Uniforms

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Apr 24, 2018
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Will the Naval Academy still be issuing the blueberries instead of the NWU type III’s for this year and the coming years? Not mad about it just wondering.
 
Nope. Blueberries are a thing of the past.
Digital woodland camo (forest green "Navy Working Uniform Type III") is the new standard.
 
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Class of 2022 was issued the new version on I-Day. Upperclassmen are still wearing the blueberries, though.
 
Aquaflage never made any sense to me.... someone falls overboard, let's use camoflage to make it harder to see him.
 
No joke - I read in the past that this was an interservice recruiting / morale issue. Young kids joining up liked the 'bada$$' look of army and marine camo so the Navy felt obliged to follow along in order to maintain force strength and meet enlistment quotas. Even harder when the 'chair force' issued their cubicle pattern digital camo . . .

But yes - Aquaflage was a head scratcher.
 
USN uniforms throughout the decades have been baffling. I spent over half my 26 years wearing khakis or Marine cammies. As an HM1 and below aboard ship as ship's company and not embarked troops, I wore the dungaree working uniform. It was blue as well but identified me as a US Sailor. I joined in the 1970s and was issued the CPO style dress blues which looked ridiculous with no ribbons or warfare device as a young Sailor. Shortly after, the jumper uniform came back. On one ship, the CPO Mess bought with OPTAR funds coveralls for all the Chiefs. Meanwhile, SN Jones was wearing boondockers with the sole wearing out and so much paint on his dungarees that he looked like he was haze gray instead of blue. Really, a YNC needs coveralls in the ship's office?

Here's another sea story. I was stationed at BUMED when it was in DC and the IDC in charge of operational Independent Duty Corpsmen and I went to the Navy Annex. I was the Training Program Manager and he was the IDC on the Samuel B. Roberts when it hit the mine. We had similar career paths such as ships, IDC, Marines which we call green side, but he had the Roberts. I have a few things as well on my resume but whatever. Anyway, he and I were walking down the P-way toward the stairs that led to the uniform shop. All of a sudden the MCPON emerged from his office. The space was not very well illuminated so we didn't recognize him at first. He spoke and I said, Oh, hey Master Chief, I didn't recognize you, I thought you were an officer.

The back story is: The MCPON just had approved soft shoulder boards for Chiefs to wear on sweaters and jackets and such. There had been a huge uproar from many in the CPO community due to " this makes us look too much like officers." This attention was very fresh, and stupid me who at times has trouble controlling his mouth, said what I said. I thought you were an officer. A few weeks later the MCPON was in attendance at the going away luncheon for a prominent Master Chief at a local eating establishment. We met at the salad bar and I said, "Good afternoon sir." I thought he was about to stab me with a fork. I double timed it back to my table and never saw him again. Thankfully
 
The much-heralded return of Pinks and Greens just has to be a PR thing for the Army.
Don't get me wrong though, I think they are "spiffy".
 
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