The US Army Uniform: Change Before Our Eyes Josh Baxter

The uniform. The first thing you see that signifies a soldier The uniform. The first thing you see that signifies a soldier. The Marine Corps’ sharp dress uniform, the Army’s Digital camouflage, and the Navy’s full dress white uniform with the funny hats. All of them are recognized instantly when seen by a civilian even if that person is from another country. The uniform for any branch is the trademark of every branch, foreign and domestic. But what does a uniform say about that branch? Does Marine Corps’ dress uniform signify that they are sharp and disciplined? Does the Army’s ACUs say that they are ready to perform and destroy any enemy of the United States of America? In this essay I will analyze how the US Army’s uniform has changed since the formation of the militia in 1775. It is truly amazing how much we have advanced in our uniforms and our needs from them and I will show you just how much it has changed.

The minutemen were part of the militia that trained continuously and were, in a way, the Rangers of the time. They were the cream of the crop and were ready at a moments notice. As you can see from the picture, there was no camouflage because it wasn’t needed or really thought of at the time. During this time wars were very simple. One side would stand in a line and the other side would stand in line across from them. They would fire at each other until one side would surrender. There was no such thing as guerilla warfare. It was a brutal time for war and had no sort of armor or anything of the sort. Really, this wasn’t a uniform. It was almost just civilian clothing and when they were called then went in and fought.

The year is now 1836, and the Mexican War is happening between the Americans and the Mexicans. The uniform is commonly worn for a Texan Cavalry Scout. As you can tell, the “uniform” is still not really a uniform. It didn’t have much uniformity between others besides that it was, in a way, the common wear for people in this time period. It provided what was needed at the time and what was needed at the time wasn’t much. For the most part, what was needed was clothing. Just to provide a small amount of protection from the weather, temperature and environment.

Now in 1863, the Civil War was happening between the North and the South. Along with a new war comes, you guessed it, new uniforms. Look at this uniform. This is a real uniform. It was standard issue and had certain guidelines everyone had to follow that were set out in Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861. The battles of this time were still fought using old ways so they had only the need to have uniformity and that was their main purpose. They were simple uniforms and were cheap to make. They got the job done just like the ones before.

World War I. The Great War World War I. The Great War. It was not until this time that we noticed it was a different time and that we were going to have to change what we were doing entirely. Tanks were now being used, ambushing, trench warfare. It was a new ball game. It was the major leagues and were still in the minors. This uniform was a very uncomfortable uniform that was made out of wool that didn’t allow for breathability for troops and made it very hot in certain times. There was still not much armor, not even helmets until the M1917, or the Brodie Helmet, was introduced which was a variation of the British MK.I. It was at this time we started to design and create some more protection for our troops so they felt safer and performed.

The good ol’ Army Greens The good ol’ Army Greens. This was the first small attempt at camouflage. The green in this uniform was used to try to blend into the dense vegetation in Vietnam during 1965. You can also seen the collar has the look of a suit. This was done to make the US Army look more professional and not seem like we were just killers. The boots worn were more comfortable and, for the technology at the time, quick drying. The new helmets covered more of the head and protected more to larger caliber weapons. Vietnam was when the US was introduced to the truest form of guerilla warfare and when that term was actually created from the Vietcong.

Now this uniform is my personal favorite Now this uniform is my personal favorite. This uniform was used in 2003 fighting in Baghdad. Clearly, camouflage has been improved and is a huge factor. This uniform came in different variations. They had this woodland camo, coyote tan and a snow camouflage. They had a uniform for any terrain they would encounter. It was an incredibly comfortable uniform and still had a business look to it when not wearing the vest with body armor. The helmets had little improvement and goggles were now issued out to protect soldiers’ eyes in sand storms and other terrain dangers. Nearly every aspect of the uniform had been improved since the last war.

What This Means Overall, it is clear that uniform ha changed greatly and that’s for many reasons, but the main reason happens to be that times have changed. The military has many different needs like camouflage, protection, and things of that sort. It has also went to a more professional military. The leaders of the Army want citizens from around the world and The United States to see the military as a professional organization that can be trust and should be respected. Because the military is trying to change how they are viewed, the change in uniform is just one way they have done this along with humanitarian aid to less fortunate countries. The Army is always staying current and their changing of uniforms will never stop just like the wars that will always happen.