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Hussar
11-20-08, 09:20 AM
Hello. I was reading about Marine uniforms because I want to teach a class about Marine uniforms at my Sea Cadet unit. However I have some questions about the materials I have read. They say that your uniform may not be tailored to be form fitting. However I have seen DI's with tailored uniforms that have tight sleeves and shirts that dont bunch up near the waist. Are regular Marines not allowed to do this? They cannot have the excess material near the waist tailored or the sleeves tightened?

PaidinBlood
11-20-08, 09:29 AM
You HAVE to have your uniforms tailored... Having said that, to my knowledge the camoflauge utilities are not supposed to be tailored. DIs will not likely engage in combat but must show recruits what a Marine should look like. Mine admitted they tailored their cammies, but it looked good so who cares? For your class, I would stick to the regulations. Need help finding them?

Pete0331
11-20-08, 10:20 AM
You HAVE to have your uniforms tailored... Having said that, to my knowledge the camoflauge utilities are not supposed to be tailored. DIs will not likely engage in combat but must show recruits what a Marine should look like. Mine admitted they tailored their cammies, but it looked good so who cares? For your class, I would stick to the regulations. Need help finding them?

He is referring to Service Charlies/Deltas.

Drill Instructors and Recruiters and the only ones authorized to do this.

PaidinBlood
11-20-08, 10:32 AM
I'll take your word for it but I don't think there is any rule that says only these Marines can look good. Either we all can do it, or nobody can and we turn a blind eye to those guys because they are in the public eye. I had the armpits taken in on my chucks - is that verboten too?

Pete0331
11-20-08, 10:38 AM
I'll take your word for it but I don't think there is any rule that says only these Marines can look good. Either we all can do it, or nobody can and we turn a blind eye to those guys because they are in the public eye. I had the armpits taken in on my chucks - is that verboten too?

I don't agree with the policy, I'm simply stating it.

Yes, the Service Charlie and Delta shirts aren't supposed to be modified in the way they fit.
They are to be worn "as is."

I have seen special reprieve given to Marines with oddly shaped torso's.
Mostly fat bodies, or weight lifters.

PaidinBlood
11-20-08, 11:42 AM
Mostly fat bodies, or weight lifters.


Ha. I've been a little bit of both as time has gone by, but the alterations were a result of neither.. :usmc:

Scottie0417
11-20-08, 12:52 PM
What some Marines do to get tight fitting Charlie shirts without having them tailoring them is to buy a shirt that's one or two sizes smaller than what they'd normally wear. My J-Hat had his Charlie shirts tight around his arms, we asked if he had his tailored and he said he bought ones that were smaller sizes since tailoring is unauthorized

PaidinBlood
11-20-08, 04:09 PM
It's not about tight fitting, it's about fitting tight in the right places. If you start working out, a certain neck size just might not fit the chest. Or if you eat a lot, you can have that problem too. oops....

FromMD
11-21-08, 06:38 AM
The utilities also have a tag in them which reads in "Do NOT USE STARCH"

Gaz
11-21-08, 09:08 AM
Morning Sir. I'm pretty sure your not supposed to use starch because it supposedly lights up like a christmas tree when viewed through IR sights.

FromMD
11-21-08, 09:19 AM
Morning Sir. I'm pretty sure your not supposed to use starch because it supposedly lights up like a christmas tree when viewed through IR sights.

That is what I've been told too, but at OCS it was "highly advised" that we starched our utilities for inspections.

Pete0331
11-21-08, 09:58 AM
That is what I've been told too, but at OCS it was "highly advised" that we starched our utilities for inspections.

Digi's or the old style woodland type?

spotts
11-21-08, 10:21 AM
I still have a few of the "salty" woodland cammies. Not the rip-stop pairs but the regualr kind. I got through 31/2 years before they started making everyone put the name tapes on the cammies. I only have one pair that has the name tapes on them.

FromMD
11-21-08, 11:22 AM
Digi's or the old style woodland type?

Digis

SGT7477
11-21-08, 03:33 PM
The utilities also have a tag in them which reads in "Do NOT USE STARCH"

We always starched our utilities from 1974-1977 and on my way out of the Corps they were starting to issue the green cammies and I don't know if they were starched or not.:flag:

PaidinBlood
11-21-08, 04:15 PM
Morning Sir. I'm pretty sure your not supposed to use starch because it supposedly lights up like a christmas tree when viewed through IR sights.

Night and day, chief. You don't starch the ones you're going to drag through the mud. And to be truly paranoid, the laundry detergent can have a larger effect on the IR properties...:usmc:

Zulu 36
11-21-08, 04:39 PM
I don't agree with the policy, I'm simply stating it.

Yes, the Service Charlie and Delta shirts aren't supposed to be modified in the way they fit.
They are to be worn "as is."

I have seen special reprieve given to Marines with oddly shaped torso's.
Mostly fat bodies, or weight lifters.

One guy in my boot camp platoon had to have his Bravo and Charlie shirts tailored because he had a torso physique like an upside down pyramid.

I also worked for a SSgt who had biceps so large, he couldn't wear Charlie shirts in his size without a piece of tan elastic being sewn into the inner sleeve seam. He had a HQMC waiver in his SRB to allow this on all of his Charlie shirts. As an MP, it was kind of important for him to look right. He was pretty snug in his long-sleeved shirts too, but those are a little looser to start with. His MP brassard had to be modified with elastic too.

Big guy, but easily ran sub-18 minute three milers and always aced the PFT. He was a strong, strong man. Almost could yank the pullup bar down to him.

FromMD
11-25-08, 08:58 PM
Morning Sir. I'm pretty sure your not supposed to use starch because it supposedly lights up like a christmas tree when viewed through IR sights.

Just took out a cover i starched a day ago to test the NVGs on it, couldn't see a difference between it and one that wasn't starched.

Perhaps I am missing something?

Hussar
11-25-08, 09:03 PM
Good Evening Sir.

Were those simply night vision goggles or IR as well? From what I've read it supposedly alters the way IR picks it up.

Echo_Four_Bravo
11-25-08, 09:54 PM
We weren't supposed to starch the old woodland cammies either. But I promise that if any of us had shown up for formation without starch in our uniforms it would have been a really long day. The silly rule was why we had to use magic sizing in boot camp though.

In reality, the biggest problem we ever found with starch wasn't that it showed up in night vision or IR, but that it broke the material down. The more starch we used the more rapidly the uniforms would fade. And as cool as it may have been, the salty look wasn't effective camouflage at all.

But since you don't spit shine boots anymore, I really can't see the point in dumping half a bottle of sta-flow on the cammies. Maybe that's just me though.

PaidinBlood
11-25-08, 09:59 PM
We weren't supposed to starch the old woodland cammies either. But I promise that if any of us had shown up for formation without starch in our uniforms it would have been a really long day. The silly rule was why we had to use magic sizing in boot camp though.

In reality, the biggest problem we ever found with starch wasn't that it showed up in night vision or IR, but that it broke the material down. The more starch we used the more rapidly the uniforms would fade. And as cool as it may have been, the salty look wasn't effective camouflage at all.

But since you don't spit shine boots anymore, I really can't see the point in dumping half a bottle of sta-flow on the cammies. Maybe that's just me though.

No it's not just you. I mean, the dang things are Marine-proof. You can't even take the creases out unless you drag them through the dirt for at least a month straight. Even the covers are hard to ruin. Holes and dissolving crotches are the only down side. :tank: