Well, Yes and NO, I order to get the Marine uniforms you have to switch from Navy regulations to Marine Corps regulations. Then you are issued Alphas, Bravos, and Charlies, along with a garisson cover, and Marine Corps green combination cover.
New to this so here goes. What does swithing Regs consist of? Are you still Navy, but follow the Marines rules and regualtions? Do you then report to say a Marine Capt or still the Navy? Sorry, but I am trying to lean as much as I can before signing up for reserves at 35 years old.
If things haven't changed in the last fifteen years (and someone please disabuse me if they have)...
When you check in to Division or Group you are offered the choice to 'go' Marine regs or remain under Navy uniform regs. If one chooses Marine regs then they are fitted and issued Marine Alphas, Bravos and Charlies. Corpsmen are NOT issued Marine Dress Blues! The individual must maintain these uniforms to MARINE standards and they must also abide by Marine grooming standards as well. No slack. Nothing pisses off a Gunny or staff NCO, and will draw well-deserved incoming HEDP fire-for-effect, like a corpsman looking like a soup sandwich in a Marine uniform.
For the record, I saw very few HMs during my many years at 2nd MarDiv and MCCDC Quantico, who could successfully pull it off.
My advice to my new line company docs during check-in? Stay Navy regs. Be proud of who and what you are. If you want to wear a Marine uniform, get out at your EAOS and re-enlist in the USMC.
One final note: choosing Marine regs does NOT proscribe the maintenance of your Navy uniforms. I had a little 'argument' with some loser HM3 (see aforementioned soup-sandwich comment) when he checked-in PCS to NMCL Quantico one day in his Charlies because he 'didn't have any Navy uniforms' because he was coming from 2nd MarDiv.
To make a long story short - He didn't pass 'Go', did not collect $200, and did not get his orders stamped (stopping his leave counter) until he got to the NEX and bought a complete set of Navy dress whites (it was June). Two extra leave days burned because he was a toad.
My advice to my new line company docs during check-in? Stay Navy regs. ***************************************************************************************** And I respectfully disagree.
When I was in the FMF we had no choice........we all wore the same uniform. And for me that is the way it should be. That is unless you are an overweight bag of shitee, with poor grooming standards, that will look like a total dork in a Marine uniform.
If you are in a line outfit and you are going to go to war with those boys there is no reason that you should not look like them.
Have some friggin pride.
But I will say that the farther you get away from the life of the pogues, the closer you get to the tip (especially in combat or on a Team) the less serious this uniform stuff becomes. Although pogues and remf's seem to have a sexual fixation on high and tights, and spit shined shoes.
The Marines I served with were concerned about my ability to hump, my ability to return fire and not shoot one of them during a fire fight, and my ability to make house calls under pressure.
Not one of them ever commented on how I wore my uniform.
But I do remember my Team being pulled out a few hours early with a wia, at the tail end of a 5 day patrol, and being sent to a surgical type unit in Phu Bai.
There we were 5-6 Marines and a Doc standing around waiting for word on our bud when we were lambasted by some remf USMC Officer (who looked really clean and sharp in his uniform)
Disgrace to the Corps, unstat, going on report. He kept it up until one of our "short" salty Marines basicly told him to STFU. And ask if he had ever seen combat Marines with their working clothes on before.
Pogues have to worry about something. A uniform is as good as anything else I guess.
Wear that uniform with pride and out hump and outfight the bostards. Why go half step?
My brother in law was a Corpsman w/ 1stReconBn from about 93-98 (HM3 Gioeli) he stayed Navy Regs as did, from what I can remember according to him, all the other Corpsman in the Bn. I never thought one way or the other about until I enlisted in the Marine Corps and had been in a while. When I got home from Bahrain I asked him about it. Basically he said he stayed Navy regs b/c he was a Sailor when it came right down to it. At his and my sister's wedding I met his LPO I asked him also. Chuck said that he'd been in long enough to not really care. He was a Sailor and that's all there was to it. Being a Marine I went out of my way to be good to our Docs (not the hospital b/tches though) if for no other reason then to keep my shot record safe. I never cared what uniform they were in, they were Docs and that's all that mattered to me. I only knew a few that switched to Marine Regs while I was in, but they were all FSSG and only one from 2MarDiv at Regt with 8thMar, I think.
Personally, I am Marine Regs right now. I wear that uniform with pride, as do I wear my Navy Uniform with pride. I maintain my grooming, uniform, and yes, my PT standards within Marine standards (mainly because I am >40y/o, and enjoy showing up the young pups). It's not that hard maintaining both sets of uniforms. I have gotten nothing but greater respect from Marines in my unit, because I honor them by wearing it properly and with respect for those who wore it before me. BTW, I stay in digi cammies 99% of the time anyway............
HM's that are "attached" with the Marines will wear the current DESERT or WOODLAND, MARPAT CAMOUFLAGE, MCCUU.
If you are "attached" with the Marines and are authorized to wear the MARPAT then that will be your uniform of the day. I can't see that ever changing. It wouldn't be wise to be with the Marines wearing a blue digital uniform... Especially in a combat zone.
The Navy approved plans for a single working uniform for all ranks and a year-round service uniform for E-6 and below. This uniform will be warn by military personal that wear current Navy working uniforms as their authorized "uniform of the day".
3recondoc: Same here, when I went FMF we were issued the clothing and gear. No choice, didn't want one. That was back in the days of bows and arrows (1952). If you're with them, you're with them. Junk on the bunk.
Originally posted by michellyelly: Can only males become FMF, or can females do it too? Just curious.
no there are female HMs that are FMF pinned. They almost always work at the fleet hospitals when deployed. I have NEVER seen a female HM out on patrols with grunts
Originally posted by cboland: Good question… I have just an answer for you.
HM's that are "attached" with the Marines will wear the current DESERT or WOODLAND, MARPAT CAMOUFLAGE, MCCUU.
If you are "attached" with the Marines and are authorized to wear the MARPAT then that will be your uniform of the day. I can't see that ever changing. It wouldn't be wise to be with the Marines wearing a blue digital uniform... Especially in a combat zone.
The Navy approved plans for a single working uniform for all ranks and a year-round service uniform for E-6 and below. This uniform will be warn by military personal that wear current Navy working uniforms as their authorized "uniform of the day".
if im not mistaken even if we are attached to a Navy command we can still wear the woodland/desert MARPATS, no? I seen a handful of HMs that were once attached to USMC units and are blue side now. I think the only uniforms we cannot wear when in a Navy unit are the USMC Bravos and Charlies we are issued.
I was USMC regs, no big deal. Can you do the USMC PT test and keep your FMF issue looking sharp. Can you shoot a weapon? It's not that hard Joelpac, have trouble with did ya?
Wearing the USMC uniform is NOT that you are hiding what you are, your just showing what you have become a part of. When a SeaBee wears utilities is he hiding the fact he is in the Navy because he is not wearing cracker Jacks, no..
If one goes USMC Regs Good for them! Finding the sand colored insignia was that hardest part for me, the rest is all you!
'CorpsDoc' you twit. I was humping a ruck with Alpha and Bravo 1/2 when you were probably still in grade school.
I was a good FMF corpsman. I cherish the three years I spent, and the two pumps I made, with those loveable, loyal, thickheaded SOBs. But I always remembered, and took a great deal of pride in the fact, that I was a SAILOR, and I could hang with a grunt company in the United States Marine Corps.
Shooting, PFTs, humps, fieldcraft, medicine, taking (mostly) good-natured crap and giving back as good as I got; no problem my friend. I loved, respected and trusted them, and they loved, respected and trusted me. That's all I, or they, ever needed. I didn't need to throw on Alphas or Charlies to feel that I 'belonged.' My Marines let me know that every day.
One last parting shot there soldier: if I went back to the Army, after being an FMF corpsman, I'm not sure I'd use 'CorpsDoc' as my handle.
in light of this discussion, I don't think you get to wear the dress blue uniform of the Marines, which I think is one of the sharpest of all the military uniforms. If you choose to go FMF regs you get to wear them all but the dress uniform as stated above.
Currently, I am on my second tour with a FMF Unit out of Camp Lejeune. I checked in Oct, and you have 30 days to apply for Marine corps regs. You get issued Alpha's, Bravo's and Charlies. Also get issue a all weather coat as well as Cammies. If you do not go marine corps regs, you will get issued the standard woodland and desert cammies, along with the boots. You do NOT wear the marine corps blues. That is simply a Marine Tradition, just like our Navy dress blues. In order to maintain Marine Corps regs, you have to abide by their grooming standards as well, or you can lose the privlages. The new cammies that got approved by the Navy will be for shipboard and shore duty use. If you are serving with a FMF or Seabee unit, you will be wearing woodlands and deserts.
Originally posted by Joelpac: If things haven't changed in the last fifteen years (and someone please disabuse me if they have)...
When you check in to Division or Group you are offered the choice to 'go' Marine regs or remain under Navy uniform regs. If one chooses Marine regs then they are fitted and issued Marine Alphas, Bravos and Charlies. Corpsmen are NOT issued Marine Dress Blues! The individual must maintain these uniforms to MARINE standards and they must also abide by Marine grooming standards as well. No slack. Nothing pisses off a Gunny or staff NCO, and will draw well-deserved incoming HEDP fire-for-effect, like a corpsman looking like a soup sandwich in a Marine uniform.
For the record, I saw very few HMs during my many years at 2nd MarDiv and MCCDC Quantico, who could successfully pull it off.
My advice to my new line company docs during check-in? Stay Navy regs. Be proud of who and what you are. If you want to wear a Marine uniform, get out at your EAOS and re-enlist in the USMC.
One final note: choosing Marine regs does NOT proscribe the maintenance of your Navy uniforms. I had a little 'argument' with some loser HM3 (see aforementioned soup-sandwich comment) when he checked-in PCS to NMCL Quantico one day in his Charlies because he 'didn't have any Navy uniforms' because he was coming from 2nd MarDiv.
To make a long story short - He didn't pass 'Go', did not collect $200, and did not get his orders stamped (stopping his leave counter) until he got to the NEX and bought a complete set of Navy dress whites (it was June). Two extra leave days burned because he was a toad.
Hi, I was an FMF Corpsman back in the early 70's. I was advised at the time, that if I wore the Navy uniform, I subscribed to Navy regulations and grooming standards. If I decided to wear the Marine Corps uniform, I had to subscribe to Marine Corp regs and grooming standards. For the most part, I wore my Navy dungarees. However, when I joined the reserves later, and I served with Marine Corps units, I wore the Marine Corps camouflage uniform on duty, with my Navy insignia; the cadeuces on the left (I believe) and my HM2 on the right collar. Because I was a combat Vet, I wore black insignias or collar devices. Likewise with my devildog hat. It had my Navy, black PO2 rank insignia centered on the front. Ironically, I wore my Navy Tropical whites when it came to a dress uniform. When I was with Bravo Company, 2nd Mar Div; Tanks, we had to turn in our dress uniforms on arrival so they could go to the cleaners. To my suprise, the cleaner ironed my shirt and pants as they would a Marines. I have to tell you, it looks pretty dumb for the white tropical shirt to have those pleats or creases in it and, my bellbottom pants had creases up the center! Navy bellbottoms are turned inside out and ironed flat. I guess the cleaner didn't know that... My uniforms were always starched and pressed. Even my dungarees. Ya gotta look sharp when you're with the Marines... But, starched utilities or green uniforms don't breathe out in the desert of 29 Palms. So I had to buy the summer camouflage uniform, which was much, much more comfortable... Jim Bettis HM2
I never cared what uniform they were in, they were Docs and that's all that mattered to me. I only knew a few that switched to Marine Regs while I was in, but they were all FSSG and only one from 2MarDiv at Regt with 8thMar, I think.
