Are You in the Correct Uniform?

AR 670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia, was revised on 29 July 2003 and was published on 5 September 2003. A few of the latest revisions include:

Clarifies the storage of articles in the pockets.
Adds carrying of civilian bags over both shoulders.
Updates administrative information on the combat boots.
Adds wear of overseas service bar for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Adds Operation Iraqi Freedom as creditable overseas service toward number of overseas service bars authorized.

The following highlights a few of the current uniform policies:

Soldiers may wear religious apparel, articles, or jewelry with the uniform, to include the physical fitness uniform, if they are neat, conservative, and discreet. A religious item worn on a chain may not be visible when worn with the utility, service, dress, or mess uniform. The width of chains worn with religious items should be approximately the same size as the width of the ID tag chain. (Soldiers may be prohibited from wearing these items when doing so (wearing these items) will interfere with the performance of their duties or present a safety concern.

Soldiers will not apply designs to nails or apply two-tone or multi-tone colors to nails. Males are prohibited from wearing cosmetics, to include nail polish.

At the discretion of the commander, a Soldier can wear only one electronic device on the belt, belt loops, or waistband of the uniform. The body of the device may not exceed 4x2x1 and must be black in color, along with the carrying case.

Soldiers may carry civilian gym bags, civilian rucksacks, or other similar civilian bags while in uniform. These bags may be carried by hand, on one shoulder using a shoulder strap, or over both shoulders using both shoulder straps. If the Soldier chooses to carry a shoulder bag while in uniform, the bag will be black with no other colors and may not have any logos. There is no restriction on the color of civilian bags carried in the Soldier's hand.

Soldiers may wear a wristwatch, a wrist identification bracelet, and a total of two rings with Army uniforms. Identification bracelets are limited to medical alert bracelets and MIA/POW identification bracelets. Soldiers may wear only one item on each wrist.

When on any Army installation, Soldiers may not attach, affix, or display objects, articles, jewelry, or ornamentation to or through the skin* while they are in uniform, in civilian clothes on duty, or in civilian clothes off duty (this includes earrings for male Soldiers). The only exception is for female Soldiers who are authorized to wear earrings with the service, dress, and mess uniforms. However, females must only wear earrings as a matched pair, with only one earring per ear lobe. *(Skin includes tongue, lips, inside the mouth, and other surfaces of the body not readily visible.)

Soldiers will wear insignia of rank and the nametape on the parka (Gortex). Soldiers may wear either pin-on or embroidered slip-on cloth loop insignia of rank centered on the tab located in the center of the chest. The nametape is worn on the pocket flap of the left sleeve of the parka.

Effective 1 October 2003, Soldiers may no longer wear the physical fitness uniform (PFU). The improved physical fitness uniform (IPFU) replaced the PFU for year-round wear.

The black unisex cardigan sweater is authorized for wear indoors or outdoors with the class B uniform. When worn indoors, the cardigan may be buttoned or unbuttoned. When outdoors, Soldiers must button all five buttons.

From the Desk of the IG