Unit shoulder patches today vs past

[Major Tom]

I think the present method of attaching shoulder unit patches looks really tacky. Looks like they are using velcro. When I served (1960's) when a soldier was promoted or moved to another unit, it was a form of pride to sew on your new insignia. Why are they using velcro now?

[Liam]

In certain cases "anonymity."

[Nick Riviezzo]

Major Tom, I am in total agreement on the pride issue. Nowadays,things are ,as you said, different.The troops like the velcro attachment because it saves them money at the local tailor shop. Most places around here charge .75 cents to a dollar to sew on a patch. So, name tape, US Army, unit patch, combat unit patch, qualification badges, CIB , wings, jump wings etc. Well, you get the picture. The one I really hate is the pin on rank on the little "tongue" on the front of the blouse.NCOs with two sleeves full of stripes, to me, was the embodyment of a professional and pridefull force.I also hate the Armys' decision to ditch the dress greens and use Blues as a Class A and B uniform and I despise seeing troops everywhere in "battle dress" it has become the only uniform for everything except full dress occassions.Nick

[Michaelp]

Agree.
The fielduiform just looks too casual for off duty wear.

Spit and polish was a hassle, but class A's looked more appropriate.

[John Sukey]

Nick, the blue uniform is simply a reversion to what the army has ALWAYS worn as a dress uniform as far back as the 1870's. Thankfuly I got out before having to buy a "green suit" If you have seen the Army band, the uniform is a copy of the 1870's (minus the spiked helmet)

[Nick Riviezzo]

John, you must be older than I thought. The Army had Class A Greens in WWII [remember Pinks and Greens?] Really I think you are refering to the AG 44 shade dress greens currently phasing out. I was issued two sets in basic training in 1963. There were only "winter weight wool" suits back then. The summer weights came later. I will always remember my dress greens were manufactured for the Army by Hart, Shafner, & Marks! I have a set of dress blues hanging in my closet now. Purchased as a requirement upon graduation from Warrant Officer Flight School. They were converted to two different Commissioned Officer Corps dress blues. They are similar to the old traditional blues of years long gone by. The Army Band uniform is very similar to the old time dress, especially for Enlisted ranks but the blues in the last 45 years or so are worn with a white shirt and black tie or bow tie and the blouse is cut in the lapel style suit coat of the current dress greens. The AG 44 Green Unifom was greatly enhanced in 1979 when the Army adopted the "mint" green short and long sleeve shirts. Nick

[Maury Krupp]

The US Army had worn some shade of olive drab as a service (not dress) uniform since 1902. That's within a couple years as long as they wore blue.

From an economic and practicality standpoint the idea behind the new Army Service Uniform might be a good idea. There's no real point in buying and issuing uniforms that won't get used. I think I wore my greens less than a half-dozen times in three years. Then again, I could say the same thing about my USAF Mess Dress. It seems to be a fact of military life that there will always be uniforms than sit in the closet more than they're ever worn.

The problem I see with the ASU is in the execution

With the cheesy white shirt, all the pin on metal baubles and gee-gaws (no patches, no stripes), and all topped off with that ghey beret, it makes Soldiers look like minimum wage mall cops.

It was bad enough when toni mcpuke put my Air Force in that three-button abortion. I guess foisting this afterbirth of the ASU on Soldiers was just the next step.

Maury

[Nick Riviezzo]

Maury, There is a movement afoot in "high places" to do away with the beret. I feel confident that will happen but I'm a little leary of what might be the replacement.
I wore my dress greens Class A[blouse and tie] and B[no blouse and short sleeved shirt] quite frequently. Of course it depended on your duties. Mess dress uniforms,with and without cape,were,to me, a huge waste of money if you were'nt in a higher headquarters or in political assignments.The regular dress blues [soon to become THE dress uniform] were not wasted on soldiers that were in units that had regular Hail and Farewell parties, and who could forget the "Command Performance" New Years reception with the CG. A clever ruse to keep Officers and Senior NCOs off the roads so we have a "better" ground safety record.Yes ,some major PIAs but ,stupid me, I'd go back and do it all again. Nick