Finally for all those knocking crackerjacks They worked really well in liberty ports as poggie bait.

Target? Wal Mart? WTF? I thought lefties hated Wal-Mart? Of course, I can hand it to you on Target- they don't like Marines or Toys for Tots on 'their' property (how French!).

Ken, there is no Target or WalMart on a military base. There is AAFES. This is where uniforms are purchased at reasonable prices, partially with the uniform allowance provided for them. Can you imagine thousands of sailors getting 'shore leave' in the middle east, to go buy their uniforms at Target and Wal-Mart? LOL

I would be very interested to hear more about your ideas though. Like New Kids on the Block T-shirts, acid washed baggy jeans, rhinestones?

C'mon, it's Monday, I need a laugh.

Ever wear a uniform yourself ken?

I still miss the robin egg blue cotton uniforms the women wore during the 70's. The uniforms were very high maintenance but the women always looked good in them.

James was right to pick up on the discussion of "khaki" in the Navy. It is part of the culture. And speaking of culture, I seriously think Ken has zero idea what that means. Being in the military is not just another job. The uniform is more than the uniform of the Greyhound bus driver (sorry, had to get in a jab at the USAF). I imagine you would also get rid of close-order drill, and the theatrics at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. And for Ken - tell your comments to the sailors on the USS Stark. In particular, look at the report's comments on on those wearing gym shorts as underwear, which melted during the firefighting response. Little things can end up making a big difference. Not just Walmart. And I imagine you have never been in a uniform shop, where the working uniforms are at a comparable price to what you find at Walmart. {Dress Uniform prices are a different matter].

Navy Dungarees have been horrible since 1950. Blue jeans gone bad, with useless pockets. Recently they went to something similar to the Submarine Force "poopy-suit" coverall. But while this uniform may be OK underway, it really is just a coverall, not appropriate for wearing out in town. So now the Navy is following the other services in adopting a dungarees-style uniform - not reinventing the wheel here. The Navy needs a replacement.

But there is a more significant military-civilian relationship story here, the hiding of the military in the 70s and 80s. Going back in time a decade, the Navy's working uniforms were not permitted off-base. So the industrially working members of the military had to commute to work in their civilian clothes, and then change once they got onto the base, because all hell would break out if sailors were seen in their regular apparel. God forbid we should see a sailor at work.

Back to today on the dress uniforms, the crackerjacks (service dress white and blue will continue). It is part of the Navy tradition, and not only the US Navy. While I would like to see the Choker-White disappear, the Top Gun Uniform, disappear, it is traditional, and will remain. No one really cares about the working uniforms, but there is pride in the dress uniforms.

(Minor point - James is editor of the Navy PG School's publication - figured it would be good to point that out in disclosure, given the BS about disclosure lately.)

I don't think the people in the service however are going to appreciate just going from one silly look to another silly look.

I don't see this happening but since the navy is changing the uniforms anyway why not consider the possibility of either eliminating them altogether or replacing them with something more in line with contemporary American standards and values?

Thats about the closest he ever came to anything military. He NEVER severved a minute in the service of his country choosing only to be a leach and take, take, take at every Americans expense.