New Coast Guard Uniform Policy

Luigi59

Luigi59

Banned
Joined
Apr 1, 2007
Messages
4,566
You see, the Coast Guard recently enacted several changes to the uniform policy that are not being taken very well in the fleet. For one, the only t-shirts authorized for wearing under our blouses now must be embroidered with ‘U.S. Coast Guard’. Ok, fine, I can see the logic behind that. Granted, it’s putting a bit of a dent in my budget to have to pay $5.60 per shirt and order from the UDC instead of going to Wal-Mart and picking up a pack of three navy blue shirts for $3, but it is a matter of pride to have our service embroidered on our t-shirts. Same can be said for the policy stating that blouses must be worn at all times unless engaged in work that could potentially damage our uniform. Which, for me, is just about everything I do during the day, but hey, that’s why we have coveralls, right?

The only change in policy that has me rather upset is over the covers.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Coast Guard, each unit has its own ball cap emblazoned with the unit name. Cutters have the name and hull number, whereas landside units have the unit name and location on it. For example, someone on the cutter Juniper would have a ball cap that says, ‘USCGC JUNIPER’, their rank insignia, then ‘WLB-201′.

The new policy states that everyone must wear ball caps emblazoned with ‘US COAST GUARD’, and their rank insignia. That’s it. No more individual unit names, no more locations of where you’ve served. Just a generic Coast Guard cap and your rank.
Click to expand...

You can read the entire article here: COVERED PRIDE
 
Hopefully by the time I'm commissioned we'll have someone else in charge of these decisions. I don't see these "uniform" ball caps lasting that long.
 
Not a huge ordeal. While I like the unit ball caps, truth is, you weren't supposed to wear that unit ball cap away from your unit and when you were at you unit (especially a cutter), you rarely wore it.

The shirt move was a long time coming.

I guess my unit ball caps from DILIGENCE, ACTIVE, VIGOROUS, STURGEON BAY, CGHQ, and Station Destin are collector's items?
 
I can't say that having to wear an actual uniform shirt under your blouse is exactly the definition of overbearing uniform regulations. Wearing uniform items with your uniform is, well, quite normal.

As for the ball caps...that always seemed a peculiarity to us in the Army (the Navy seems to do the same thing with hats, I think). I for one thought they were neat. Too bad. But it seems from what LITS said that they were treated like Cavalry Stetsons...only to be worn in the unit area.

I noticed a guy at work today (DA civilian) with a "USCGC Storis" jacket. Something about it being the oldest cutter afloat?
 
Perhaps as confusing to you as Army units wearing unit ribbons and two different unit patches....

STORIS was a cutter that was decommissioned not too long ago (I believe two years ago). It was an Alaska cutter and it served in WWII. She was "Queen of the Fleet" for a long time.

The uniformed shirts that were worn under blouses were at one time unit shirts (typically with the crest of the cutter or unit in the breast pocket area). It wasn't just Joe Blow picking what shirt to wear under his ODU bouses.

From what I've seen the Coast Guard ODUs have got to be the worst breathing uniforms in the U.S. military. Heavy material, nice when fighting a fire, but not great in the overbearing sun in the summer with what feels like 1000% humidity and angry migrants adding to the "heat".

Typically underway, away from land and not engaged with other ships, cuttermen will ditch the blouses and just wear the undershirts... nice cotton shirts that are often heavy too.
 
ODU's are heat sinks. Surely there has to be a material that's breathable and fire protective.

As for the unit ball caps, do you think they'll still be made? i.e. we were the uniform ball cap but can still have a unit one?
 
Units had them made. Not sure if they still will if no one can wear them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top