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Fast rollout: Exchanges to sell NWU by March 15

The Navy Working Uniform will be sold in all Navy Exchanges worldwide by March 15, nearly seven months ahead of schedule, with some sailors able buy it as soon as Monday.

The accelerated rollout schedule was announced Thursday in NavAdmin 328/09.

“The sooner we get all our sailors wearing the NWU and on the same page, the better,” said Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (SS/SW) Rick West. “It’s a great uniform and it’s time the rest of the world started to see it as a symbol of our sea service.”

All stores in the Western and Northwest Navy Exchange regions — encompassing the western half of the continental United States — will stock the NWU on shelves in uniform stores starting Monday, instead of the Jan. 15 as previously announced.

Following closely behind will be Hawaii and the national capital region, where exchanges will be stocked by Nov. 30 — ahead of the previous July and April rollout dates.

Finally, sailors in Europe, Japan and Guam will see the uniforms in their exchanges March 15, instead of Oct. 15 as previously planned.

The message confirmed that the date all sailors must have the uniforms in their seabags will remain Dec. 31, 2010.