Marine uniform policy

[Tango707]

I tried searching and could not find an answer to this to the best of my abilities. Must you always tuck in your trousers into your boots in the Marines or can you buy the boot blousers and blouse them outside the boot ie no farther than the 3rd eyelet of the boot? I know stupid question but just trying to piece together what adjustments I have to prepare for when I make the transition.

[spotts]

Marines do not tuck their trousers into their boots. They are "bloused" with elastic bands or springs.

[Lisa 23]

You wannabes and poolees sweat the small stuff.
Everything you need to know on how to wear the uniform properly, will be taught to you in boot camp.

[Tango707]

I just blouse my trousers with elastic boot blousers that I buy at the clothing and sales stores, the green ones with the metal hooks at the end that are like 25 cents for a set. But we were ours kinda low in the Army (Infantry and Combat Army anyway). From the pics I see of Marines it just looks kinda high and I just assumed (wrong on my part) that they tuck them into there boots. I really still dont plan on going to boot, OCC yes, boot still not sure.

[WXSgt]

yes we blouse them the same the reason they are high is we like them high and tight(trouser legs not having slack) on the boot which when you sit down for them to ride up higher causing further adjustment lol

[Lisa 23]

Tango707, my bad. I forgot that you are currently in the Army.

[Tango707]

Yes our regs states that the trouser cant be lower than the 3rd eyelets of the boots (we have the same problem, there tight and when you sit and they ride up and you have to readjust them when standing) but us combat arms guys don't really follow that reg due to readjustment factor, we just wear them like we were down range, low and ready. Some guys get trousers that are a little less in length so they can sit properly up high. Thanks for the input everyone much appreciated. Good mental note to have, still trying to find my path over to the Marines, this 9 hour times difference and trying to find the PSR or OSO in Alameda,CA is killing me, I just want info so bad. Anyway thanks for answer this stupid question for this Soldier.

[Tango707]

Tango707, my bad. I forgot that you are currently in the Army.


No problems, I got stupid questions as any wannabe or poolee, I just don't know as much, reading as much as I can, interestingly enough some of the jargon is not much different but alot is. I keep looking at your sig and seeing that MARPAT and keeping thinking to my self, why in the hell did the Army going the the ACU. Thank God that finally we are going to Multi-Cam but I shall not be wearing that pattern to long when they start fielding it as regular utility uniform and the stupid new dress blues we have, makes us look like mall security guards, (mental note number #25 another reason to leave the Army).

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Brother, no worries. You are on the right track LOL.

FYI, to head off another question, you'll rate to wear your PH, ARCOM, GCM, NDSM, Campaign medal(s). You won't/can't wear the CAB, ASR, NCO school. Don't think you can wear the Overseas, either. Also, the Marine Corps does not wear SSI, so no combat patch, nor can you wear the hershey bars. You will, however, get to put a 'stupidity stick' on (both sleeves). We also don't wear branch insiginia, the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor is good enough.

Oh, and you'll have to requalify to wear an 'Expert' badge (no drivers 'w', or other bars like 'Bayonet' and such).

If you've got uni questions, drop me a PM, and I'll be glad to help as best I can (if you don't want to put them in the open forum).

v/r
Sgt Lep

[Tango707]

PM inbound

[Quinbo]

Based only on the woodlands. We would pull those army blousing strings as tight as they would go then cut them off. We used blousing bands and I don't think there was a formal order but we were instructed to blouse them between the 1st and second eyelet of the boot. After a little physical activity your trousers rode up above the top of your boot.

Blouse bands are there to prevent ants from crawling up your legs and getting to your candy ass ;)

[Tango707]

I got a question, why would my combat stripes not transfer over and why would my CAB not transfer into the CAR?

[spotts]

Marines only wear hash marks on the sleeves of dress uniforms for years of service. We do not wear combat stripes.

[Tango707]

ahh okay, that makes sense but a CIB converts to a CAR but a CAB would not? I plan on reclassing to Infantry and doing another long combat tour before my time is up in the Army before I head out of this org. so I am not to worried.

[BR34]

What are combat stripes? They indicate the time spent/number of deployments to combat zones?

[brian0351]

ahh okay, that makes sense but a CIB converts to a CAR but a CAB would not? I plan on reclassing to Infantry and doing another long combat tour before my time is up in the Army before I head out of this org. so I am not to worried.


I was reading up on this. I think that if the CAB doesn't transfer than it soon will be. It could be that it's so new that the Marine Corps doesn't have a policy in place yet. After all the requirements for the CAR and CAB are identical.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

"Combat stripes" are smaller, 'straight line' stripes, in WWII known as 'hershey bars', each one denoting six months overseas in a combat zone. The Marine Corps has never used them (nor has the Navy).

IF you reclass as infantry, and earn a CIB, then you'll automatically be entitled to the CAR. If not, you'll have to meet the same criteria (to convert your CAB) as a Marine would his/her first time out, in getting their CAR.

[Tango707]

So the Marine Corps does not wear unit citations like the Army?

[brian0351]

So the Marine Corps does not wear unit citations like the Army?

You mean like the Presidential Unit Citation or the Meritorious Unit Citation?

Yes, we wear those, just not separated from our "fruit salad".

[Tango707]

So my MUC that I received would be all worn on the same side?

[FattyTheFerret]

the only time we put awards on separate sides are when we wear our medals in dress blue alphas. medals go on the left, ribbons on the right. otherwise everything goes in the ribbon stack on the left

[Tango707]

Roger got it.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Also, you have to have been IN the unit, at the time the award was earned, to wear it. And I'm not sure about army unit awards, if they convert to USMC or not. (I don't think they do but could be wrong).

[Tango707]

I was in the unit when we got the MUC hence why I carry it over to every unit I have gone to thus far.

[Sgt Leprechaun]

Right, I figured that one. However, I'm not 100 percent certain that it will transfer. Technically, I believe it would convert to the Navy MUC. But it may not. I've never seen a prior soldier wearing any unit awards from the army. So I just don't know for sure.