The lack of camouflage in the Marine Corps will cause service members to wear less restrictive uniforms in the near future.
In an Instagram video, Commandant General Eric Smith addressed service members’ concerns about the inability to find and purchase jungle-patterned “cammies” amid ongoing manufacturing shortages.
He announced that if the problem continued, local members would be allowed to wear alternate uniforms that were against Marine standards.
“The problem will remain with us until the fall of 2024 when producers can fill the arrears that have been created after COVID. Until then, local, battalion and squadron commanders were authorized to use FROG [flame-resistant organizational gear] gear or [desert-colored] cammies to reduce,” says Smith.
He added, “What we can’t have is a situation where a Marine wears unserviceable cammies, because that looks bad for the Corps, and we can’t have a situation where the Marine is given a hard time about unserviceable cammies That’s it. We’re going to fix this, but it’s going to take some patience.”
Despite this announcement, desert cammies appear to be out of stock at My Navy Exchange, a retail chain operated by the United States Navy.
The website reports that desert cammies will also be back in stock by fall 2024.
The shortage was first reported in the summer of 2022 according to Marine Corps spokesman Major John Parry in a report by the Marine Corps Times.
Marine recruits typically receive three utility uniforms in forest colors and two in desert colors.
Recently, however, Parry reported recruits received two jungle and one desert uniform with many new Marines now training in FROG gear even though it was “designated for deployment issues only.”
The Marine Corps announced that it will relax some uniform standards because of the lack of camouflage.Shutterstock
“The guidance for battalion and squadron leaders and above is to make decisions that uphold the high standards of our service while maintaining mission readiness and minimizing the overall impact on day-to-day operations,” Parry said in an emailed statement to Marine Corps Times.
“This does not mean that a Marine can unilaterally decide to wear a different uniform or civilian dress because of usability issues with their assigned uniform that day,” he added.
The Marine Corps did not respond to FOX News Digital for comment.
Forest camouflage has been the standard year-round uniform for the Marine Corps since 2016.
The USMC SEASONAL Uniform Guide reads, “During winter, the forest MCCUU will be worn with the sleeves down and the designated seasonal service uniform is Service ‘B.’” Upon the transition to summer, effective with the move to DST, the forest MCCUU will still be used; however, the sleeves will be rolled up and the designated season service uniform will be Service ‘C.’”
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
