I am not a fan of the Marine Dinner Dress. But it is still better than the female Navy Mess Dress. A ruffled shirt (or at least it used to be) and gold Cummerbund... I don’t even have words.
Here’s how it really happened. A certain female Navy 3-star realized one of her collaterals was being on this board. She asked me and several other female officers, as well as senior enlisted women, what our top 3 uniform gripes were. The ruffled shirt was on everyone’s list. We developed a quick hit list, she went around and gained support from key players, MCPON, VCNO, CNP, etc., and walked it into the CNO and got it done. I tried for the shift from the suit-style service dress white jacket to a suitably tailored and seamed choker style for women at that time, but “the guys” didn’t like it. That finally got changed in the last few years. She also did this for some non-gender-related items that had been hung up, just cut through the BS and got it done.Capt MJ on uniform boards doing the real work!
I imagine that Capt MJ was the invisible young hand that helped get rid of the Navy's salt and pepper uniform of the 80's. I did not like that uniform.Capt MJ on uniform boards doing the real work!
Yikes. Did you have to do that?!