For the Army, it is a mistress who cannot help but go back to the original uniform change.
The Army’s top noncommissioned officer, Master Sergeant Major Michael Weimer, announced Tuesday that new athletic uniforms will be issued to troops within about a year. However, the announcement at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C., did not provide a clear deployment plan or details about what the uniform would look like.
“If we can stay healthy, we can also look good and represent the Army brand,” Weimer said.
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In recent years, most sergeants majors in the Army have made notable adjustments to their uniforms, and those changes have often become important elements of their traditions. The new uniforms are expected to reach troops within a year, but the design has not yet been finalized.
However, the rationale behind the latest uniform decisions remains unclear, especially considering that current fitness uniforms were only introduced in earnest in 2017.
Feedback on the Army’s PT uniforms is generally positive, but a common complaint arises regarding the lack of pockets on the shorts.
When the current PT uniform was first introduced in 2014, then-Army Sergeant Major Raymond Chandler called it a “new icon.” The previous uniform came under criticism from soldiers who were not impressed with the material, especially when the shorts rode up when doing sit-ups, forcing many to wear spandex underneath. He complained.
Meanwhile, former Army Sergeant Major Daniel Daley, who held the position from 2015 to 2019, is best known for allowing black socks to be worn with fitness uniforms and moving the military away from the white sock tradition.
Changes to military uniforms have become the butt of jokes online in recent years, with widespread recognition within the ranks that the military is almost always in the process of changing the way soldiers dress.
Most recently, in 2020, the military changed its official uniform to a design that closely mimics World War II-era uniforms. The new uniform is scheduled to become standard across the military in 2027. The 2010s also saw a move toward multicam uniforms, first introduced to troops during the Afghanistan war, and away from the much-maligned digital camouflage.
Tuesday’s update comes as Weimer’s first year in the role comes to an end, following the retirement of Michael Grinston.
Notably, Weimer has adopted a more low-key approach, significantly reducing the profile of his office compared to previous enlisted leaders. In his limited public appearances, he has emphasized his disciplined appearance, citing well-kept soldiers and immaculate uniforms as essential elements of a formidable fighting force.
The news of the PT uniforms comes at the same time the service has fully adopted a new fitness test, the Army Combat Fitness Test. It is primarily considered a more comprehensive measure of athletic performance than previous tests. The new test measures a soldier’s ability to deadlift, run two miles, do planks, hand-release pushups, and more. The previous test, which has been in use for about 40 years, only measured running, push-ups, and sit-ups.
Meanwhile, the Air Force plans to unveil a long-delayed new athletic uniform in November.
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