Navy works through crackerjack upgrades - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Navy works through crackerjack upgrades

After two years of testing, Navy uniform officials plan to vote on upgrades to both the dress white and the dress blue “crackerjack” uniforms within the year, according to an officer on the Navy Uniform Board.

The improvements were meant to modernize the traditional E-6 and below uniforms and make them more functional. Tests were completed at the end of 2008, and since then, officials have been trying to make the uniforms ready for final approval.

“This is still an active program that we’re working hard on,” said Capt. Vince Drouillard, who handles uniform issues for the chief of naval personnel. “But the wear tests also identified some issues as well, and we hope to have all those worked out within the next 12 months and they will then be shown to the uniform board for a thumbs-up or -down vote.”

Only male sailors wear the blue crackerjack dress uniform, but the whites are worn by all sailors below chief. The only difference with whites is that women wear their combination cover instead of the “Dixie cup.”

Drouillard said the major issues that came up in wear tests were related to the fabrics, though they’ve also had problems getting the side zipper in the jumper ready for manufacturing.

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