Marine Corps To End Rolled Sleeve Policy for Cammies/BDU’s

The Marines have new rules regarding their combat utility uniforms and rolled up sleeves, according to an administrative message. Marine Commandant General James Amos stated that the Uniform Board has recommended that there will be a change on October 24th, for the rolling of sleeves on the combat utility uniforms.  Marine officials have noted that deployed Marines are wearing their sleeves down and in order to have an across the board look, as the uniform policy is meant to be, Marine’s will now keep their sleeves down.

Marine with rolled sleeves showing warrior tats. oohrah!

Commandant of the Marines, General Amos, and his spokesman Maj. Joe Plenzler have not offered any reason or made additional comment on the new policy. The change in being permitted to roll up the cammie sleeves caused blogs and Twitter accounts to see increased posting with Marines that had something to say about the police that went into effect on October 24th.

The comments on the internet included:

• Commenter: Commandant General Amos has lost his mind and is not in touch with the Marines.
• Commenter: As a perfectionist I could spend hours rolling the sleeves to make them perfect. This is a pet peeve of mine and the change makes sense
• Commenter: Experience tells me this is a good move.
• Commenter: Knowing what the proper sleeve roll is, was a nightmare.

One Marine, Cpl. Kevin Webb had posed the rolled sleeve combat utility uniform change on his website, with a pole and there were over 1,000 respondents. Approximately 90 percent of the posts were in opposition to the change. As an inactive U.S. Marine, I think it is silly to ban rolled sleeves. There are many reasons a Marine would want the sleeves rolled up. But the Commandant was never an 0311. Maybe if he had been a grunt, he’d of thought twice. This is not the first time a Commandant came up with seemingly strange policies. When I was getting out, the then CMC had banned Marines using the term “Gunny” to describe or address a Gunnery Sergeant.

Michael Ehline is a former Marine and currently assists members of the military and their families in recovering damages as a military motorcycle accident lawyer.  Contact him at 633 West Fifth Street, 28th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071. 213.596.9642.