Question about how the Army utility uniform is worn.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Question about how the Army utility uniform is worn.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:13:57 PM EDT

I joined the National Guard yesterday, and had a couple of questions about how they wear the utility uniform. As a former Marine, I realize that there are some differances.

I read the uniform regulations and it said that blousing trousers over boots is acceptable if you do not tuck your trousers into your boots. That said, I have yet to see anyone in the Army who doesn't tuck their trousers into their boots. Is there a reason for this that I am not aware of?

I served with the 1st Marine Division in Iraq. I have seen Army troops with 1st MarDiv combat patches. I am told they rate these because they were attached to the 1st MarDiv during OIF. Does this mean that I rate one as an actual Marine from the 1st MarDiv?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

If I left out anything, please feel free to let me know.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:24:18 PM EDT

[#1]

some soldiers tuck, make fun of them.
the blousing string is at the end of the pant leg for a reason, at least on the BDU uniform.
I dont have ACUs yet, so I can't speak 'bout them.
you might get a better ans. on the vets or deployed boards.

welcome to the guard....

Midwinter

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:39:35 PM EDT

[#2]

Most tuck.
Tucking your pants in keeps crap from falling into your boots, it's not laziness (and it looks better if you spend the five seconds to do it right.
That's the reason. Much better than cords or bands.

Kick all other fags in the balls.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:42:04 PM EDT

[#3]

I always tuck. It just makes sense. But by no means am I a perfectionist on uniforms. Minimum standards are good enough for me. I'd rather focus on doing a good job.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:46:18 PM EDT

[#4]

I wear blousing bands, its easier. If you wear to your marine corps standard, you'll be fine.

Oh, and for the ultimate irony, no you can't wear your 1st MARDIV patch. Only army guys attached can wear it, marines who were actually in it, can't.
Its as retarded as a football bat, but one of my soldiers who was a marine in 1st MARDIV in Desert Storm squared me away on that little fact.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:47:26 PM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I wear blousing bands, its easier. If you wear to your marine corps standard, you'll be fine.

Oh, and for the ultimate irony, no you can't wear your 1st MARDIV patch. Only army guys attached can wear it, marines who were actually in it, can't.
Its as retarded as a football bat, but one of my soldiers who was a marine in 1st MARDIV in Desert Storm squared me away on that little fact.

Yeah, but I bet if you wore it, nobody would ever question it.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:52:12 PM EDT

[#6]

I always bloused my pants into my boots. It did a better job of keeping sand and gravel out of my boots.

As for the combat patch, you would obly be authorized to wear the combat patch if you were in combat with the First Marines. Even then, I'm not sure if they wold allow it. I don't see why not, but you never know. If I were you I would wear the patch with pride and let it be. The worst they can do is tell you to take it off.

-K

ETA: Whats with the FORMER Marine thing?

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:56:19 PM EDT

[#7]

One more thing:
You could take your DD214 to the JAG and try to get a letter.
If you've got a letter from the local JAG that agrees that you're authorized to wear the 1st MarDiv patch, nobody should fuck with you. That, and push it up to PERSCOM for a ruling.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:56:33 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
I wear blousing bands, its easier. If you wear to your marine corps standard, you'll be fine.

Oh, and for the ultimate irony, no you can't wear your 1st MARDIV patch. Only army guys attached can wear it, marines who were actually in it, can't.
Its as retarded as a football bat, but one of my soldiers who was a marine in 1st MARDIV in Desert Storm squared me away on that little fact.

This is correct.

BTW, if you have a Combat Action Ribbon, you don't get to wear a CIB either, unless you get a bunch of sworn statements from people who were there at the time. If you can't find those people, tough shit.

at the Army.

Posted: 2/2/2006 2:59:02 PM EDT

[#9]

AR 670-1 28-17 a.
Soldiers who were prior members of other services that participated in operations that would otherwise meet the criteria below are not authorized for wear of SSI FWTS. Wear is reserved for individuals who were members of US Army Units during the Operations.

If you wear it I doubt anybody would give a shit, but according to the regs, you can't.

Can you tell the asshole West Pointer in the thread.

Posted: 2/2/2006 3:08:40 PM EDT

[#10]

AR670-1 is the uniform regulation. Download it and consult it anytime you are not sure. There is always someone with a hard on looking to spot correct. That is not always bad, but for example with the new ACU you can blouse using the strings or commercial blousing bands, not to exceed the 3rd eyelet on your boots. The ACU runs big, I have to cuff, then blouse or else I am down to the 4th eyelet. Accoring to regs we are not authorized to have pens in the new pen pockets on the left sleeve. I got ding'd on that already.

I use to carry the regulation when I wore my green jungle boots because someone always has nothing better to do then try to correct you, even if they are wrong.

Posted: 2/2/2006 4:58:00 PM EDT

[#11]

Ain't that a bitch?

I think I'm going to end up with the ACUs, so I'll probably give the combat patch a shot. If I have to take it off, the velcro will make it a lot easier.

If noone says anything, I might stick it on my greens.

Posted: 2/2/2006 5:06:26 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Ain't that a bitch?

I think I'm going to end up with the ACUs, so I'll probably give the combat patch a shot. If I have to take it off, the velcro will make it a lot easier.

If noone says anything, I might stick it on my greens.

Like I said, I doubt anybody would give a shit. The reg is very deliberate. Just a few sentences down from the reg I quoted it specifically says that if you weren't army during the conflict, you can't wear it.
Lets hope you don't run into any west pointers.

Posted: 2/3/2006 6:32:01 AM EDT

[#13]

BTT for the day crew.

Posted: 2/3/2006 8:48:27 AM EDT

[#14]

never understood the "tucking in" thing. more shit gets in your boots that way than if you blouse them OVER your boots (it's common sense - think about it

). i used to have a problem with the blousing band/rubber/spring riding up over the top of my boot and digging into my flesh but an old salt taught me to roll the top of my socks over the top of the boot and then blouse my cammies over the roll. the added benefit of this is that it also prevents your socks from sliding down into your boot and causing all SORTS of horrible problems!

man, wear your shit like a marine and you'll never go wrong!

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:02:25 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
never understood the "tucking in" thing. more shit gets in your boots that way than if you blouse them OVER your boots (it's common sense - think about it ). i used to have a problem with the blousing band/rubber/spring riding up over the top of my boot and digging into my flesh but an old salt taught me to roll the top of my socks over the top of the boot and then blouse my cammies over the roll. the added benefit of this is that it also prevents your socks from sliding down into your boot and causing all SORTS of horrible problems!

man, wear your shit like a marine and you'll never go wrong!

Tucking them into your boots helps to keep out small companions in the woods. I got a whole bunch of chigger bites to point this out last summer.

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:27:46 AM EDT

[#16]

If the trouser legs are long enough, you can blouse over the boots and it's the most effective way of keeping the buggers out of your legs/feet. Mine are not, and frankly, it's easier and quicker to tuck in. Blousing above the boot just looks ridiculous.

A point to note is that if you are in a unit which authorises rolling up the sleeves (Rare, these days, if any), the sleeves are rolled up in a different fashion to the Marine method.

The 670-1 addressed merely what is worn where. It does not address whether you are entitled to wear anything. For that, you want to look at 600–8

I agree with the earlier posters: I don't think you'll be authorised to wear the 1MarDiv patch, that was a bit of an exception to policy as it stood.

NTM

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:29:55 AM EDT

[#17]

Dont be a blouser faggot, tuck in your trouser legs!

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:37:33 AM EDT

[#18]

Crap, I can't beleive what some of you are saying! Tucking vs blousing? Are you kidding me?
How does tucking look better than blousing? Taking the time to blouse your trousers is what looking respectable is all about. I've seen so many Army and NG troops that tucked thier trousers and it looked like shit! Damn laces flopping everywhere,just ruined the entire squared away look. That was one thing that kept Marines apart from the Army,when we were in garrison,we ALWAYS looked squared away! Pressing our uniform,blocking our cover,and BLOUSING our trousers. Don't forget getting a hair cut every three days.
Whew!

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:55:23 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Crap, I can't beleive what some of you are saying! Tucking vs blousing? Are you kidding me?
How does tucking look better than blousing? Taking the time to blouse your trousers is what looking respectable is all about. I've seen so many Army and NG troops that tucked thier trousers and it looked like shit! Damn laces flopping everywhere,just ruined the entire squared away look. That was one thing that kept Marines apart from the Army,when we were in garrison,we ALWAYS looked squared away! Pressing our uniform,blocking our cover,and BLOUSING our trousers. Don't forget getting a hair cut every three days.
Whew!

You take your laces and run them from the outside to the inside at the top hole in your boots. Then you twist each side into a roll and tuck them down inside the tops of your boots.

I've seen shitbird looking Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force troops. When I was in Garrison I'd break starch at least twice a day. If you have shitbirds for NCO's/ Officer's then you'll have shitbirds in the squads. Every service has theirs. I tucked most the time and spit shined my boots all the way to the tops. I got out before BDUs were issuded. With the old fatquies tucking looked better than rolling them over. Plus when first issued them you didn't have blousing rubbers or strings to tie them off, tucking was the only option.

Posted: 2/3/2006 9:58:35 AM EDT

[#20]

Where do you guys get that blousing your trousers won't keep shit out of your boots? Aside from sand in Iraq(and nothing keeps that out), I have never had anything get into my boots in the desert or forest.

I just think that tucking your trousers into your boots looks like ass. It also doesn't seem any easier than rolling your pants up and flipping the cuff under a band.

Regardless, I tend to blouse my trousers flush with the top of my boots, which doesn't look that much different than tucking them in.

Posted: 2/3/2006 10:07:08 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
man, wear your shit like a marine and you'll never go wrong!

Roll your sleeves up like the Navy / Marine Corps in an Army (or Air Force) uniform, and you'll get a healthy ration of shit. The Army & Air Force roll their sleeves so that the cuff is right-side out. That is, it's still camoflauge on the outside.

Posted: 2/3/2006 10:07:55 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
Accoring to regs we are not authorized to have pens in the new pen pockets on the left sleeve. I got ding'd on that already.

You serious? Whats the point of putting the pocket there if its against the regs to use it?

I wonder if anyone is going to ding my LTC(P) on that, he always has several pens in there...

Kharn

Posted: 2/3/2006 10:11:53 AM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
man, wear your shit like a marine and you'll never go wrong!

Roll your sleeves up like the Navy / Marine Corps in an Army (or Air Force) uniform, and you'll get a healthy ration of shit. The Army & Air Force roll their sleeves so that the cuff is right-side out. That is, it's still camoflauge on the outside.

The recruiters already showed me how to roll the sleeves. They are trying to get me orders as some kind of GWOT augment recruiter. They are telling me that if I get the orders, I'll end up being issued the ACUs. If so, they told me you don't roll the sleeves on them. I may get the ACUs anyway, as my unit is part of the 48th Brigade, the first unit to field them.

If not, I could probably come off of some of that $20,000 enlistment bonus and buy a set.

Posted: 2/3/2006 10:17:16 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
man, wear your shit like a marine and you'll never go wrong!

Roll your sleeves up like the Navy / Marine Corps in an Army (or Air Force) uniform, and you'll get a healthy ration of shit. The Army & Air Force roll their sleeves so that the cuff is right-side out. That is, it's still camoflauge on the outside.

hahaha true enough! i was actually thinking of the dress and service uniforms (i don't know what the army calls 'em). nobody looks sharper than a squared away marine.

Posted: 2/3/2006 11:33:01 AM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Where do you guys get that blousing your trousers won't keep shit out of your boots? Aside from sand in Iraq(and nothing keeps that out), I have never had anything get into my boots in the desert or forest.

I just think that tucking your trousers into your boots looks like ass. It also doesn't seem any easier than rolling your pants up and flipping the cuff under a band.

Regardless, I tend to blouse my trousers flush with the top of my boots, which doesn't look that much different than tucking them in.

It looks worse as the bottom of your trousers will pull away from your boots showing your socks. I think this look like shit. When you blouse your trousers into your boots you fold both sides just like you'd fold your shirt into your trousers to take up the extra material. Done right the front and rear doesn't have any wrinkles. Rolling them under bunches the bottom of the legs and looks crappy.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Question about how the Army utility uniform is worn.

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