Upgrades to Combat Clothing! (pockets on the sleeves & zippers)

[silentbutdeadly]

Well the first thing is that we need freakin buttons instead of zippers , i dunno how many cbt pants i have turned in geeezzz. second i thing we need to rethink the cbt shirt. Since we are going to an age of Flax and TV on at all times i think we need pockets of some type on the sleeves. I am leaving with TF Orion and i have already made an arid cadpat shirt with pockets on the arms.

 

[Armymedic]

A group I was with in Afghanistan this spring put in a UCR ref the pockets on the CADPAT shirt, asking for pockets on the upper sleeves.

 

[GO!!!]

We made that particular deficiency known in 2001 when the new cbts were trialled at 3VP.

The major from DLR told us "you don't have to wear body armour all the time, what about the people stuck back here in Canada?"

and

"We will not be designing an entire clothing system around the light infantry"

Ottawa knows best I guess.

 

[Britney Spears]

The major from DLR told us "you don't have to wear body armour all the time, what about the people stuck back here in Canada?"

So, naturally, you gave him the eminently reasonable response, "Fuck 'em! Is the war in Canada?".

Right? 

 

[Matt_Fisher]

"We will not be designing an entire clothing system around the light infantry"...Ottawa knows best I guess.

But we will be... www.icetactical.com    ;D

 

[GO!!!]

So, naturally, you gave him the eminently reasonable response, "frig 'em! Is the war in Canada?".

Right?    

Yes, then I kicked over his briefcase and 90$ coffee cup, yelled HOOAH and ran from the room.

Seriously though, someone else beat me to the punch and said just that,  and the Maj. said that "these new cbts had to be suitable for wear in garrison as well as in the field" How our suggested pockets on the arms would have made them unsuitable as garrison dress is beyond me, but 3 bars beats 2 hooks every time...

 

[KevinB]

but 3 bars beats 2 hooks every time...

Unless you have a machine gun for 2 hooks and a belt beats 3 bars  ;D

 

[buzgo]

Its continuing:

The new NBCD (CBRN) suit has 'mag pockets' on the chest, but as above, how will you ever get at them? And the sleeve pockets are only big enough for a deck of smokes....

 

[Dissident]

Unless you have a machine gun for 2 hooks and a belt beats 3 bars   ;D

You are not suggesting we should offer violence to a supperior officer? are you now?

But seriously, what could possibly be wrong about an upper sleeve pocket? I can see it having to be on the right arm, so as to not interfere with the brassards, but thats pretty much it.

 

[KevinB]

Brassards????    We are designing Cbt wear - not DEU's.

I happen to like my notebook on the left arm. 

 

[Dissident]

I was thinking along the lines that the arm pocket would be standard for all combat jacket. Being an MP, (if you had not guessed allready) the brassard issue came to mind.

I too would like it better on the left arm, otherwise.

 

[KevinB]

I always thought brassards where dumb in any form or shape.
Red Hat = MP 

The ISAF brassard are equally as dumb - but that is for another rant...

 

[a_majoor]

It really sounds like the Major made a case for (GASP!) Garrison Dress!

Stand by for the Cloth the Soldier in Garrison project.

 

[Michael Dorosh]

It really sounds like the Major made a case for (GASP!) Garrison Dress!

I'd be in favour of that, if it was smart and practical and got people to stop posting about pockets on the combat shirt sleeves.

I don't mean a return to the hideous Garrison Dress that you couldn't even work in (with high top polished boots you couldn't move in without scratching - if you were too dumb to get a medical chit that is or a boss too hidebound to let you wear combat boots, a goofy web belt that you wore just under your nipples, and a jacket that was not just dorky looking but actually wind and waterproof (great for working indoors) and restrictive of movement (with the added requirement of tucking your shirt collar over the top to chafe your neck).) 

Call it Barracks Dress, let us wear our combat boots, and give us some green pants and a practical green shirt.  The new CF sweater is not well liked and you can't work in it, it's too delicate - it's a dress uniform.  Give us a hard wearing olive green sweater for winter, or let us do like the British and allow regiments/branches to have their own unit coloured sweaters.  Retain the combat jacket/parka/raincoat for wear as a topcoat with Barrack Dress. 

Then you have a decent order of dress between DEUs and CADPATs, and you can design your CADPAt for practicality in the field without worrying so much about uniformity.  And with only two or maybe three new components (pants, shirt, sweater/jacket) there isn't a whole lot to have to maintain.

 

[KevinB]

MichaelD -- you know I think the old OD pants have found a use...

  Add in a regimental T shirt and voila (okay so your "Brit" sweater idea for cooler weather).


Maybe CTS could milk it for a few more years 

 

[silentbutdeadly]

Ok ! more on this and i am hope someone with some rank on this site can tell me whats up! i received an email on the subject of the pockets on the sleeves. Well i guess the CDS, yes the CDS, said that he highly recommends that the pockets get put on the sleeves for the next Roto to TFA. Well when i scolled down to see all the other comments from the various leadership with the BG ( mostly RSM's by the way! the Officers are all for it) lets just say that it would take 5 yrs to get this done ! hahah i am kidding, but its just hard to take that we can't look to the future. All you need is maybe 2 shirts done this way for operations thats all and have the people at clothing to do the mods, it should take no more 2 weeks for units that need them ( rifle coys, eng, recce etc) Cimic and other org don't need this mod.

 

[GO!!!]

Pretty sad that the Chief of Defence Staff has to intervene to get such a simple task accomplished though. Good on him!!

Even worse that the SNCOs are the ones opposing such a common sense mod. Are'nt they the ones that are so fond of reminding us that "I was a Cpl too once"

Not hijack this thread too much, but it kind of makes you look at the suggestion that the officer corps be drawn from the NCM corps with a little more of a critical eye. If the SNCOs are so set in their ways that they cannot even bring themselves to allow the pockets on a shirt to be moved, how are they going to bend their heads around something really radical - like concentrating on urban ops and letting our trench digging skills fall a bit by the wayside.

 

[KevinB]

Rob -- you and MJP etc should just go out and get two shirts done as soon as you get the CADPAT AR - and get one TW short done just cause...

  4th knows of a tailor that did the rigs for me, RobJ, Tony, Cecil etc. that could get them done or make a new shirt (but likely pricey)

 

[George Wallace]

I just thought of the Brassard that you are going to wear over the 'Pockets'.  It would impede any access to the pockets.  Quick fix - put a pocket on the Brassards instead.

 

[Chimo]

I can't believe we haven't put pockets on thesleeves yet. I hate brassards, they look stupid. Why not just sew the fancy patch on velcro and add that to the sleeve, or leave the fancy patch at home.

As for the RSMs not supporting the ideas, I can't believe they all do not support but I will offer this thought...The only thing harder then getting an old idea out of a military mind is...getting a new one in!

Bravo to the CDS for playing the CDS trump card.