If you look back over the years, no matter what branch you’re in or have been in, you’ll notice that the uniform has changed dramatically. Other than the Marine Corps dress uniform and the Navy dress uniform, all others have changed, from the dress uniform to the combat uniform. The reason most of them changed wasn’t because the old ones were no good. The main reason was due to the constant deployments and the lack of concealment for each terrain and area of operation.

Different Types of Military Uniforms

With the Army and its ACU uniform, I must ask, who lost that bet? The ACU offers no concealment other than if your trying to hide on a 1970’s disco corduroy couch or with landscaping rock because you are not going to hide from your enemy in any type of wooded terrain. The Army by end of 2018 will require all service members to be in multi-cam. The Air Force pretty much had the same problem with their new uniforms when they set aside the BDU as well. The Marine uniform did offer some concealment, and currently, the Marines are the only branch that does not wear the multi-cam while deployed. Instead, they have developed their own camo that must be as effective as the multi-cam. I will say this, from a combat standpoint, the multi-cam uniform offers better concealment then even the BDU did.

The dress uniforms on the other hand . . . well, let’s face it, the two that stand out the most are the Army and Marines dress uniforms. The Marines have obviously not changed their dress uniform for I don’t even know how many years. But if you asked anybody their opinion, they would say the Marines dress uniform looks the best. However, the new Army dress uniforms are providing some close competition. The Navy’s has been around since the Navy was using oars to get around. I won’t even mention that they should have thrown it to Davy Jones’s locker many years ago.

Military Uniform Wear It with Pride

The great thing about military uniforms is not how they look or what they do, it’s what they represent for each military branch. No matter what military uniform you wear, you should wear it with pride and professionalism. It is embarrassing to see a soldier or sailor with a uniform on that looks like they got it from a dumpster or ironed it with a rock. Be professional. There was a day when I was in the Navy and Army and we spend hours ironing our uniforms and shining our shoes. We took pride in it. This even included the BDU with military creases in it. We had uniform inspections that took hours to complete. The Army doesn’t even have a pair of boots that are 670-1 compliant that require a soldier to shine them themselves. Too much in the military is taken for granted, including the uniform. You should represent your branch with pride and professionalism, and that starts with the way you dress, especially in uniform. Each branch in the military continues to change uniforms, from the PT uniform to the dress uniform. Take pride in your service and your uniform.