For Army veterans unaware, the new Class "A" uniform will soon change from the standard green color that has been around for decades, to Army Blue. Similar to the current day Dress Blue (formal) uniform worn by men and women in the Army, the new Class "A" uniform will certainly change the way the Army looks.
The Army explains its purpose in making this major change, as wanting to go to essentially one uniform other than the ACU (Army Combat Uniform). Today, the Army Green jacket and trousers is worn for routine business, while the Dress Blue uniform is worn for more formal occasions. Junior enlisted Soldiers will wear the beret with the new dark blue uniform with light blue trousers, while NCOs will wear a service (billed) cap, and have a yellow stripe along the trouser side seam, the same as worn by commissioned officers today. The light green long and short-sleeve shirt worn today with the green uniform, will be replaced with a light gray color, long and short sleeve shirt.
I understand the Army's rationale for making the change, but I would have selected a different color than blue if I could have been a one-man decision committee. I've always thought the Army should have kept the brown jacket and light tan trouser, belted uniform worn by officers during World War II and after, as it's Class "A" uniform. When I was a cadet in Junior ROTC back in the 1950s, I wore that uniform, and really liked the way it looked. By the time I got to college ROTC, the Army had shifted to the green uniform, and I wore that for almost thirty years.
It will be interesting to see how this all works out. In addition to the new blue uniform, over the past few years the Army made the black beret the standard head gear for Class "A" wear, replaced the BDU/DCU (green or tan camouflage combat uniform) with the computerized pattern green-gray ACU, and also recently changed its recruiting slogan from "Army of One" to "Army Strong".
Lots of "change" underway in the Army in addition to the above. Again, it will be interesting to see how it all works out.
