Us navy boot camp free#

(Still from an official USN film released in 1974.)

Most of the new utility uniforms started issue to the new recruits, with other commands getting them as they became available.ĭuring this time you will often see both the older dungaree and the newer utility uniforms being worn concurrently side by side. At this time the Navy was trying to transition to the new utility uniforms which replaced the dungarees for a few years before they were redesigned and reintroduced. The wearout dates and the issuance do not always combine to form a neat start and end date, so overlapping dates are often more the rule than the exception. The dungarees were worn through the period, until about 1972-74. Some of the earlier production caps have the data on a cheesecloth tag in the headband: Most of the Cap, Utility, Cotton Sateen that I see are mid-late production they have the nomenclature and contract data stamped inside the headband. Often these hats ended up folded to fit in the dungaree pockets during service, which left the brim with large, deep creases. Notice the complex multi-piece construction used. The brass zipper on the jacket was hidden by a flap which was buttoned down to seal the coat. So you will have to excuse the lack of quality in the images: These photos are old and I found it very difficult to preserve the actual dark colors of the items when under intense lighting required for photography due to the sheen of the sateen material which washed out the color in photos. The new utility uniform was placed in production in 1971 but issue and wear out dates meant that the older uniform was still widely worn in the fleet. For those wanting a 'blue water' Vietnam era Navy display you want the above uniforms. The push for a new uniform (both working and dress) was well underway in the mid 1960s, but budgetary concerns kept it shelved it until the early 1970s. The Cap, Utility, Cotton Sateen was actually not officially authorized for wear without the Jacket, Utility (not to be confused with the later utility jackets) until 1962 when wear was extended to those wearing only dungarees sans jacket. Since we are discussing the working jacket and hat I will omit the chambray and dungarees from this in order to save us some time and our eyes. The sateen jacket replaced the denim jacket of which various patterns (to include the jumpers) had been worn for half a century. As an example of the potential for confusion, the earlier and later blue working jackets were both known as 'Utility' jackets but of a vastly different design!! So there is/will be some conflicting nomenclature depending on the source.Įssentially the working uniform was designed in the late 1950s and consisted of a blue sateen ball cap, blue sateen jacket, chambray shirt and dungaree trousers. You wouldn't believe the different names that show up for the same items via manuals/papers/articles of the period. NOTE: Where possible, I will try to refer to the items by their official nomenclature as found on the tags.

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Us navy boot camp free#

Feel free to post your dungarees, blues, whites, and other uniforms. Simply put, the men and women who served the Navy are often unsung, but they were willing to fight had the cold war turned hot (thankfully it did not).Īs long as it is US Navy worn during 1960-1989, it is welcome. Accidents took the lives of many officers and sailors, such as the tragedy of the Newport News in 1972, and the sinking of the USS Frank E. Although many people think of the cold war as an actionless pushover, it was still dangerous. Two surveillance vessels were attacked, and a number of 'close encounters' occurred. Two US submarines were lost during this period while submerged. The brown water guys started off wearing the same uniforms before transitioning to more mission appropriate clothing.Įlsewhere around the globe, the Navy patrolled the world's oceans as well as conducted humanitarian and cold war missions and exercises. The Navy of course operated the PCF's of the coastal patrol squadrons, and the PBR, Tangos, and a myriad of other craft along the coastal and riverine deltas of South Vietnam. From Yankee Station to the Mekong delta, the Navy was there too. Since we often hear about the 'brown water' Navy during the Vietnam war, I thought it was only fitting to start a thread where everyone can discuss the uniforms of the 'blue water' Navy during the same time period (cold war).ĭuring the Vietnam war, the 7th fleet (and assets) deployed to the South China Sea for countless escort and bombardment missions.