Why does the Army uniform still have these giant cargo pockets? Who uses their cargo pockets, and for what reason?

As a prior 10th Gp Brigade Surgeon who spent more time outside the wire than inside, my cargo pockets were always full. The left lower pant leg pocket ALWAYS had a tourniquet, non negotiable for all my soldiers. My right upper cargo pocket usually had a spare L of normal saline, and infusion set, and my left cargo pocket had the most important item of all....a 2lb bag of red twizzlers.

You use the cargo pockets to hold things you would put in pockets. I would think that would be rather obvious to a senior NCO.

Contrary to some senior NCOs likes I did not feel the need for everything to stay pressed al the time when you are doing actual work.

I would rather have one uniform than adding another set without the pockets.

In garrison Mine would be pressed down most of the time. When we were working or in the field they held things at times that did not necessitate a pack or LBE.

They held things that were used frequently that you did not want not always be fishing out of a pack.

They kept your hands free so you were able to show military courtesies.

The cargo pockets are the most important and useful part of the uniform.
I'm not saying you've never truely been to the field, but there is no denying all the things you can stuff into them. I realy hated it, when they took away the hip pockets from the blouse. Perfect places for headgear, cell phone, note books, snacks. I've even seen IPADs. Yeah, I know, even cigarettes.

I know garrison life can be ruff. Micromanaging Uniform nazi's trying to tell you not to put stuff in them, but the real soldiers need and use them all the time. You know, like how you're not supporsed to put your hands in the hand warming pockets (AR-670-1) of your PT jacket for your hands, or the "only a black packpack can be on your shoulder" crowd.

Yeah, sometimes you might get yourself stuffed up like a chipmonk, so you have to be reasonable about your appearance. It really comes down to common sense.
Whether it's just your cap, or half your combat load, the pockets do come in handy.

so used my cargo pockets for a notebook and extra charge clips for the bottom of a mortar round . Being mechanized I never wore LBE so cargo pockets secured under nomex (spelling?) worked well.

I would say apparently she's never been in combat in Iraq in the summertime and not needed to carry two or more extra liters of water. The pockets are there for a reason.

Frankly, it needs more pockets. Look at the uniforms from WWII-Vietnam and see how large those pockets were. Our current ones hold a patrol cap and your car keys…

When I was in even in peace time I used the BDU pockets. I was in when the change happen from OD green to BDU happened. And personally NO the military needs to keep the loser uniform with the large pockets. My legs and calves and shoulders and neck got tired of trying to get into pencil neck uniforms or civilian clothes. If this is how board u are to complain about pockets. What the freak is the military coming to. Ur retired even.
Military needs to be ready to go to war 24/7 and these pockets are better than a belt creating sores on ur waist and hips.

Snacks, smokes, wet wipes, water, transporting rip it's from the dfac to the barracks... who DOESN'T use them besides a person who never deployed. Those pockets are handy!

I carried everything in my pockets. Extra pens, note pad, phone and sometimes the snack's would make it but make sure you bring enough for everyone.

Well...in my Basic Training, my drills instructed us to fold our soft-caps (this is the BDU cap, not the now-used "patrol cap") in a particular manner, and it was stowed in our right cargo pocket. Our "Smart Book" was in the left pocket. When I was on duty (including 22 years of AD with the NYARNG), my PC always got folded and stowed in my right cargo pocket the rest of my 25 year career. I rarely used the left pocket, unless I was in the field.

MSG Darren Gaddy, did you really serve 26 years in the MPs without ever once actually going to the field? Or was all of your time in service prior to the Army having a field uniform with pockets?

Having extra material made it HOT in Fort Stewart during the summer. So I had a seamstress make some modifications to a couple pairs of my ACUs. Other than that, I don't see a huge reason for such a change.

Headgear, notebook, cell phone, keys, wallet, gloves, I don't know, what goes in there?