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Army's new dress code....

alledanalledan Member Posts: 19,541
edited January 2002 in General Discussion
Pentagon-AP -- Nail polish is O-K for women, but dreadlocks are out for all G-I's.That's according to the new U-S Army dress code.The Pentagon is preparing the first Army appearance update in a decade.Under the new code, soldiers can wear their hair in braids or cornrows. And it's O-K to be bald -- whether naturally, or with the shaved-head look.The new regs allow a pager, a cell-phone or a hand-held computer to be attached to a uniform. But one only, and it must be black.And male G-I's must lose the earrings and any other visible body piercings.The regulations are expected to take effect within four months
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Comments

  • LowriderLowrider Member Posts: 6,587
    edited November -1
    Is this for real??? Since when were earrings and dreadlocks allowed in the Army???
    Lord Lowrider the LoquaciousMember:Secret Select Society of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets She was only a fisherman's daughter,But when she saw my rod she reeled.
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  • RedlegRedleg Member Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Exactly why the hell I am getting out of the Army in 6 months. You should see some of these female soldiers with their hair done up in cornrows try to wear a helmet! I've always said that if your hair interferes with the wear of your combat equipment, get it cut. Don't get me started. the Army is too weird and is trying to emulate the Air Force a little too much.
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  • KhegglieKhegglie Member Posts: 330 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    they dont allow dreads in the services now, do they? any service connected guys seen any members with dreads?i always thought that the most rediculous thing i ever saw was a guy in a business suit with dreads....HAHA!
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The pager/cell phone change is new. That was never allowed. Nail polish has been allowed since I have been in the Army. Males have NEVER been allowed to wear earrings on duty and, as of a few years ago, were not allowed to have ANY body piercings (visible or not) whether in uniform or out of uniform.Hairstyle, regardless of type, has never been allowed to interfere with the proper wearing of the uniform. I never had a problem with any of my female soldiers but all female soldiers with whom I have worked were never permitted to alter headgear or the wearing of headgear to accomodate a hairstyle.Not much is new here besides the cellphone/pager/handheld computer bit. When a soldier is on alert, he/she has to have a cell phone or pager to wander more than a few minutes away from the Company area anyways so I don't see this as a problem.[This message has been edited by idsman75 (edited 01-09-2002).]
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  • royc38royc38 Member Posts: 2,235 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dreads is THE ugliest,dirtiest,worthless hairstyle ever designed by mankind PERIOD. I cannot believe it is 2002 and there are people that actually have that process inflicted on themselves and think they honestly in their heart look good.
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  • badboybobbadboybob Member Posts: 1,658 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Well, this is not surprising. They took the black beret from an elite force and gave it to everyone to make them "feel better". The best thing that could happen to the army is for President Bush to recall Norman Schwartzkopf and make him chief of staff.
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  • gunnutgunnut Member Posts: 724 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I say give them a high and tight as far as peircing goes, well lets not get my idea on that one!
    ~Secret Select Society Of Suave Stylish Smoking Jackets~
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Are we still beating that black beret dead horse yet?
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I think the black beret looks so sharp and professional. I can't think of a better improvement to the Army uniform.stir stir stir
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  • oldfriendsoldfriends Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The new dress code is only the beginning. Just wait. Making people feel good about themselves is the new substitute for leadership. As far as the black beret is concerned, the beret is one of the most worthless pieces of the clothing bag. It is good for shining boots and cleaning the black board but that is about it. I have worn a beret for all but two assignments in 30+ years. It does fit in your cargo pocket nice though.
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  • oldfriendsoldfriends Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    dano,Actually it was chalk on a poncho in the field. Didn't wear the beret while on KP.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    The only time I ever had KP was when I arrived at my first duty station and was assigned to a company that was already in the field for 2 weeks on an evaluation. I was assigned three straight days (5am - 9pm) of scrubbing pots and pans in the field. Do you know how hard it is to get dried egg off of a large serving pan when all you have is luke-warm water and a scouring pad?dano--no fair!
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  • v35v35 Member Posts: 12,710 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I dont know where these soldiers get the free time to braid those rows of pigtails.How can that hair be properly washed and rebraided in time for morning formation?The rationale for short hair when I was a soldier was to be able to quickly treat wounds,for sanitary purposes,uniformity and to deprive the enemy of a handhold. I can imagine these pigtails(despise the term dreadlocks) really snagging on barbed wire.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Army Regulation 670-1 (Wear and Appearance of the Uniform) is very specific about many things but never mentions "dreadlocks" anywhere. I have never seen a soldier in dreadlocks myself after being stationed at Fort Lewis and Fort Drum. Although it is not mentioned specifically, there is a catch-all in that regulation which prohibits "faddish" hairstyles. It is up to the Commander to determine what is and what is not faddish. So far I have seen this handled very well by every command under which I have served. Then again, MP's (as a rule), are held to a bit of a higher standard than most other MOS's. I've never seen a soldier in dreadlocks but it must have been an issue somewhere in order for the Department of the Army to include it in an update to the regulation.
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    Yoo dig notda dreadlock,monYoo undestand notda dreadlock,monTis sin for seezorsand comb to touch da hair,mon!!Yoo foo(k!ng boom`a klot,mon!!!.218 Bee-mon
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  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    I think that the black beret is a very good idea. Now there are TWO ways to distinguish between a soldier and a girl scout.
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    And what ARE those two ways? Not that it really matters. I get insulted for the uniform on a daily basis by the general taxpaying public anyway. It sort of rolls off the shoulder.[This message has been edited by idsman75 (edited 01-10-2002).]
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  • DENWADENWA Member Posts: 390 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    idsman-- don't take any offense-- Most don't understand what it is like to be spit on by American citzens while gaurding your post!Nuf said I'm gettin upset now.
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  • RedlegRedleg Member Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    idsman75...MPs are held to a higher standard?!? HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HASeriously, you're killing me here! HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA,
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Yes. MP's that go to courts-martial get stiffer sentences than most of the rest who are "young and don't know any better". I've been in and out of every barracks and every unit at the last duty station where I was stationed previously. Yes, MP's are generally held to a higher standard when it comes to the wear and appearance of the uniform. There always seemed to be an echo in the halls of 13-Bravo land......"AR 670-1? What's that?".....[This message has been edited by idsman75 (edited 01-10-2002).]
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  • jazzjazz Member Posts: 83 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    I wonder......Is the Army dressing for war,or a disco?
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    A disco? This "new" regulation does not bring much change at all. Dreadlocks were never authorized. Males haven't been allowed to have ANY body piercings regardless of whether they were in uniform or not for years.
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  • Shootist3006Shootist3006 Member Posts: 4,171
    edited November -1
    idsman, the 2 ways to distinguish between a soldier and a girl scout:1. Girl scouts wear GREEN berets, not black2. Girl scouts have ADULT leadershipHope this helps the MP's to know who to stop and check for leave papers or passes.
    Quod principi placuit legis habet vigorem.Semper Fidelis
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  • usmc2498215usmc2498215 Member Posts: 82 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Dreadlocks aye? I guess now we gonna call de guys da Rastafarian Rangers man, we gonna beep bop to de Rasta beat, an be all dat we can be man. Oh, mistake, de Army of one man, mus be dah ganja weed man, oh we not fight tooday man, we gonna steel drum march arown man.
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  • PupPup Member Posts: 217 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    idsman......You really get insulted while in uniform? That must truly suck. I've seen that kind of thing in movies and on t.v. but I've never heard/seen it personally. I've always had a kind of "quiet respect" for military folk. Anybody that can commit to that kind of lifestyle should be the last person to be insulted for it. Maybe you could use that beret as a gag in their mouths? Just a thought......
    Politicians, like diapers, should be changed often and for the same reason.
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  • simonbssimonbs Member Posts: 994 ✭
    edited November -1
    usmc,If you would read, you'd see they are prohibited. Your drivel is senseless.
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Pup, don't sweat it. You see what is being said about the Army by members of the other services right here in this thread. I don't stoop to that level because I recognize the function and the role that each service plays. Due to my affiliation with the Military Police Corps things get doubly interesting at times. When I hear that, I just let them know who will be answering when their wives dial 911 while they are deployed. It's a different tune when they get back from their deployment and see that someone in the rear stole their computer and their entertainment center and they want you to investigate it. Heh heh heh. In all seriousness though, I wear what I am told to wear but maintain the same level of professionalism and pride no matter what that may be. Griping when it does no good to gripe just gives a black eye to the service. Discontent among the ranks over something so simple as headgear merely displays a low level of morale to those that would like to do America harm. It raises their morale and the deterrent effect of our high state of readiness is lessened. However, they'll still wave the flag back and forth just to keep up appearances. Soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines will complain at a moment's notice. If the sun is shining, it's too hot. If it's cloudy, then it's too cold. The glass is always half-full and the grass is always greener on the other side. It's always been that way. They still get the job done. So be it. I'm loving life and am perfectly happy. I'll let someone else lose sleep over a piece of wool that they have to wear over their head.
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  • oldfriendsoldfriends Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Good evening. I can't believe this thread is still active. Interesting though. I'll stir things up a bit with this story. When I was a wee little soldier here at Fort Bragg, Hanoi Jane was visiting Fayetteville to protest the war. She and her band ill guided followers decided to protest at Bragg. They selected the "Bronze Bruce" statue and their location. The officer of the day sent the CQ to all the baracks to grab anyone he could find. I was unlucky enough to be one that was found. We went to the arms room, were issued M16s with bayonets and stood shoulder to shoulder around Bronze Bruce to prevent them from defacing him. We stood with our weopons at modified present arms. We had flowers, fruit, eggs, and saliva thrown at us. We stood there and presented a professional appearance as the MPs rounded them up and escorted them from post. (Actually, I don't know what this has to do with the dress code but above postings discussed being spit on and I thought of this.)
    Life is Tough!It's Tougher if You're Stupid
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  • Mom MomMom Mom Member Posts: 169 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    1. Nail polish was, and I believe still is, acceptable only with Class A/B dress, not Bdu's, and can't be extremly bright. This applies only to females.2. Cornrows are actually a usefull way to keep longer hair out of the way. Now if the rows are full of beads, that might be differant.3. I wish they would have had the bverets when I was in. Anything is better than the formor female dress hat, the slang name of which I won't repeat; but they didn't call 'em THAT for nothing.P.S.- Soldiers don't sell cookies; that's the Girl Scouts.
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  • oldfriendsoldfriends Member Posts: 167 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Mom Mom, I remember the old green dresses the WACs wore. The foulest language I ever heard came from a WAC 1SG at Fort Sam.I'm not so upset about the cornrow thing as much as I'm envious that they have hair.
    Life is Tough!It's Tougher if You're Stupid
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I had a female Drill Sergeant who wore nail polish and earrings when she was in her Class A uniform. She was drop-dead gorgeous and was the source of many wild stories in the barracks bays at night. However, she was probably one of the meanest women I've ever dealt with. I don't mean to change the course of this thread but women of the Army are generally categorized into a couple of different areas. You have the "one of the guys" women. You have the women that are always incredibly made up and feminine and are looked down upon as "weak". Then you have the ones that try to prove what they are worth and have hairstyles that are very "military" in appearance. They are generally referred to with slurs depicting someone who caters to an "alternative lifestyle". As a result, you have some that go WAY out of the way to prove that they are straight and they become the barracks rats and are treated as such. Not all women that appear feminine in a dress uniform are wimps when they throw on the BDU's. Soldiers perform different functions and play different roles and wear appropriate uniforms respectively. I believe that there is a place for nail polish and earrings (for women) when the time is right. However, I still bust out the so-called "men" that feel the need to wear earrings when they are off-duty and in clear violation of Army regulation.
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  • 218Beekeep218Beekeep Member Posts: 3,033
    edited November -1
    Check out www.Ganja.com
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  • RedlegRedleg Member Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Idsman...OK, so you get (percieved) stiffer penalties at Couts Martial. So the f*&k what. The beret is a sorry attempt to fix a bleeding head wound with a Band-Aid. Officers and Non-coms alike are bailing from this thing we used to love. I grew up in the Army, I am in the Army, and I want nothing more than to leave the Army. Let me tell you why:1) A female NCO (SSG) was allowed to wear her headpiece as an outward sign of her Muslim faith while wearing her uniform as an every day part of her duties. Now, I as a Catholic (I almost became a priest) cannot wear a crucifix outside my T-shirt, but this woman can, in direct violation of AR 670-1. Why? Because the leadership doesn't have the guts to say "NO"!!! (strike 1)2) The beret sucks. It's hot. It gets dirty very quickly. It makes shitty soldiers look even shitier. Nobody knows how to wear it. Nobody will correct those who wear it incorrectly. Bottom Line: why in the Sam hell did Shinseki push for this? My morale is not higher. My Esprit-de-corps is gone! (strike 2)3) Last time I checked, MPs can't carry a round chambered. I am at Fort L Wood (home of the MPs...don't ask how an Arty guy got here) and the security for post is CONTRACTED to civilians!!! You can bet your MP-loving * that they have one chambered!!! IDsman...got nothing for love for you, Baby, but if you ain't thinking about number one, you have you head in the clouds. (strike 3)And before you question what I've given...I am a captain who's given the use of his leg for this Army. And, you know what, I'd do it again.(I am still active and am awaiting a med discharge) But, for every one of me who'd sacrifice all, there are 5 officers who are bailing...because service today really blows.BrianBring it on....
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  • KhegglieKhegglie Member Posts: 330 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    the dread thing was funny at first but now im depressed.....thanks REDLEG.....:-(
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  • idsman75idsman75 Member Posts: 13,398 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Redleg, I couldn't agree with you more about religious items being worn in violation of the uniform. As far as the beret is concerned, I'd rather not wear it but I do as I am told. As far as MP's are concerned, there are some things that most people not affiliated with the MP Corps may not understand about Federal Police and contracted police. First of all, they are under the authority of the Provost Marshall and even federals are not permitted to carry a round in the chamber. Fort Drum, NY and many other installations are exactly the same as Ft. Leonard Wood, MO with respect to those contracted police officers. I've chambered a round, in secret, when the perceived threat increased without permission from my chain-of-command. It's one of those S.O.P. issues. It has to be in the regulation but it is "overlooked" by those that understand exactly what you are saying. I have never seen anyone get caught but I know of MANY that chamber a round at the beginning of each shift. The only person I have seen get in trouble over ammo issues was a "contracted" police officer who carried some spare Hydra-Shocks in his pocket to put down animals that were struck by automobiles. MP's do this regularly on many installations but the fact that he was using non-issue ammo got him in trouble. As an investigator, I have had so many Company Commanders who THOUGHT they knew my job better than me try to interfere with the work I was trying to accomplish in order to assist THEM. They always beg for help though when a simple Commander's Inquiry would suffice. I'm not bashing all officers but I have had contact with too many "Perfumed Princes" (as Col. (Ret) David Hackworth calls them) which is one reason why I left West Point after two years to become a non-commissioned officer.The only thing I ask is that those who wish to leave the Army for the afore-mentioned reasons do so with grace and dignity. As I have said before, dissention and whining amongst the ranks lowers morale even more and lessens the deterrent effect of our presence. [This message has been edited by idsman75 (edited 01-11-2002).][This message has been edited by idsman75 (edited 01-11-2002).]
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  • RedlegRedleg Member Posts: 417 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Idsman,You're absolutely right. I've worked for some officers that I'd frag given the chance. (not really, but you know what I mean) Funny thing about West Point officers...my brother is one and we are both stationed here at Ft L wood. So, naturally, I know a lot of West Pointers by proxy and i can name 90% of those guys and gals who are bailing. I would love to stay in the Army, but my leg is f'ed up and I am sick of the constant BS.Brian
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  • JWolfJWolf Member Posts: 1,901 ✭
    edited November -1
    I have read this entire post. I agree with most everything said. I agree with idsman in so much that if the beret bothers you that much then perhaps you should leave. Call me naive but I am shipping out to boot at Fort Benning ga. on the 30th of this month. I have always wanted to serve my country and will proudly do so to the best of my ability. Perhaps I will leave after a time perhaps I will stay, but remember You and I both VOLUNTEERED for service in the Army. For those of you old enough to have been drafted, if you stayed in, you volunteered too.
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