Naval aviators beware: Even if you have a closet full of flight suits, you can’t wear them at the Pentagon. Not even on a casual Friday.
“Vice Adm. Samuel Locklear, director of the Navy Staff, sent an e-mail to the Navy leadership in the [national capital region] to re-emphasize the rules on the wear of organizational clothing such as flight suits and camouflage utility uniforms. [They] are not authorized to be worn in place of the proscribed uniform,” said Lt. j.g. Laura Stegherr, spokeswoman for the Navy at the Pentagon.
She said she didn’t know of any particular incident that prompted Locklear’s e-mail. But many at the Pentagon wear flight suits, especially on Fridays.
In the Navy, flight suits, the current woodland cammie uniform, foul-weather jackets and flight deck boots are considered “organizational clothing,” issued only to those who need it for their job. As such, flight suits and other organizational clothing aren’t required seabag items and are not “official” uniforms.
Still, in the D.C. area, uniform rules are somewhat complex and change depending on where the sailor is and what he’s doing. For example, for E-7s and above, the working uniform is service khaki, and for sailors E-6 and below, it’s either winter blue and summer white — until July 31 — or the new khaki and black service uniform. But many keep dress uniforms on hand, for visiting Capitol Hill or attending a funeral at Arlington Cemetery.
Naval District Washington leadership spells out what can be worn and where in a command uniform instruction, which was updated in April for the rollout of the Navy Working Uniform; blue cammies hit shelves at D.C.-area exchanges Nov. 30.
But until now, no one had clarified the rules on organizational clothing; the NDW instruction makes no mention of the issue, which could lead some to believe that wearing flight suits is OK.
NWU wear rules
Even though the Navy Working Uniform is an authorized uniform for Naval District Washington, don’t expect to see it at the Pentagon.
According to NDW’s uniform instruction, the blue cammie uniform can only be worn on base, and only in situations when sailors expects their uniforms could become “unduly soiled” from the work they’re doing. The Pentagon and Navy Annex don’t count as a base.
Also, sailors can commute in the NWU and make routine stops along the way, but contrary to Navy-wide rules, sailors will not be able to wear the NWU while riding public transportation.
Source: Navy Times, December 27, 2009
