These boots were made for walkin'.....

[J_Andrews]

Berets in SF units: My understanding is that since about 1991 (conclusion of ODS) the practice had been GREEN berets worn only those assigned to Op Det As, plus commanders, XOx and top sgts at Co and Bn HQ. Otherwise, "soft skills" people throughout the Group get maroon berets, even if they are in fact qualified grads of the SFQC (and wear the tab). However, my source then went on about how most tab-qualified people like to wear green ones, no matter their billet. Then, tab-qualified soldiers assigned outside Groups, i.e. to Spec Ops Cmd or JFK Cen generally do wear green hats.

 

When I was assigned to the 11th SFGA USAR 30+ yrs ago, I took flak because I "thought I was a #%&^*(% Brit" by the way I wore my beret (no lining, flash pushed over against my skull as flattened out as praticable). The prevailing style then was the "One-Eared Mickey Mouse:, with the stiffener behind the flash very "proud" and the right side pulled down to cover the (human) ear. The most common FAIL style was the "Pizza warmer", with the top horizontally flattened, like to hold a dinner plate balanced on the top of the cranium, the flash left hanging under the "eave" (common with brand-new, un-soaked-and-shaped berets issued to troops who had never worn one before). Then there was the "Jaguar" or "Corvette" -- body pulled to front only to form a visor over the eyes, flash all but concealed under it, emulating a Kangol "sporty car" or "bro" lid; this was seen in "permissive environments" such as The Field or beer blasts; som said it was advisable around helis, to minimize loss of beanie.

[Sabrejet]

John....there's nothing wrong with being "a #%&^*(% Brit" as you put it!! Trust me...I am one!

 

 

Ian :wink2:

[Sabrejet]

Comparative beret styles...Royal Marines, French Foreign Legion and US/SF.

 

[J_Andrews]

I did not say or imply there is any teensy-weensy bit of a thing wrong with BRIT. Certainly not headwear fashions. Maybe warm beer, overdone beef and road signs...and imported German monarchs.

 

The RM lad in your picture is wearing the ME style.

 

The 7th SF fellow has the right side "proper", but the flash side is not quite HIGH and rigid enough for circa 1977.

 

Anybody have a good pic of a Vietnamese Abn Div or Marine beret-wearer? THEY had, for walking out, an EXTREME style that consisted of an overly large-size beret, arranged to render a "cock's comb" ridge down the centerline of the cranium, the sweatband worn at a tilt to facilitate this. I do not recall the Vietnamese words for "cock's comb", sorry to admit.

[Sabrejet]

I know John...just kidding! Re the advisor beret....you mean like this?

 

[BEAR]

Call me old-fashioned, but I like soldiers on parade to walk past me with a crisp crunch-crunch-crunch under-foot rather than an almost inaudible dull thud!! :w00t:

Ian,

The American Army has worn leather or rubber soled boots for many years (with no hob nails). My grandfather (Somme vet, retired after 30+ years as a RSM) would complain about marching with the Yanks. They couldn't hear the boots striking the ground and the Yanks had a nasty habit of "singing"(calling cadence) to stay in step. Confusing times with joint marches.

BEAR

[BEAR]

Then I take it that the Black Jump boots are now worn only with the class A uniforms, and under no circumstance are they worn with fatique items, for instance when on parade or during say awards ceremonies, or for that matter not even during Jumps ?

Patches,

Corcoran makes a tan jump boot that can be worn with the ACU. My son wears a pair at Ft. Bragg.

BEAR

[Mercenary25]

My sister is in Air Force Academy. The students get all same issued boots but are authoritized to wear privately purchased boots as long color matches, for her case, sage green. So many students bought boots of their liking but still meet the uniform regulation. My sister got a nice Oakley boots. Much lighter and more comfortable to wear.

[tw5270]

Berets in SF units: My understanding is that since about 1991 (conclusion of ODS) the practice had been GREEN berets worn only those assigned to Op Det As, plus commanders, XOx and top sgts at Co and Bn HQ. Otherwise, "soft skills" people throughout the Group get maroon berets, even if they are in fact qualified grads of the SFQC (and wear the tab). However, my source then went on about how most tab-qualified people like to wear green ones, no matter their billet. Then, tab-qualified soldiers assigned outside Groups, i.e. to Spec Ops Cmd or JFK Cen generally do wear green hats.

 

Close... I was a support person in 3rd Group in 1991-1994. The regs in '91 were ALL soldiers assigned to Group wore green Berets, I know I was issued one. In about '93 (not sure as I don't remember exactly when) We were told that anyone not 18 MOS Qualified (have passed the SFQC) would wear Maroon with the group flash, IF and only IF they were Airborne qualified. If you were a leg you did not wear a beret.

 

Personally I never agreed with support personnel wearing Green Berets but as many "Long Tabbers" said to me "It's just a hat".

[J_Andrews]

Re Post #30 of Marine advisor: Not exactly. He is wearing the sweatband horizontal-straight. The Cool Look amongst the troopies was, with a beret at least a size larger than "right" for your head, diagonally to just above the eyebrow, so that the edge was nearly centered on the top of the head. VNMC did this too, but I do not recall BDQ doing it.

 

In Miraldi's Unif & Eq of US Mil Advisor in VN, check out pages, 87, 91, 99, 101 and 102.

[patches]

Patches,

Corcoran makes a tan jump boot that can be worn with the ACU. My son wears a pair at Ft. Bragg.

BEAR

 

CHECK, A tan jump boot, out of curiosty I searched for an image, and lo and behold.

[Sabrejet]

Ian,

The American Army has worn leather or rubber soled boots for many years (with no hob nails). My grandfather (Somme vet, retired after 30+ years as a RSM) would complain about marching with the Yanks. They couldn't hear the boots striking the ground and the Yanks had a nasty habit of "singing"(calling cadence) to stay in step. Confusing times with joint marches.

BEAR

 

Reminds me of some WW2 memoirs I read. The author lived in Weymouth on the Channel coast, an embarkation port for D-Day. She said that they always knew when columns of American troops were marching past, even though they couldn't necessarily see them, because of the dull thud of their rubber-soled boots. On the other hand, when British troops marched past they made a very distinctive rhythmical "click-clack" because of their hobnailed boots! There was no danger of mistaking the two!

[Sabrejet]

CHECK, A tan jump boot, out of curiosty I searched for an image, and lo and behold.

 

Very cool....those I like...a lot!! :w00t:

[hawk3370]

CHECK, A tan jump boot, out of curiosty I searched for an image, and lo and behold.

 

When I served in the 10th SFG (before most members of the forum were born I suspect) the majority of team members wore one of three types of boots. 1st were the US black leather jump boots, 2nd were the German made ski boots that we purchased in Bad Tolze, and third my favorite which I continued to wear throughout the next 20 years or so were the German Army issue jump boots. I can never recall any senior officers asking about my wear of the german jump boots after I left the group so I guess it didn't matter or they just didn't give it much thought.

 

I still have a rough time adjusting to seeing troops in the local malls or theaters wearing camoflauge uniforms and tan boots. We were not allowed to leave post in a fatique uniform with the exception of driving to and from our house. We couldn't even stop at a 7-11 on the way home if in fatiques. And for the new blue (airforce type/bus driver) uniform worn by the army my words cannot be printed here. Same goes for the changing of the beret for the rangers from black to tan. The general that made that decision should be shot. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

Terry

[Sabrejet]

No suede sneakers in your day Terry! Spit 'n' shine was the order of the day!

[Sabrejet]

Would these babies pass muster?! Sage green with ACU pattern inserts. I wear them as leisure boots.

 

[craig_pickrall]

Ian, dare I ask where you found those "babies"?

 

Are there zippers on both the inside and outside or is it inside on one and outside on the other?

[Steve B.]

I hated the issue DMS " 'cruit" boots. I liked the jump boots - better looking, took a better shine, and had some arch & ankle support. I had a pair of the German boots, but really messed up the finish wearing them to the field. My all time favorites, except when it was cold or cold & wet, were the jungle boots. Light, comfy, & they let your feet breathe. Not much ankle support though, and we could only get away with wearing them to the field and not in garrison. That changed in about the late 80s, and then they came out with the all black jungle boots. Those were good, too, but I always liked the black & OD ones better.

 

It must be nice to have boots that don't require constant polishing!

[BEAR]

No suede sneakers in your day Terry! Spit 'n' shine was the order of the day!

No sneakers at all, suede or otherwise. Us older soldiers used to do PT in black leather boots. T shirt, fatigue pants and black leather boots. When I was a blackhat at Benning we had to run in Corcoran jump boots. Corcoran jump boots are some of the most comfortable black leather boots made ... after they are broken in, but before they are broken in they would give the Corcoran bite. Right on the instep. I've had many a bloody foot until those dang boots broke in. Then try running in new boots! PURE AGONY!

[Sabrejet]

Ian, dare I ask where you found those "babies"?

 

Are there zippers on both the inside and outside or is it inside on one and outside on the other?

 

Bought them here in Wales Craig...double zippers on each one. Very comfy boots!

[patches]

When I served in the 10th SFG (before most members of the forum were born I suspect) the majority of team members wore one of three types of boots. 1st were the US black leather jump boots, 2nd were the German made ski boots that we purchased in Bad Tolze, and third my favorite which I continued to wear throughout the next 20 years or so were the German Army issue jump boots. I can never recall any senior officers asking about my wear of the german jump boots after I left the group so I guess it didn't matter or they just didn't give it much thought.

 

I still have a rough time adjusting to seeing troops in the local malls or theaters wearing camoflauge uniforms and tan boots. We were not allowed to leave post in a fatique uniform with the exception of driving to and from our house. We couldn't even stop at a 7-11 on the way home if in fatiques. And for the new blue (airforce type/bus driver) uniform worn by the army my words cannot be printed here. Same goes for the changing of the beret for the rangers from black to tan. The general that made that decision should be shot. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

Terry

 

 

So indeed it was in my day, 79-82, as you say, fatiques were not allowed to worn except with men who lived off post in comming and going, wearing one's fatiques in any other setting was a major infraction, also it was the times that one would wear the Class A or Khakis when traveling but by the early 80s it was optional, ( except after traveling home for that first leave after leaving AIT, here one left the post in Class A uniforms) even between new duty stations if I can recall, as myself I always wore the dress uniforms when traveling.

 

I seem to recall hearing though that sometime in the 80s because of the emerging Muslim threats on intercontinetal airline travel as well as the prospect of domestic airline troubles, in that all military personel were barred from wearing dress uniforms when traveling, for fear of them being singled out, this being after the 1985 TWA filght where a Navyman Robert Stetham was murdered by Muslim Highjackers, athough Stetham and other military men wear found out by the Military IDs, which one of the Flight Attendants, Uli Derickson tried to hide before forced to had them over to the Muslim Highjackers.

[Sabrejet]

So indeed it was in my day, 79-82, as you say, fatiques were not allowed to worn except with men who lived off post in comming and going, wearing one's fatiques in any other setting was a major infraction, also it was the times that one would wear the Class A or Khakis when traveling but by the early 80s it was optional, ( except after traveling home for that first leave after leaving AIT, here one left the post in Class A uniforms) even between new duty stations if I can recall, as myself I always wore the dress uniforms when traveling.

 

I seem to recall hearing though that sometime in the 80s because of the emerging Muslim threats on intercontinetal airline travel as well as the prospect of domestic airline troubles, in that all military personel were barred from wearing dress uniforms when traveling, for fear of them being singled out, this being after the 1985 TWA filght where a Navyman Robert Stetham was murdered by Muslim Highjackers, athough Stetham and other military men wear found out by the Military IDs, which one of the Flight Attendants, Uli Derickson tried to hide before forced to had them over to the Muslim Highjackers.

 

During "D-Day week", the cafes of Ste Mere Eglise were full of groups of young US airborne troopers (average age maybe 22?) dressed in their ACUs and mainly playing with their iPhones. Would this have been possible "in your day" Patches? (notwithstanding the fact that iPhones didn't exist then!)

[patches]

Call me old-fashioned, but I like soldiers on parade to walk past me with a crisp crunch-crunch-crunch under-foot rather than an almost inaudible dull thud!! :w00t:

 

 

The CRUNCH-CRUNCH-CRUNCH of the British Ammuntion Boots.

 

We're foot-slog-slog-slog-sloggin' over Africa -

Foot-foot-foot-foot-sloggin' over Africa -

BOOTS-BOOTS-BOOTS-BOOTS-movin' up an' down again! There's no discharge in the war!

[Sabrejet]

Now that's what I call "a boot"!! :thumbsup:

[patches]

During "D-Day week", the cafes of Ste Mere Eglise were full of groups of young US airborne troopers (average age maybe 22?) dressed in their ACUs and mainly playing with their iPhones. Would this have been possible "in your day" Patches? (notwithstanding the fact that iPhones didn't exist then!)

 

Look man I once chastized a National Guardsman, A PFC I seen in the Subway here in NYC over in Manhattan around 2004, he was in the old BDUs and draging around his bag on the ground by its strap it was a one of those BDU kit bags right, the zipper was open and such, he just looked like he didn,t give a damn one way or the other, a very solvenly soldier, I said it a fatherly way as a ex GI to another one currently serving right, at first he didn,t even hear me Why ? he had these very, very large incongruous Silver head phones on LOL I mean talk about an unmilitary apperance LOL, OH thank you thanks for the tip he said as he moved he one headphone from one ear as he listen to what I was telling him LOL.

 

Another time even earlier I spyed a young GI a PVT slick sleeve, a Puerto Rican kid, clearly he was fresh from AIT on his first leave after training, this was up in the West 100s in Manhattan, here he bolts out of door front right in front of me and my girlfriend as we were walking down the street and starts talking to someone in an opened car door at a parked car, I notice straight off he has not only his Garrison cap on backwards but also his shoulder loop points not under the collar, you know over the edges of the collar, I say Hey CHIEF, your head gear is on backwards ! he looks for a seconded at me like who the F is this long haired pony tailed white guy ? you know thinking I was messing with him, then he touches his head and say S.... thanks, I then go, here allow me, and a tuck his shoulder loop points in under the collar, I give him the old Drill Sergeant admonishment of getting Squared Away, and we always want to look Squared Away in public etc, he was thanks, you where in the Army ? yea about 10 years ago, who was that masked man ? my Girlfriend says as I walked away, I'm Just a Stranger Passing By LOL.

 

Now both of these where sincere interventions on my part, being from NYC I constantly see uniformed Army personel mostly from the Reserve or National Guard in the ACUs and they to a man generally have it together, though the use of those electronic gadgets is bit to much, with their use, should be regulated when in uniform in the public eye as far as I'm concered.