Posted on Mar 30, 2017
How many different uniforms have you worn throughout your career?
51.3K
74
41
20
20
0
I think, since 1980, I have worn at least 8 different field uniforms, not including some Alaska and Fort Drum unique uniforms I had, nor the Tanker's Uniform.... (1) Green Fatigues, (2) BDUs (from Elvis to end), (3) Jungle Fatigues (Vietnam Era), (4) Chocolate Chip DBDUs, (5) 3 color DBDUs, (6) ACU-UCP, (7) Multi-cams, (8) ACU-OCP... How about you?
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 35
Thanks for asking COL Charles Williams
1974-1975 Fatigues Green OG
1975-1983 Fatigues OG "wash and wear" Polyester
1983-2004 BDUs Woodland pattern, various iterations of BDUs
Images: 1975 Fort Leonard Wood [Fatigues Green OG]; 1981 Grafenwöhr [Fatigues OG "wash and wear" Polyester]; 1984 Promotion to CPT at Bamberg, FRG; 2004 My wife Maria posing with me right after my demobilization award was presented in the Pentagon.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 Charlie Poulton SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SP5 Robert Ruck SrA Christopher Wright
1974-1975 Fatigues Green OG
1975-1983 Fatigues OG "wash and wear" Polyester
1983-2004 BDUs Woodland pattern, various iterations of BDUs
Images: 1975 Fort Leonard Wood [Fatigues Green OG]; 1981 Grafenwöhr [Fatigues OG "wash and wear" Polyester]; 1984 Promotion to CPT at Bamberg, FRG; 2004 My wife Maria posing with me right after my demobilization award was presented in the Pentagon.
FYI COL Mikel J. Burroughs LTC Stephen C. Capt Seid Waddell Capt Tom Brown CW5 Charlie Poulton SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL SFC William Farrell SSgt Robert Marx SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" SSgt (Join to see) TSgt Joe C. SCPO Morris RamseyCPL Eric Escasio SGT John " Mac " McConnell SP5 Mark Kuzinski SP5 Robert Ruck SrA Christopher Wright
(8)
(0)
LTC Stephen F.
COL Charles Williams - FYI, my left foot was in a below-the-knee cast when that picture was taken :-)
(0)
(0)
1980-2000 USMC,,, Wore 4 different types of "Cammies" . Dress uniforms went from have wool for winter and Polyester for summer to a single poly/Wool blend. Went from the old "horse blanket" over coat and rain coat to a single All weather coat, Had the Wooly-pully sweater and tanker jacket.
I got confused even with those few changes. As soon as we got off Id just go in my room and strip buck naked and watch TV. Too many decisions.
I got confused even with those few changes. As soon as we got off Id just go in my room and strip buck naked and watch TV. Too many decisions.
(7)
(0)
I've worn uniforms for three different branches of service; couldn't count the number of different uniforms over the past 37+ years. Plan on keeping only one when I retire from AD this summer, my last service dress uniform.
(6)
(0)
2004-2012
1.BDU's
2.DCU's
3.ACU's (regular and flame retardant)
4.Multicam
5.Dress Greens
6.Dress Blues
7.ASU
1.BDU's
2.DCU's
3.ACU's (regular and flame retardant)
4.Multicam
5.Dress Greens
6.Dress Blues
7.ASU
(3)
(0)
All those minus the jungles. But I did wear the CVC jumpsuit when I was artillery. Add also 4 different types of PT uniforms from the banana suit to the new black and yellow PTs.
(2)
(0)
Green Fatigues through basic and Security Police Tech School (1984). IMMEDIATELY told to secure those at first unit and issued BDUs so all variations of BDUs from "Elvis Collar", to "tabs" to final version. DCUs, and ABUs....missed out on the multicam.
(2)
(0)
I had the same as you except for the final ACU-OCP. Started off as an ROTC cadet wearing OD fatigues. Wore BDUs and OD jungle fatigues as a LT and the chocolate chip desert uniform for an MFO rotation in 1987. Wore DCUs in 2003-2005 and then ACUs. Finally go the Multicams in 2012 on my final deployment. There were also 3 PT uniforms starting with the banana suit.
(2)
(0)
13 different uniforms plus some miscellaneous uniform itmes
Summer
1. 505s. Tan cotton shirt and pants with wool blue flight cap or service hat (bus driver hat)
2. 1505s. Tan poly cotton shirt and pants with poly blue flight cap or service hat
3. Light blue poly cotton short sleeve shirt O rank on collar with Polly wool pants
4. Light blue Polly cotton short sleeve shirt (SNCO and O rank on epaulets) with shade 1550 wash & wear pants or shade 1549 poly pants
Winter Service
5. Dark blue wool pants and blouse, long sleeve light blue cotton shirt, blue tie, with wool blue flight or service hat. Double breasted wool overcoat
6. Polly wool shade 1549 blue pants and blouse with poly cotton light blue long sleeve shirt. Dark blue tie. Poly wool 1549 flight cap or service hat. In 1980s & 1990s long sleeve light blue shirt with SNCO or O rank on epaulets. All weather dark blue overcoat.
7. Shade 1549 long sleeve shirt and pants with or without tie; O rank on collar (my favorite uniform as a young officer)
Dress
8. Mess dress summer poly wool white short jacket, black pants with silk stripe, white pleated shirt, black bow tie and cummerbund. Winter: same, but with black jacket. Black or white service hat to match jacket.
9. Shade 1549 all season mess dress jacket and pants. White pleated shirt with blue bow tie and cummerbund
Utilities
10. OD green fatigues shirt, pants, field jacket, cap, black boots; unit baseball cap sometimes.
11. BDU Forrest pattern shirt, pants, field jacket, cap, black boots
Special purpose
12. Flight suit cotton sage green, flight jacket sage green with orange lining, black boots blue flight cap or unit baseball cap.
13. Nomex flight suit OD green, light, medium, and heavy nomex flight jackets, black boots, nomex gloves, flight cap, or unit baseball cap. Scarf (not to be worn while flying), unit color.
Miscellaneous items:
-In 1970s AF introduced dark blue wind breaker, "golf jacket," to be worn with short or long sleeve light blue shirt and blue pants.
-Wool "horse blanket" overcoat was replaced with all-weather "London Fog" coat.
-Winter scarf in gray or white wool or poly wool; black gloves
-Arctic issue included winter weight flight suit, long parka, and "Bear Paw" mittens with liners all in sage green nylon outer shell, white "bunny boots," sage green mukluks, brown leather gloves with wool liners, nomex long underwear, black insulated leather boots.
-Dark blue tie, either clip-on or conventional, could be worn with all light blue shirt uniforms. Required with service dress uniforms and optional (local commander choice) with long sleeve dark blue shirt.
-Tie bars and tie tacks fashioned with AF crest or rank worn 1980s and 1990s
-Mess dress included silver buff finished studs and cuff links; some blue shirts had French cuffs (custom made) and members wore plain or AF crest cuff links
-Wooly-pully and cardigan sweaters optional from late 1970s; worn over light blue shirt.
Summer
1. 505s. Tan cotton shirt and pants with wool blue flight cap or service hat (bus driver hat)
2. 1505s. Tan poly cotton shirt and pants with poly blue flight cap or service hat
3. Light blue poly cotton short sleeve shirt O rank on collar with Polly wool pants
4. Light blue Polly cotton short sleeve shirt (SNCO and O rank on epaulets) with shade 1550 wash & wear pants or shade 1549 poly pants
Winter Service
5. Dark blue wool pants and blouse, long sleeve light blue cotton shirt, blue tie, with wool blue flight or service hat. Double breasted wool overcoat
6. Polly wool shade 1549 blue pants and blouse with poly cotton light blue long sleeve shirt. Dark blue tie. Poly wool 1549 flight cap or service hat. In 1980s & 1990s long sleeve light blue shirt with SNCO or O rank on epaulets. All weather dark blue overcoat.
7. Shade 1549 long sleeve shirt and pants with or without tie; O rank on collar (my favorite uniform as a young officer)
Dress
8. Mess dress summer poly wool white short jacket, black pants with silk stripe, white pleated shirt, black bow tie and cummerbund. Winter: same, but with black jacket. Black or white service hat to match jacket.
9. Shade 1549 all season mess dress jacket and pants. White pleated shirt with blue bow tie and cummerbund
Utilities
10. OD green fatigues shirt, pants, field jacket, cap, black boots; unit baseball cap sometimes.
11. BDU Forrest pattern shirt, pants, field jacket, cap, black boots
Special purpose
12. Flight suit cotton sage green, flight jacket sage green with orange lining, black boots blue flight cap or unit baseball cap.
13. Nomex flight suit OD green, light, medium, and heavy nomex flight jackets, black boots, nomex gloves, flight cap, or unit baseball cap. Scarf (not to be worn while flying), unit color.
Miscellaneous items:
-In 1970s AF introduced dark blue wind breaker, "golf jacket," to be worn with short or long sleeve light blue shirt and blue pants.
-Wool "horse blanket" overcoat was replaced with all-weather "London Fog" coat.
-Winter scarf in gray or white wool or poly wool; black gloves
-Arctic issue included winter weight flight suit, long parka, and "Bear Paw" mittens with liners all in sage green nylon outer shell, white "bunny boots," sage green mukluks, brown leather gloves with wool liners, nomex long underwear, black insulated leather boots.
-Dark blue tie, either clip-on or conventional, could be worn with all light blue shirt uniforms. Required with service dress uniforms and optional (local commander choice) with long sleeve dark blue shirt.
-Tie bars and tie tacks fashioned with AF crest or rank worn 1980s and 1990s
-Mess dress included silver buff finished studs and cuff links; some blue shirts had French cuffs (custom made) and members wore plain or AF crest cuff links
-Wooly-pully and cardigan sweaters optional from late 1970s; worn over light blue shirt.
(2)
(0)
COL Charles Williams Like you I've worn a lot of different uniforms from January 1975 to February 2012. The only one I didn't waer is the new dress uniforma that the Army just introduced that look like the Dress Blues we use to wear at formal events or the new ACUs they just came out with. Missed those two changes - Nice post Charles!
(2)
(0)
COL Charles Williams if ROTC counts as well I started with gray pts, then black and gray, and now black ones, BDUs, ACUs, FRACUs (ACU), OCP, Multicams, greens, blues, ASUs. So 11 if you could the ACU vs. FRACUs, etc.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next


Uniforms
Memories
