Army Dress Blue Question (Officer)

[kraigWY]

I've been kind of out of the net on current Army uniforms (having retired in 1992), so I have questions about the Army Dress Blues.

Being a "retired" officer, I'm still considered an officer, and on occasions I have to wear the dress Blues.

In May, my grandson is graduating from ROTC, and is being commissioned as a 2nd LT. I've been invited to participate in the formal proceedings, mainly I'm going to pin my Grandson with the same 2/LT gold bar I was pinned with when I graduated OCS. (This gold bar has been passed down from others since the Korean War).

Now the dilemma. I had to get a new set of Dress Blues as some one washed my old blues in hot water and the shrunk (my story and I'm sticking with it). When I wore blues in the past the Bow Tie was used, now I see officers on the news and such wearing Blues with regular black ties and not the bow tie.

Which is proper for formal occasions??

 

[SLINKY ERT]

I got out in 02, but believe the bow tie is used for formal occasions still.

 

[Hairball]

Chapter 20
Army Blue Uniform—Male
20–1. Authorization for wear
a. The Army blue uniform is authorized for year-round wear by all male personnel.
b. All active duty officers are required to own the Army blue uniform for wear on appropriate occasions. The only
exception to this policy applies to officers who are on active duty for 6 months or less, who have the option of
purchasing the Army blue uniform.
c. The Army blue uniform is authorized for optional wear for enlisted personnel.
d. When prescribed by CTA 50–900, the Army blue uniform is worn as an organizational uniform.
20–2. Composition
The Army blue uniform comprises a dark-blue coat, dark-blue or light-blue trousers, a white turndown-collar shirt, and
a black bow tie or black four-in-hand necktie. When worn with a black bow tie, the Army blue uniform constitutes a
formal uniform and corresponds to a civilian tuxedo. When worn with a black four-in-hand necktie, the Army blue
uniform is an informal uniform. (For the Army blue uniform, officer, see fig 20–1; for the service cap, blue, general
officers, see fig 20–2; for the service cap, blue, field grade officers, see fig 20–3; for the service cap, blue, company
grade officers, see fig 20–4; for the service cap, blue, warrant officers, see fig 20–5; for the Army blue uniform,
enlisted, see fig 20–6; for the service cap, blue, enlisted, see fig 20–7.)
98 AR 670–1 • 3 February 2005

 

[kraigWY]

Thanks, that pretty much answers my question.

 

[roggom]

Congrats on your sons achievement. You must be very proud.




I had to chuckle how fast a squid comes up with regs. Frickin Hospital Corpsman. (FMF pin?)

 

[kraigWY]

Thanks I am, he will be Infantry and has a Regular Army Slot. They already have him lined up for Jump School and Ranger school after IOBC.

I pin him on Sunday, then on Monday I get to swear in my son's step daughter who is joining the AF.

Getting to be a habit, a good one at that I swore in my wife and two sons when they re-upped, and on son on his original enlistment.

It does make me a proud daddy/granddaddy.

 

[Hairball]

Just helping out where I can. Use to drive me crazy correcting uniforms at every function (officer and enlisted) who could not figure out proper uniform regs.

HMC(SW/AW/FMF)(RET)

 

[roggom]

Exactly brother I kinda figure you were a "doc". Same here regs and more regs had to keep em in line.

Kraig best wishes to you son. Fair winds and following seas.

 

[mardad]

Kraig
Congratulations and THANK YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!!

 

[Killer Spade 13]

Kraig,

I hope you get to wear all of your full sized suspendeds . . . I've done it only once, and it was heavy. I only have 3 rows and two. God forbid these young kids wear all of their fully suspendeds . . . most of them have 5 rows for serving in basic training, etc.

I always look at the top three. If they're not red, white and blue, I discount them.

Just sayin'

 

[pmclaine]

Now that I think about it I wonder if my belt got close to some hot water, seems like I need to add a notch or two

Congrats on sending those bars down the line.

 

[Victory]

Kraig,

I hope you get to wear all of your full sized suspendeds . . . I've done it only once, and it was heavy. I only have 3 rows and two. God forbid these young kids wear all of their fully suspendeds . . . most of them have 5 rows for serving in basic training, etc.

I always look at the top three. If they're not red, white and blue, I discount them.

Just sayin'

Yeah because those specialist with 2 tours under their belt, and only the green from ARCOMs cresting the top of their rack should be discounted. What a fucking joke, you should be embarrassed for that pretentious remark.

 

[TNT]

Kraig, be sure to get some pictures posted from your grandson's commissioning. Would be great to see a picture of you pinning on his bars. I think it's one of my favorite things to see, the mantle being passed down. Makes me hopeful.

I'm still just cracking up at the squid joke about bringing up the regulations, because that's the first thing I was going to do if it hadn't already been answered. It's now part of my nature after 4 years with a group that was fastidious about which way I rolled my socks and then 5 more with a group that was fastidious about whether the manual says "should" or "shall." I'm happy to be discounted - no warfare pin and my highest is a NAM. I'm actually going back in for 3 more years of staff duty, and I'll never be a tough BTDT kind of guy - I'm just glad in my situation I've gotten the opportunity to do something. My hat is off to all those who are/were the tip of the spear guys. Kraig, whatever your grandson ends up doing, let him know we are proud of him.

 

[Flying Goose]

Kraig, is he graduating from UW? and for the record the passing of that bar is one of many amazing things I've heard of in Military family traditions!

 

[kraigWY]

Goose, No sir, he's graduating from Portland State where he had a full ride ROTC scholarship. He's got some sort of Engineering degree..........don't ask what kind, I don't know anything about engineering. (Except the drive trains).

 

[USP45]

I remember that day. My father was an officer and he pinned me when I graduated OCS, he was my first salute. My grandfather and great grandfather were officers as well. My son is only 6 yrs old but he has already said that he wants to be "an army soldier" like daddy and papa. I will be absolutely behind him if he does, and hopefully I can pin him like my father did me.

 

[moparguy]

Congrats to your grandson kraig. Thank you and all of your family for their service.

 

[Sniper Uncle]

Thank you, Sir, for passing on the torch. May God Bless and Protect your Kin Folk as they embark on their tours of service. Thank you for yours, also.

 

[Delta4-3]

Purple not good enough?

Kraig,

I hope you get to wear all of your full sized suspendeds . . . I've done it only once, and it was heavy. I only have 3 rows and two. God forbid these young kids wear all of their fully suspendeds . . . most of them have 5 rows for serving in basic training, etc.

I always look at the top three. If they're not red, white and blue, I discount them.

Just sayin'

 

[Delta4-3]

Yeah because those specialist with 2 tours under their belt, and only the green from ARCOMs cresting the top of their rack should be discounted. What a fucking joke, you should be embarrassed for that pretentious remark.

Not to mention that a butter bar who spends his tour on a FOB eating lobster tail, gets a bronze star just for deploying. My best friend, an E-4 at the time, got a bronze star for taking a 7.62x54 round through the neck and giving his life. Point is, medals don't mean a thing, they are political on a minor (and sometimes major) scale.