Army makes it official: Class A’s done

[unhappycamper]

The Class B uniform features a short-sleeve shirt, Combat Service Identification Badge and other badges, and an option to blouse the trouser legs.


Army makes it official: Class A’s done
By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 20, 2008 6:10:13 EDT

The days of the green Class A’s are over.

The Army’s plan to make dress blues the only Army Service Uniform has been approved and soldiers who own the uniform are encouraged to begin wearing it now, the Army announced Wednesday.

The move to eliminate the green uniform is designed to streamline soldiers’ clothing bags while modernizing the way the traditional blue uniform is worn.

The new wear policy was announced Wednesday in an Army-wide message from Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey and Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston.

The most significant change, aside from the switch from green to blue, is the option to wear a combat service identification badge, something that was not allowed with the blues.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/army_newblueuniform_082008w/

[MrModerate]

1. Great! Now they look like TSA weenies. That'll help a lot.

Or maybe it's a drippy choice that doesn't mean squat.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. Yeesh.

Why does the word "Zoave" run through my mind? All it needs is a fez.

[MrModerate]

5. As I recall, the Zouave units were only really good at . . .

slowing down minie balls for the regular army units (sort of like Marines and Army today).

I'm not filled with confidence.

[TomInTib]

3. "Honey, do these pants make my ass look too big?"

Now there is one fine recruiting tool.

[unhappycamper]

4. lol n/t

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

6. Oh yes.

I am sure a lot of the really hard operators are just salivating at the prospects of them fly vines. :sarcasm:

[rakeeb]

7. wtf

The most significant change, aside from the switch from green to blue, is the option to wear a combat service identification badge, something that was not allowed with the blues.

What the hell is a "combat service identification badge"?
A service identification badge would be things like Army Staff, Joint Staff, etc. on the pockets.
The rest of the badges on pocket flaps and above ribbons are combat, special skill, marksmanship qualification badges and metal replica tabs; all of which were always authorized on the blues.

I'd say the most significant change would be wearing berets and boots with blues and wearing blues without the jacket.


Unless this is a new thing; is that little 101st badge next to the drill sgt pumpkin badge on his right pocket supposed to signify a RSSI/FWS.
That would have to be the most superfluous addition yet. Everyone with an RSSI would already have a CIB/CMB/CAB to pin on above the ribbons.

[NYVet]

8. Unless your wartime service was pre CAB,

and you were not a medic or infantry.

Also, not everyone who went to a combat zone as a medic or infantry got the CIB/CMB.

Talk to some of the Somalia veterans, Haiti, and Gulf War 1 vets who got a combat patch and never met the qualification for a CIB/CMB.

[rakeeb]

9. These days your commander actually has to document

that you were fired on to qualify for a CIB, CMB or CAB. However, even I have seen a few cases of "creative" Serious Incident Reports to get cool guy badges, especially folks seeking to get retroactive CAB's between 18 SEP 01 and this year, since the sheer amount of retroactive paperwork (in the hundreds of thousands) will preclude any real scrutiny.

In the past, the Army has played fast and loose with the CIB (like everyone in Uzbekistan in 2001-2002 who never entered Afghanistan) or conversely played it pretty tight (A Co, 3/75 only got the right shoulder scroll for Somolia since they landed the day after the firefight)...and I knew plenty of guys in both situations.

But as it stands now, the Army has been overly generous with the RSSI; if you serve in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman or Uzbekistan supporting OEF or OIF, you get a right shoulder patch.

But the standard for a CIB has always been some version "engaged in combat with the enemy"...not "in the same city or country where someone is engaged in combat with the enemy,"....even when prior to the first elements of 10th Mountain arrived in Somalia, their commander requested to be able to award RSSI's for anyone arriving in country and a CIB for anyone that had been there 30 days; and this was before the Somalis had even fired on any peacekeepers.

[TahitiNut]

10. I may be misremembering, but I don't believe folks like me (74F20) were permitted ...

... to get the CIB even though we were fired upon repeatedly in 1969, and even repelled an attack of an augmented NVA battalion on our section of the bunker line. Only the combat arms were eligible, IIRC.

Has that changed? Am I misremembering? :shrug: (As a draftee, I wasn't much focused on the salad.)

[rakeeb]

11. right... more specifically only 11 series and 18 series are

authorized the CIB.
However the action and personnel you are describing is exactly what the CAB (Combat Action Badge) was designed for. It is retroactive to 18 SEP 01.

[BOSSHOG]

12. Give Me CrackerJacks any day and twice on Friday