I will be the first to admit that I was very skeptical about this uniform. That said, I am currently on a rather lengthy TAD that has required me to utilize the Navy Working Uniform (NWU), and some of my initial skepticism has waned.
The primary objection I had to this uniform is the color scheme. Many reams of criticism have been written concerning the utility of this color scheme, but I'd like to take a step back and examine this issue more critically. I have been given no less than seven positive comments on the sharp look of this uniform over the last ten days. Three of these compliments came from men, and four of the positive comments came from women. Now I know you don't know me from Adam, but trust me when I say that this kind of attention just does not happen to me on a regular basis. It is a bit flattering, and I have the NWU to thank. In terms of establishing a recognizable brand it appears from my limited perspective that the USN has hit a double at least with this uniform design, and I am going to have to grudgingly accept that the color scheme may be doing just exactly what it was meant to do.
More on other attributes of the NWU later.
V/R,
The crucible for the NWU is now. In Haiti, the AARs that will come back from those blueshirts humping all the MREs and the like onto the beaches will tell us how good of a uniform the NWU is.
ReplyDeleteI, myself, am by no means a fan. I wore version 1.5 just before coming out to AFG for an extended stay. The problem with the uniform is not relegated to the uniform itself. The uniform regulation itself calls for a rather ugly appearance. Purposefully the uniform is to large, especially the blouse. I felt like I was swimming in it.
The ACU, that is a practical working uniform. Not perfect, mind you, but better than the NWU. Why is it practical? Because of the options that come with the uniform. There are three levels of cold gear to be worn under the ACU itself, there are two levels of rain gear to wear over the ACU (the most genius thing I've seen of the rain gear, it doesn't have pockets, it has a zipper that corresponds to the pockets on the ACU, so that you don't accidentally leave you ID or such in the rain coat pocket.). There is also a uber-cold layer one can wear that is rated to -60F.
The Army 'working' uniform is designed for everywhere the Soldier may find them-self. I can't imagine wearing the NWU at sea at night in the rain. So, we need to have coveralls. But, Coveralls don't quite cut it when it's cold. So we have fowl weather jackets. Odd's are the jacket you have you found on the mess decks forgotten by a shipmate, so you grabbed it... Why? Because the same thing happened to yours. It's a fun game we play at sea...
The Coasties have a nice uniform that they seem to wear all over the place. Why was that ignored?
If I were CNO... I'd create PEO SAILOR. Because that is what the Army has and I've seen it garish great things. If a PEO is the proper thing to employ to acquire a class of Ship or type of Aircraft; then why would it not be proper to use the same construct to design the one piece of equipment that every Sailor regardless of Command and rank use? I got to ask the MCPON that question, he told me he thought that we had a good system in place.
Maybe it is. But, I don't think the product they gave us is a good as it should be. I'd even go to say that the effect the uniform has is that it hurts watch standing.
YNSN (YN2?),
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. You certainly raise some valid issues, and it does bother me to a degree that the USN has adopted no less than 8 utility uniforms used in a variety of environments.
I am for now a reluctant supporter of the uniform, and as you have correctly pointed out there are quality (and cost) concerns associated with its adoption.
I intend to conduct a more thorough review at the end of my at-sea time, and I'll let the facts as I perceive them speak for themselves.
Anecdotally in my interactions with the public, they seem to appreciate the look of the uniform, and since ultimately the Navy draws its support from the citizens of the country, I think this is a positive reaction.
Again, thanks for taking the time to write, and remember, "I'm up, they see me, I'm down." Come home safe.
V/R,