“Cammies” are used on military installations only and that is why you should never see a Marine in public wearing cammies.

It quickly gets old, though, because you cannot blend into any crowd if you’re wearing dress blues.Ĭamouflage utilities, on the other hand, cannot be worn off base. At first, you think it is amazing when people stare at you in uniform. Very few Marines will wear their dress blues just “for fun” though, as they are not terribly comfortable, are hot, and draw a ton of attention. The last major reason for which Marines will typically wear dress blues is when they are off-base representing the Marine Corps as a whole, for example in large recruiting events, as the dress blues is the most impressive and representative of the Marines’ uniforms.ĭress blues (in the configuration that most outsiders understand them) can technically be worn either on-base or off-base without a ton of restrictions. That usually occurs when it is 99 degrees out and the general is long-winded.

There are also some random special occasions like a base general’s Change of Command ceremony in which he/she may request that the uniform of the day be dress blues. This is a large ceremony held yearly near the time of the Marine Corps Birthday (Nov. However, one ceremony that always requires dress blues is a Marine Corps Birthday Ball. Only occasionally do Marines wear the dress blues as the uniform of the day. There were multiple times when we’d be fully dressed and in formation ready to head to perform in a graduation and we’d get a call that the uniform of the day had changed completely. Also, because the uniform of the day tended to change seemingly at random, we had to ensure that we had access to every uniform at a moment’s notice just in case. The Band was front and center during every ceremony so it was essential that we were in the correct uniform. Yuritzy Gomez/USMC)Īs someone who was in the Marine Corps Band (and yes, I went to regular Marine Boot Camp), I think that the uniform of the day affected me and my unit more than most. Marines with the Marine Corps Band have their Dress Blue Alpha uniforms inspected during the Virginia International Tattoo at Scope Arena, Norfolk, VA, April 24, 2019. It is typically “Service Charlies” (olive green pants/short-sleeved khaki shirt) or “Deltas” (blue pants/short-sleeved khaki shirt) in the summer months or “Service Alphas” (olive green pants/long-sleeved khaki shirt/tie/olive green coat and belt) or “Service Bravos” (olive green pants/long-sleeved khaki shirt/tie). That said, if you are attending an official base function you are required to wear the uniform of the day for that day. To be totally honest, I don’t know what causes commanders to choose one uniform versus another in certain instances, but there’s likely some military history that I’m not aware of that is dictating their choice. In the military, there is something called the “uniform of the day.” This is simply the uniform that the supervisor of the base has deemed appropriate based on the time of year, date, day of the week, and temperature. (update check) When Can Marines Wear Dress Blues? So, with this article, I’ll answer your most popular questions about the slickest of military uniforms. Unsurprisingly, I often get questions about the different Marine uniforms especially the Marine Corps dress blues, from both men and women who are considering enlisting into the Marine Corps. There is no other uniform that even rivals dress blues in look, class, and prestige. Without a doubt, the Marine Corps Dress Blues uniform is the best-looking military uniform in the United States Armed Forces.

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