Tidewater Sailors Can’t Wear NWU — Yet

[livvy]

Tidewater Sailors Can’t Wear NWU — Yet

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 24, 2009 7:11:24 EST

Sailors anxious to begin wearing the Navy’s new blue and gray camouflage uniform in the Tidewater region won’t be allowed to put them on — yet.

Despite the fact that the uniforms went on sale Jan. 15, sailors must wait for senior officers and enlisted leaders at each command to wear the uniforms — a four-week phase-in period — before the rank and file can wear them.

The word came down Thursday, when Rear Adm. Mark Boensel, commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, announced the phase-in time, and also said every sailor and officer in the Tidewater portion of the region must own the Navy Working Uniform by Oct. 1. Tidewater includes Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and West Virginia. The only mandatory date previously announced was Dec. 31, 2010, in which all personnel Navy-wide — E-1 to O-10 — were required to own the uniform.

The uniform replaces utilities for sailors and wash khakis for chiefs and officers.

“This is a complex uniform with a lot more components to it, and having a command-by-command phase-in period allows leadership to educate our sailors on how to wear it first — before allowing them to wear it,” said Command Master Chief (AW/SW/SCW) Scott Benning, top enlisted sailor for the region, which covers North Carolina to Maine. “We are the first region to get this new uniform and we have the chance to set the standard for the rest of the Navy.”

more...


http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/01/navy_nwurules_012309w/%2e

[NavyDavy]

1. so much for navy traditions.....why do they want us to look like the

other services.....I strongly disagree with this and I have let the COC know.....

[Captain Hilts]

3. It's INSANE. On board ship, different duties have diff' uniform needs. Wanna look like a Marine?

JOIN THE MARINES!

[Crowman1979]

2. Usually the only sailors who wear cammies are:

SEALS, Seebees, riverine patrol boats and sailors who are attached to USMC units. Let's just leave it to those sailors. I still think they should have the Corpsman wear the USMC's digital cammies, since the new ones would make them a target.