View Full Version : Tricks for your Charlie's
depotBAMCIS
07-20-08, 11:10 AM
I am currently in DI school and I've been trying out different ways to make my service "C" uniform sharper and tighter. Obviously without tailoring the shirt, I have used 6 to 8 shirt stays at a time. I was wondering if anyone had different tricks to share. DRILL!
davblay
07-20-08, 11:13 AM
I am currently in DI school and I've been trying out different ways to make my service "C" uniform sharper and tighter. Obviously without tailoring the shirt, I have used 6 to 8 shirt stays at a time. I was wondering if anyone had different tricks to share. DRILL!
No offense, but your profile shows you are a E-1! You really need to finish, and correct, your profile to get help here Marine!
Good luck and thank you for training to train the finest!
Semper Fi,
Dave
UsmcMotorT
07-22-08, 11:40 AM
OORAH, I wish I could be a DI :evilgrin: (wife wont let me )
Anyways. I thought you aren't allowed to alter the quarter sleeve Charlie shirt to make it shorter and tighter. But I see lots of DIs with tight Charlie Sleeves. Whereas the Charlie shirts you wear out in the fleet are loose.
Chumley
07-22-08, 12:12 PM
I kept a charlie shirt for boards only that I had stapled the creases into, below the belt line obviously. Not sure that you could get away with that, since you would wear it all the time. I was able to take it off right after the board evaluation and change over, so I didn't need to clean it. I also used boot bands around my waist to keep the shirt exactly where I wanted it.
BadLuckChuck
07-22-08, 12:58 PM
You're using Creighton Shirts right? If not go buy yourself some. Other than that i really don't know.
I put in to go to DI school as a B Billet but they didn't want DI's with sleeves.
Marine Corps getting gayer and gayer. They should have never let women join.
Phantom Blooper
07-22-08, 01:07 PM
Wear Kotex or pantie liners in your arm pits to absorb the sweat. :evilgrin:
BadLuckChuck
07-22-08, 01:10 PM
I don't know whatcha got going on by means of medals and ribbons, however on the day to day basis when you would have to wear the charlies in the squadbay with the recruits I would just wear my top 3. When you have to wear the Alphas or blues wear em all.
It will most likely cause a couple nice shirts to become unserviceable for a wall locker inspection but blouse the shirt before you put it on and put two safety pins on each side about 6 inches apart and below the belt line to hold the blouse in place. Place the shirt stays one on each side between the pins. Wrap the stays forward across your hips then attach on the inside of your ankles. Well maybe across your outer thigh.
outlaw3179
07-22-08, 04:19 PM
I don't know whatcha got going on by means of medals and ribbons, however on the day to day basis when you would have to wear the charlies in the squadbay with the recruits I would just wear my top 3. When you have to wear the Alphas or blues wear em all.
why would u just wear your top 3?
BadLuckChuck
07-22-08, 05:36 PM
why would u just wear your top 3?
Just for practical reasons... easier to mount, cheaper than buying 14, some stupid recruit grabs at you theres less to grab at. Who do you really need to impress with your fruit salad at MCRD PI or SD? Like a bunch of recruits will know what you got. Save it for family day for hot older sisters or aunties. :marine:
Phantom Blooper
07-22-08, 06:48 PM
Just for practical reasons... easier to mount, cheaper than buying 14
Consider this............Out of uniform........Set the example.......Exemplirary behavior!:evilgrin:
Pete0331
07-23-08, 12:06 AM
I am currently in DI school and I've been trying out different ways to make my service "C" uniform sharper and tighter. Obviously without tailoring the shirt, I have used 6 to 8 shirt stays at a time. I was wondering if anyone had different tricks to share. DRILL!
I have always heard that Drill Instructors and Recruiters were authorized to tailor their shirts. I may be wrong though.
Get Creighton or Flying Cross shirts but stick with one brand for continuity.
I have heard of Marines using 10-12 shirt stays when working on the Depot.
BadLuckChuck
07-23-08, 01:42 AM
Consider this............Out of uniform........Set the example.......Exemplirary behavior!:evilgrin:
Wearing your top 3 is not out of uniform... it's completely within regs. I mean seriously what if your top 3 are a Bronze Star a Nam and a Cobat Action ribbon... who's gunna **** with you?
Phantom Blooper
07-23-08, 05:18 AM
If the Uniform of the Day calls for ribbons and badges...then you wear the ribbons and badges. Give me the MCO that states all you can wear is the top row...then I will agree.
Never seen anyone in my tour wearing only three one day and then have a candy shop the next...if so in my time questions would be raised. Give me a MCO.
Ribbons don't make the Marine......doesn't make a difference what is on your arm or chest.Regs are regs and orders are orders. The only exception maybe the MOH and then there are limits!:evilgrin:
Native Warrior
07-23-08, 09:08 AM
Actually you have the choice of either wearing just personal decorations or personal and unit decorations. I was authorized 9 total medals and ribbons and of those a lot of the times when I was stationed at PISC, I would wear only the NAM, CAR, GCM but on Fridays (CG Inspection and colors - I was on the CG Staff),family day, graduation and other special events I would wear all 9.
Native Warrior
07-23-08, 09:22 AM
In reference to the charlie's question, I was stationed at PISC from 1985 until 1988 on the CG Staff, so you had to wear C's everyday and they had better be razor sharp. I would take liquid starch and cut it with water. Turn the shirt inside out, soak it will the mixture, allow it to slightly dry and then turn it back outside out and using a commerical steam iron, press the heck out of it. once I got it and the creases to what I wanted, I then sprayed the inside with Scotchgard. This would prevent the sweat from seeping through the shirt. I also used the green boot bands around the waist and 2 sets of stays. Never failed a CG Friday morning inspection with this technique.
As for the tailoring of shirts for DI's and Recruiters, the unwritten rule is that as long as you had regulation shirts for inspections, your daily C shirts could be tailored to fit. Now, if you were into weight lifting and bodybuilding or just had a non-traditional body, you could get a waiver to have your shirts tailored to fit, this waiver would be entered into your SRB and you were covered. I remember a guy at PI that had a 48 inch chest and a 32 inch waist, so he got a waiver and you could clearly see the darts in the shirt where they took it in, but with the waiver it was legal.
Phantom Blooper
07-23-08, 09:38 AM
Sounds good to me....but as I remember it doesn't take that long or expense to put on ALL that is rated. One day off,one day on. Makes sense...but...not to me.:evilgrin:
I'm stationed at 8th and I, ceremonial marcher for alpha company. if there's a trick to making uniforms look good, i know them all haha. wear at least 6 shirt stays, making sure to position them to make the back creases took tight. also, you can use PFC or LCPL chevrons to pin the creases where you want them, below the belt line obviously.
ExPISCDI83
07-23-08, 01:07 PM
Well back in my day, I wore only 4 tight shirt stays and was always sqared away. I wore creighton and flying cross shirts and had then tailored a little, but not too much. Skin tight shirts were a no-no so I had a lot of the slack taked out where I still had enough to make a small blouse in the back and a few inches of slack in the sleeves. I never heard a thing from anyone. The shirt looked normal and not skin tight. Remember the idea id to look sharp but also be comfortable enough to function in. I knew guys that wore a bunch of shirt stays, and my shirt looked just like theirs, except I had a n easier time making headcalls :-)
One idea that did work well was using Scotchgard on the inside of the shirt where to tend to sweat alot. This may not prevent all swaet stains but it will cut it down alot! I also used it on my uniform on the outside during pick up (Day 1) and I would literally run through the showers and not get wet. It used to freak the recuits out how someone could run under the water and not get wet ;-) It works but you have to used a TON of it. It is expensive but worth it for the look on peoples faces. You can use scotchgard on your DI hat to keep it water tight. But if caught in a 100? all day downpour then it may not be enough.
semperfi170
07-23-08, 02:11 PM
Actually you have the choice of either wearing just personal decorations or personal and unit decorations. I was authorized 9 total medals and ribbons and of those a lot of the times when I was stationed at PISC, I would wear only the NAM, CAR, GCM but on Fridays (CG Inspection and colors - I was on the CG Staff),family day, graduation and other special events I would wear all 9.
When did the GCM become a personal award. It was listed as a service award when I was active duty.
Wow, its like you guys are speaking a different language, when I was in the Air Wing we really didn't do stuff like what you guys are talking about, hahah.
Native Warrior
07-24-08, 07:26 AM
the GCM is considered a personal service award, that's because each individual has to do something (stay clean or near clean) to be awarded it. The unit is not awarded it, but the individual is.
I agree about the Wingers, I was stationed at Cherry Point my first tour of duty and rarely wore C's, it was poplin and woodland cammies all the time. Boy, could those poplins take some starch, didn't last long, but they looked good for the first hour or so.
Ya my ass is usually in cammies or coverals