looks crazy in a city. During the Cold War

most military personnel were instructed to commute in mufti and change at work. The point then was to avoid DC - as the Capital of the Free World - looking like an occupied city.

As chief of staff of the Army, George C. Marshall rarely wore his uniform until the war began - hence why he's on the cover of LIFE Magazine saluting incorrectly. Somehow, some way, we won World War II with Marshall wearing his class A.

It just looks stupid to see folks riding the metro in combat gear.

[northzax]

9. True, looks bad

This particular office is a driving one, however. And everyone in this office wears civvies to commute and dresses after the morning workout.

[Hoopla Phil]

3. So they are taking away Business Casual attire from the military. Why?

[Crowman1979]

5. Well if your gonna be stationed at the top garrison post in the country, then you better look sharp.

So that way you'll either make a good impression or can't wait to join a field unit again.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Good. I applaud this.

The desert camo wasn't working. DC is more green and concrete. If they want DC-apprpriate camo, dress up like fire hydrants or newspaper vending boxes.

Seriously. I applaud this. Ever since 9/11 DC has felt like an occupied city.

[Captain Hilts]

7. And that was the point of the no commuting in unis for decades. The Armed City look was a loser. nt

[Captain Hilts]

8. Here is a photograph of cammie jammies ... on a submarine!

This is SILLY!

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=82403

[3324SS]

10. Silly Indeed!

Black poopie Suit if you are old school and been around for a while or dark blue poopie suit if you were new.

[PavePusher]

11. And once more the chair-borne...

Chip away at the warriors.

Dress uniforms are what one wears to a social occasion.

Utilities/cammies/etc. are what one wears to do unto the enemy.


Just the feelings of a 20-year MX troop. And yeah, I've been shot at a few times, so I have a little perspective on it.

[Captain Hilts]

12. Friend of mine at the Pentagon told a story of going to a Combo Change of Command/Retirement

ceremony. The Navy officers all showed up in dress whites. The Marine that relieved him showed up in cami jammies. Really.

[PavePusher]

13. Well, I can see that from a Marine...

Personally, I'd vote to send everything but BDU's and flight suits straight to the dumpster. Save money, time and a hell of a lot of discomfort.

[Captain Hilts]

14. But it's disrespectful for a retirement/Change of command ceremony at the Pentagon to wear

cammie jammies when the USN is in dress whites.

It's just not that difficult to wear a class A. The rest of Washington wears a suit of some kind.

[Old Troop]

15. Uniforms

Until the late 1960's soldier only wore their fatigues if they were on a work detail or in the field. Officers always wore their class A or B uniforms in garrison. Even in the late 80's, when I commanded a recruiting company, we wore class A or B uniforms so we looked businesslike to the civilian population. I think it's a good idea to return to wearing proper uniform at the Pentagon.

[The Wizard]

16. If my memory serves me well

Leaving the post in fatigues, unless going to and from off post housing, was not allowed at Fort Sill in 1966.
All travel was done in a dress uniform or civilian clothing. You never saw the military walking through civilian airports in fatigues. That was long before we became a military dictatorship under the Bush cartel.

[Captain Hilts]

17. And that was the whole point: we are a Democracy and not an armed country. Combat fatigues

are not suited to the civilian world.

I saw a press conference from the Pentagon once. One general was in his cammie jammies, the other in his Class A. It looked stupid.

I never 'got' this rule until I visited Moscow in 1980 and saw what an armed city looked like. Herds of folks in uniforms everywhere. DC should not look like that.