The Navy has ditched its iconic and beloved coveralls for sailors aboard ships for a brand new, two-piece uniform that was lastly accepted on Monday after years of trials and a decade after a earlier model of the uniform was discovered to be dangerously flammable.
Fleet Forces spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Madisyn Hansen confirmed to Navy.com that the 2-Piece Organizational Clothes — extra generally referred to as the “2POC” — is now hitting the fleet.
The “organizational clothes,” which the Navy notes is totally different from a uniform, has been in growth for a number of years however began to turn into a actuality final October when “40 Ambassadors began carrying the brand new organizational clothes at choose East Coast instructions so as to showcase the brand new garment,” Hansen beforehand instructed Navy.com.
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The Navy’s high sailor, then-Grasp Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith, posted pictures of him carrying the garment to social media in February.
In line with an inner Navy message that was launched on Sept. 26, the 2POC shall be worn simply as the present Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Sort III is now, full with the identical command ball caps and brown undershirts. As an alternative of the inexperienced digital camouflage sample of the Sort IIIs, the brand new clothes shall be plain blue for junior enlisted and khaki for chief petty officers and officers.
An additional benefit to the brand new garment is that, not like the present coveralls, the Navy will let sailors put on this outfit off the ship. Though the message notes that the 2POC “would be the major at-sea uniform,” it goes on to say that additionally it is “approved for commuting and all regular activity and related stops.”
Hansen additionally harassed in a cellphone interview that the rollout doesn’t forecast extra uniform prices for sailors. The garment shall be supplied to the sailors free.
“Every sailor serving on board floor ships and submarines shall be issued a minimal of two units of 2POC as organizational clothes, with an extra set upon deployment,” the message stated.
Hansen stated that the Navy is engaged on a rollout plan to the fleet now however the outfits must be entering into sailors’ palms earlier than the top of the 12 months.
The rollout ought to shut a sophisticated chapter for the Navy concerning what sailors can put on aboard ships that’s secure whereas additionally purposeful and engaging.
The unique plan started in 2008 with the rollout of the unique NWUs — the Sort Is. The Navy marketed them as heavy-wearing sufficient to deal with doing upkeep on a ship however skilled sufficient that the sailor might additionally run errands off-base and not using a change of garments. The uniform featured the identical tunic and pants design of the 2POC however in a particular blue and grey camouflage sample that earned them the nickname “blueberries.”
Nevertheless, in 2012, a take a look at report revealed that not solely had been these uniforms not flame retardant, they had been truly dangerously flammable. The report famous the uniforms “burn robustly till utterly consumed” once they are available in contact with flame and “soften and drip” as they burn.
“If this sticky molten materials got here in touch with pores and skin it will contribute to elevated burn damage,” the take a look at report famous.
This information led to a ban of the unique NWUs at sea, and the Navy scrambled to place out new, flame-resistant coveralls for sailors who did not already put on flight fits or engineering coveralls, each of that are flame resistant.
Since that point, sailors have juggled totally different uniforms each at sea and ashore because the Navy moved from the Sort I to the Sort III NWUs in 2017 regardless of the latter initially being supposed solely as “tactical uniforms for our expeditionary Sailors.”
Hansen famous that the uniform was developed with sailors in thoughts and pointed to the truth that 84% of surveyed sailors instructed management that they needed one thing apart from normal coveralls.
“The event of the two-piece organizational clothes or ‘2POC’ was about discovering a commonsense various to coveralls,” Hansen stated.
Editor’s Notice: This text initially stated that the brand new uniforms can be accessible to sailors beginning in October based mostly on info supplied by the Navy. After publication a Navy spokesperson emailed Navy.com to say that the rollout had been moved to November or December. The article has been up to date accordingly.
— Konstantin Toropin may be reached at konstantin.toropin@navy.com. Comply with him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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