Sailors blast wear rules for blue cammies

[fenway]

Sailors blast wear rules for blue cammies

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Dec 16, 2008 18:09:14 EST

Sailors are lashing out at the Navy’s tough new uniform regulations, which say that sailors wearing the new Navy Working Uniform won’t be allowed to get out of their cars while driving to and from work unless it’s an emergency.

The new rules are more restrictive than the regs covering the to-be-replaced utilities and wash khakis, as well as the current woodland cammies and flight suits.

Current uniform regulations allow sailors to make brief stops — such as pumping gas, picking up prescriptions and dropping off kids at day care — in the current uniforms. None of this will be allowed once sailors and officers begin wearing the Navy Working Uniform, which will be available to purchase in the Norfolk, Va., area next month.

Within 24 hours of posting a short news story on the restrictions and soliciting feedback, Navy Times received more than 40 e-mails from sailors and officers expressing outrage over the decision to tighten the rules.

“This is beyond ridiculous,” wrote Fire Controlman 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jason McKeever, who works aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln. “The fact that every other service [except the Marine Corps] authorizes their service members to wear their working uniforms to places like grocery stores or the mall just shows how out of touch the Navy officials are.”

The Navy announced its rollout schedule and rules for wear Dec. 2.

At the time of the message’s release, Navy officials told Navy Times that the commuting rules for the NWU were identical to the rules for all current working uniforms. Those officials have since corrected themselves, saying that the current rules for utilities and wash khakis do allow for brief stops.

Navy Times, on Tuesday morning, requested further clarification on the reason for the rule change from the office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

The rule change will likely cause problems for deck-plate leaders who need to enforce them.

That’s because once the NWU begins its two-year rollout, there will be two sets of uniform rules on the street — one for the NWU, authorizing no routine stops, and the current, and more liberal, rules for the rest of the uniforms.

“I personally cannot understand why we are going so high and right, because it will cause more confusion … and I feel this will only drive the desire to wear the NWU to be even less,” said Command Master Chief (SW/AW) Michael Napier, senior enlisted sailor at Strike Fighter Squadron 27 at Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan.

Napier says uniform regs are already tough enough for him and other chiefs to enforce, and having two standards will only make that even tougher to enforce.

“I already face it working on a naval air station with air crews wanting to wear flight suits to everything short of the Navy Ball. As a black-shoe snipe, it drives me nuts — so I see the NWU being nothing but an uphill battle.”

Tell us what you think
Navy Times wants to hear from sailors about the stringent new policy. Do you support it, or do you think it's not practical? How will this impact your life?

[CommunityEditor]

Article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/1..._rules_121608/
Uniform FAQ: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/1...m_faq_121508w/

[RADENNIS0]

The Navy is basically saying "Change into your working uniform after you get to work. And then change out of it when you knock off."

[Boats/88]

Nothing new, Is this all the kids do today is bitch! How hard is it for you to change your clothes?
Back in the 80's this policy was in place for the dungaree's You either had to change into civilian clothes, or the uniform of the day.
There are many other things that you can complain about! Changing your clothes should not be one of them!

[RADENNIS0]

There is nothing intrinsically wrong with wearing work uniforms in public. Maybe it wouldn't hurt for the public to see Sailors in work uniforms.

Oh, and if that's how they did things in the 80's then it must be the right way to do it.

[AngerMan8404]

It is a uniform. Nothing new... some uniforms you can be worn off base some cant. Nothing new.

[fenway]

I think they implied that they will back off on this in the future. It is a good looking uniform so why not?

[jeffersj]

First off, the Navy has indicated that the rules for wearing the new uniform off-duty are being reviewed.

Second, be happy you get to wear the current/proposed uniforms off-duty even with the restrictions.

1980's - no working uniforms allowed off-base period unless in a government vehicle on government business. A lot of bases had Marines at the gates checking vehicle occupants. Anyone wearing all/part of a working uniform (including taking the dungaree shirt off and throwing on a civilian undershirt while wearing the trousers) got turned around and sent back to their command.

32nd St. Naval Station San Diego - the main NEX was considered "off-base". That meant if you wanted to go there at lunch you either got into uniform of the day or waited until liberty call and went in street clothes. Nothing hard about that.

Yes, once the rules relaxed I did commute in working uniforms. I also didn't find it all that hard to change clothes before going on liberty.

[forcedj]

Originally Posted by jeffersj

1980's - no working uniforms allowed off-base period unless in a government vehicle on government business. A lot of bases had Marines at the gates checking vehicle occupants. Anyone wearing all/part of a working uniform (including taking the dungaree shirt off and throwing on a civilian undershirt while wearing the trousers) got turned around and sent back to their command.

Yeah, that was a hassle...especially if you lived off base and were attached to a shore command where dungarees was the uniform of the day but there wasn't anyplace to change. Like jeff said...at least be happy you can were the aquaflage to/from work.

Dan

[tmurphy]

Originally Posted by Boats/88

Nothing new, Is this all the kids do today is bitch! How hard is it for you to change your clothes?
Back in the 80's this policy was in place for the dungaree's You either had to change into civilian clothes, or the uniform of the day.
There are many other things that you can complain about! Changing your clothes should not be one of them!

Back in the 80's the Navy did allot of things that made no sense. For example, hazing, sexual harassment and no drug testing are just a few examples so I guess we should still do that also since that is how they did it in the 80's. Times change and so do policy and this one needs to be changed. Now that we have a uniform that actually presents a military appearance we can't wear it off base--go figure! It’s people like you with your "old school thinking" that keeps the greatest Navy in the world behind the times. I bet you hate the idea of all hands wearing a khaki shirt also, take a look at a calendar near you, it is 2008!
If the Army and Air force have been doing it for years without any problems then what is the big deal? Let me answer that for you---- IT JUST MAKES SENSE! Plain and simple no matter how you try to twist and turn it because I know what you’re first thought is, "We are not in the Army or Air Force".
After it is all said and done, I am a Sailor who will follow the orders/rules leadership decides on. But it is a shame that this topic is so consiversal when the right thing to do is use common sense and think about how ridiculous this rule is. It is truly sad that after the Navy spent almost three years asking us what we wanted for a new uniform and then dropped the ball when it came to how we can wear it. It’s OK for us to decide what we want the uniform to look like but we have no say in how we can wear it. Not a problem, I’ll keep mine in the closet with my woodland, desert, current utilities, foul weather coats and coveralls I can’t wear off base either. Who are we kidding? We should have seen it coming because the standard has always been if it feels to comfortable, practical or makes it convenient, then it is NOT authorized just like in the 80’s!