Conway approves several uniform rules changes - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Conway approves several uniform rules changes

You are going to have to get your own winter coat and hat to keep you warm off duty, because Marines are now prohibited from wearing the extreme cold weather gear and the associated accessories while in civilian attire.

That is just one of several recommendations Commandant Gen. James Conway approved from the most recent uniform board, which met in February. More than 2,500 Marines and 15 units provided feedback on each of the 11 recommended items, and the final decisions are outlined in Marine Administrative Message 704/09, said Mary Boyt, the uniform board program manager.

Here are the highlights:

• Marines are now authorized to wear white synthetic undershirts, such as the sweat-wicking Under Armour or Danskin, with the service “C” and blue dress “D” uniforms. Originally, the recruit depots offered up the recommendation hoping drill instructors would be able to wear the shirts, but the board “voted overwhelmingly” in favor of expanding the recommendation to all Marines, Boyt said.

• The aviation community will be happy to hear that the board authorized several cover options to go with the desert flight suit, which was first identified as a requirement in 2007. A desert garrison cap was never developed, so the only option available, until now, was the green garrison cap.

“Marines requested the option to wear the seasonally appropriate Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform cap — garrison or boonie — with the flight suits, as well as the garrison cap,” Boyt said.

• The board also voted to change the placement of the Marine gunner bursting bomb collar insignia for infantry weapons officers. The insignia should now be located on the left collar of khaki shirts and utility coats about ½ inch from the sides of the collar of the utility uniform and ¾ of an inch from the sides on the khaki shirt, according to the message.

• Added guidance was given for women’s ribbons and medals on the female dress service coat without the faux pocket. Now the top of the bottom row holding the bar must be placed on a horizontal line 1 ½ to 3 ½ inches above the top of the first visible coat button and centered, according to the uniform board Web site.

“When the faux pocket was removed from the female dress and service coats female Marines lost their measurement point for aligning ribbons, medals and badges,” Boyt said. “The regulations were vague and most Marines ended up ‘eyeballing it.’ The new regulations provide more concise measurement instructions and better graphics.”

• Two recommendations were approved for one-time allowances to purchase additional uniforms for Marine instructors at the ranger school and for Marine Corps combat instructors at the infantry schools.

However, Conway did not approve a request to establish an allowance to purchase medium blues for color guard and funeral details, Boyt said.

• Conway declined requests to eliminate use of the officer sword. There have been complaints about the sword being difficult to obtain, Boyt said, because there is only one certified manufacturer left — a German company called Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co.

• Marines couldn’t seem to agree on whether they wanted to replace the olive green undershirt with a coyote brown undershirt. Conway sided with the naysayers, most likely because a color change from green to brown would have required the Corps to re-evaluate the color of the physical training uniform items. Marines also “would lose the ability to wear the service sweater with the utilities,” Boyt said.