Bubbleheads across the fleet will be issued flame resistant variant coveralls by year's end, and it will come at no cost to sailorsyou.
All boats have been ordered to purchase four FRVs and one name tag per sailor before Sept. 30, said Capt. Jim Lowther, Submarine Force Atlantic's force supply officer. The sub force fleet will fully transition to the FRV as the fleetduty uniform by year's end, replacing the poly-cotton utility coveralls that have been the standard for more than a decade. The sub force is the last major fleet community to transition to the flame-resistant coveralls, which were fast-tracked to the fleet after fire risks were discovered with the Navy working uniform and the utility coveralls in late 2012. and subs will maintain a reserve supply to replace damaged or unserviceable FRVs.
The FRV's optimal wear life of 18 to 24 months will not change for service under the sea. and As organizational clothing, sets of the FRVs will be issued out by the command, which can later be exchanged for subs will maintain a back-up supply for damaged and unservicable sets.
Velcro name tags will be worn above the left breast pocket. Each skipper will authorize either the embossed leather name tag worn on the V-neck sweater, or develop a name tag that includes an embroidered unit design. Names can also be stenciled inside the FRV.
The FRV coverall will be worn with a black cotton web belt for petty officers and below. Chief petty officers and officers will wear the khaki cotton web belt. Unit patches and the U.S. flag are not permitted, as they can potentially degrade fire retardant properties, according to a Navy release.
Some sailors in the surface and air communities had to wait to get the FRV when the new rules took effect in late 2013. It was a simple matter of supply and demand. But the demand boosted the supply, and that enabled the submarine community to make the swift transition. Approximately 472,000 FRVs have been delivered and another 4,600 are in transit to fleet sailors as part of sustainment efforts, said Lt. Cmdr. Cate Cook, Fleet Forces spokesperson.
"The only individuals who may not currently have FRVs are new check-ins and those people temporarily serving aboard a ship, not in a permanently assigned status," she said. "With the exception of the submarine community … the initial distribution to outfit all communities in the fleet with the FRV coverall is complete."
The change may be swift in its implementation, but has been in the works for a couple of years. The FRVs were first authorized for wear in the surface and air communities in late 2013. The submarine force wasn't sure how environmental systems would handle the new material, specifically ventilation systems. It conducted a wear test aboard the Los Angeles-class attack submarine Montpelier, which showed "very little impact" to the ventilation systems, Lowther said.
Officials at Naval Submarine Support Center, New London, in Groton, Conn., wasted no time. They put in orders for all of their boats and are already receiving the first batch, Lowther said.
