Dress Blues

[LivinSoFree]

My blouse showed up today... even without tailoring, stripes, etc... it made for quite an impression when I tried it on for fit.

[yellowwing]

Wear it with the utmost pride and dignity, you earned it!

Semper Fidelis

[farva]

remember birthday ball is coming up

[LivinSoFree]

Absolutely... it's off to the tailor's and cleaner's ASAP. Can any of you Marines give me a quick period of instruction on how to put the daggone belt and waistplate together?

[kentmitchell]

Never had a set. Wish I had.
When we were in we had to buy them and, hey, that would have meant missing a few all-important beers.

[GySgtRet]

LivinSoFree,

It has been a few years since putting the "waistplate" together but I will give it a try. But first a little story about my official exposure to the Marine Dress Blue uniform. While at recruit trainng at Parris Island in 73, our Senior Drill Instructor entered the squadbay in his Dress Blues on the way to the Marine Corps Ball...!!! You talk about a bunch of motivated slime bags, we had been at the island since October the 5th. If you were a person that never saw a Marine in Dress Blues that was a highlight in recruit training.

1. You have a waistplate, (two) keepers, buckle and of course the white belt. If you don't have an anodized waisteplate you had better be carefull because the brasso or neverdull will couse the white to turn green. If you need to shine your waisteplate make sure to clean you hands thourghly.

2. Take the left side of the waisteplate in your hands facing it outboard. Run the end of the white belt through the slot and through the keeper, at this point in time do not tighten anything. Repeat the steps for the other side. When threading the buckle end through the loops becareful not to snag anything on the loops as this will cause russian ropes if done in correctly. Fit ti size while it is on your body.

3. Wear it with Pride and never discrace the title or the uniform of Marines.

Semper Fidelis

[enviro]

Well, I have to go by what the Marine Corps Order says.

And that would be to call it a "coat"

http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sites/mcub/

[Sgt. Smitty]

I don't know about you enviro, but when i was in the Corps my "jackets" were called a blouse.

[enviro]

Our "blouses" are called "blouses" - they are the garments worn under the "coat" - and underneath them are the "shirts" - shirts can be white or green depending on what "blouse" you have on.

My original point was lost somewhere in all of this. Today's active Marines need to go by the Marine Corps Order - MCO P1020.34G

I just flew to MCRD San Diego and watched my 19 year old cousin become a Marine this past Thursday/Friday. Much has changed.

[yellowwing]

I just flew to MCRD San Diego and watched my 19 year old cousin become a Marine this past Thursday/Friday.

That must have been a fantastic experience. Didja' get that old calling?

[decuervo]

Question to all about dress blues. I'm a corporal with 4 years prior service, am going to OCS in January, do I put a hash mark on my blues since I was enlisted for 4 years even though it'll be a Marine officers uniform? I can't find my TM manuals so I can't find the answer.

[DSchmitke]

Officers don't have hash marks.

[LivinSoFree]

Finally got 'em back from the tailor, (amazingly NOT messed up). Another question, what's the best way to press them yourself so as not to ruin the fabric or cause other damage?

[decuervo]

DSchmitke, they do if they're mustangs don't they? I mean those four years of service don't go unnoticed do they?

[HardJedi]

I personally have never seen an officers dress uniform with hash marks on em. course, that doesn't mean they don't exhist.. be interesting to find out.