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OPERATIONAL DRESS UNIFORM (ODU)
CARE AND WEAR POLICY
ALCOAST 223/07
Please read Auxiliary Modification to this ALCOAST
R 261515Z APR 07 ZUI ASN-A00116000023
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//CG-12//
TO ALCOAST
BT
UNCLAS //N01020//
ALCOAST 223/07
COMDTNOTE 1020
SUBJ: OPERATIONAL DRESS UNIFORM (ODU) CARE AND WEAR POLICY
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 091300Z AUG 04/ALCOAST 380/04
B. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 251747Z MAY 06/ALCOAST 300/06
C. UNIFORM REGULATIONS, COMDTINST M1020.6 (SERIES)
1. REFS A AND B ARE CANCELLED.
2. THIS ALCOAST CLARIFIES THE PROPER WEAR OF THE ODU. THE ODU IS A GENERAL PURPOSE EVERYDAY UNIFORM THAT IS INTENDED FOR WEAR IN ANY SITUATION THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A DRESS UNIFORM. IN ADDITION, SINCE THIS UNIFORM MAY BE WORN IN MANY OPERATIONAL SITUATIONS, AND IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SAFETY AND CONSISTENCY IN APPEARANCE, METAL DEVICES OR ATTACHMENTS WILL NO LONGER BE AUTHORIZED.
3. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, THE FOLLOWING SHALL APPLY TO THE ODU:
A. WHEN WASHING, ENSURE THAT ALL VELCRO CLOSURES ARE FASTENED TO MINIMIZE COLLECTION OF LINT AND FOREIGN MATTER.
B. THE ODU SHALL BE IRONED WITHOUT MILITARY CREASES. IN ADDITION, COLLARS, LAPELS, SLEEVES, AND POCKETS ON BOTH THE ODU TOP AND TROUSERS SHALL LAY FLAT. GREAT CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN IRONING THE ODU. EXCESSIVE HEAT, STARCHING, AND REPEATED SHARP CREASING CAN RESULT IN WHITENING AND/OR FINISH DAMAGE. IRON THE UNIFORM INSIDE OUT TO MINIMIZE GLOSS OR SHINE.
C. THE ODU UNIFORM WILL BE WORN WITH 8 INCH SAFETY BOOTS, WELL-BLACKENED AND WHEN WORN IN AN OFFICE BOOTS SHALL BE POLISHED TO A SHINE. TUCK AWAY EXCESS LACES SO THEY CAN NOT BE SEEN.
D. THE ODU TROUSERS SHALL BE BLOUSED, WITH EITHER VELCRO OR HOOK TYPE ELASTIC BANDS, BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD BOOT EYELET. CARGO POCKETS MAY BE USED, BUT ITEMS STOWED SHALL NOT TAKE AWAY FROM A SMART MILITARY APPEARANCE.
E. THE ODU T-SHIRT SHALL BE IN GOOD CONDITION WITH NO TEARS OR STAINS. DUE TO HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES, MORE RESEARCH IS REQUIRED BEFORE A WICKABLE T-SHIRT IS AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR WITH THE ODU.
F. ALL ACCESSORIES SHALL BE IN GOOD REPAIR AND WORN AS FOLLOWS:
1. AFTER 15 JULY 2007, ALL ACCESSORIES WORN ON THE ODU SHALL BE EMBROIDERED.
2. COLLAR RANK AND SPECIALTY INSIGNIA CAN BE METAL (STANDARD UNTIL 15 JULY 2007) OR EMBROIDERED (CURRENTLY OPTIONAL, BECOMING STANDARD AFTER 15 JULY 2007). NO MIXING OF STYLES IS AUTHORIZED. INSIGNIA SHALL NOT BE SCRATCHED, BENT, TORN OR DISFIGURED IN ANY WAY. ALL COLLAR RANK INSIGNIAS, WITH EXCEPTION OF EMBROIDERED O3 AND O6, SHALL BE PLACED ON THE IMAGINARY LINE BISECTING THE ANGLE OF THE COLLAR WITH THE BASE OF THE INSIGNIA (NOT THE EMBROIDERED PATCH) APPROX 1 1/8 INCH FROM COLLAR POINT. DUE TO THEIR HORIZONTAL FORMAT, EMBROIDERED O3 AND O6 RANK INSIGNIA SHALL BE PLACED 1 1/2 INCHES FROM THE POINT.
3. QUALIFICATION INSIGNIA SHALL BE CENTERED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE U.S. COAST GUARD NAMETAPE ON THE WEARERS LEFT HAND POCKET. ONLY ONE EMBROIDERED QUALIFICATION INSIGNIA IS AUTHORIZED. METAL INSIGNIAS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. EMBROIDERED INSIGNIA SHALL BE THE SAME SIZE AS THE METAL INSIGNIA, CENTERED ON A TAPE THE FULL WIDTH OF THE POCKET. THE TAPE SHALL NOT EXCEED THE WIDTH OF THE POCKET. TEMPORARY QUALIFICATION INSIGNIAS SHALL NOT BE WORN ON THE ODU.
4. INCUMBENT COS AND OICS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THE EMBROIDERED COMMAND ASHORE OR AFLOAT DEVICES CENTERED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE MEMBERS NAMETAPE ON THE WEARERS RIGHT HAND POCKET. METAL DEVICES ARE NOT AUTHORIZED. EMBROIDERED DEVICES SHALL BE THE SAME SIZE AS THE METAL INSIGNIA, CENTERED ON THE POCKET.
5. SINCE THESE POSITIONS ARE INTEGRAL TO THE COMMAND CADRE, INCUMBENT GOLD AND SILVER BADGE COMMAND CHIEFS ARE AUTHORIZED TO WEAR THEIR RESPECTIVE BADGES (EMBROIDERED ONLY) ON THE ODU. MENS BADGES SHALL BE WORN CENTERED ON THE WEARERS LEFT POCKET. WOMENS BADGES SHALL BE WORN ABOVE THE NAME TAPE OF THE RIGHT POCKET.
G. THE BUCKLE AND BELT TIP OF THE STANDARD 1 1/4 INCH BLACK ODU BELT MUST NOT BE CHIPPED OR DISCOLORED. THE BITTER END SHALL EXTEND 2-4 INCHES PAST THE BELT BUCKLE ON THE WEARERS LEFT.
H. THE BASIC RIGGERS BELT (NSN: 8415-01-526-5551), ALSO KNOW AS THE BATTLE DRESS UNIFORM (BDU) BELT, CAN BE PURCHASED THRU THE UDC AND MAY BE WORN AS AN OPTIONAL ITEM ON THE ODU. THIS BELT IS A 1 3/4 INCH BLACK NYLON BELT. WHEN WORN, THE BITTER END SHALL EXTEND 2-4 INCHES PAST THE BELT BUCKLE ON THE WEARERS LEFT. (THIS WILL REQUIRE THE BELT BE PASSED THROUGH THE BELT LOOPS FROM THE RIGHT, THE OPPOSITE OF OTHER MENS BELTS). THE BASIC RIGGERS BELT COMES IN ONE LENGTH AND NEEDS TO BE CUT TO SIZE. TO DETERMINE THE CORRECT BELT LENGTH, LACE THE BELT THROUGH BELT LOOPS, PASS IT BEHIND THE BELT BAR, THEN FEED IT BACK THROUGH AND OVER THE BELT BAR. FINALLY, PULL TO SECURE. NEXT, MARK THE BELT SO THAT NO MORE THAN 4 INCHES EXTEND PAST THE BUCKLE. MAKE A STRAIGHT CUT ALONG THIS MARK. SINGE THE BITTER END TO AVOID UNRAVELING. THE "BLACK HAWK" RIGGERS BELT IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR GENERAL WEAR, BUT MAY BE WORN AS ORGANIZATIONAL EQUIPMENT DURING TACTICAL MISSIONS.
I. THE STANDARD OR UNIT BALL CAP SHALL BE WELL-FORMED AND IN GOOD CONDITION WITH NO SOILING, FADING OR TEARS, NOR WILL IT CONTAIN ANY DEVICES OR PINS BEYOND THE COLLAR INSIGNIA OR CG SHIELD AS APPROPRIATE FOR RANK. ALSO, NO ADDITIONAL WRITING ON EITHER THE FRONT OR REAR OF THE CAP IS AUTHORIZED.
4. MANNER OF WEAR: THE ODU IS NOT A LIBERTY UNIFORM AND SHALL NOT BE WORN AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR COVERALLS. HOWEVER, IT CAN BE WORN DURING THE FOLLOWING AUTHORIZED CIRCUMSTANCES:
A. WHILE TRAVELING IN GOVERNMENT VEHICLES, VESSELS, AIRCRAFT, ON ORDERS IN A COMMERCIAL CONVEYANCE, OR WHILE TRAVELING ON ORDERS IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY (IF APPROVED BY THE U.S. EMBASSY).
B. WHILE COMMUTING, TO INCLUDE MASS TRANSIT, DURING INFORMAL OFF BASE LUNCHES, VISITS TO DOD FACILITIES OR FOR SHORT STOPS IN CONVENIENCE OR RETAIL STORES.
C. WHILE IN AN EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AT OTHER DOD AGENCIES (AS DIRECTED BY THEIR COMMANDING OFFICER).
D. THE ODU TOP IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE UNIFORM. IT SHALL ONLY BE REMOVED TEMPORARILY, WHEN WORKING IN EXCESSIVELY HOT CONDITIONS OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE.
E. THE ODU IS AUTHORIZED FOR OFFICE WEAR AT THE COMMANDING OFFICERS DISCRETION.
5. THE ODU HOT WEATHER VERSION IS OPTIONAL AND OR ORGANIZATIONAL DEPENDING ON COMMANDS DIRECTION. THE ODU HOT WEATHER UNIFORM MAY BE AUTHORIZED BY THE AREA, DISTRICT, OR MLC COMMANDER WHEN EXTREME WORK ENVIRONMENTS REQUIRE IT. THIS PRESCRIBING AUTHORITY CAN NOT BE DELEGATED. COMMANDS SHALL BE JUDICIOUS WHEN EMPLOYING THIS OPTION TO ENSURE A PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE. THE HOT WEATHER UNIFORM IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR ROUTINE WEAR IN THE OFFICE. IT IS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR WEAR WHILE COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC SETTING. THE HOT WEATHER UNIFORM CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
A. ODU TOP IAW PARAGRAPHS 1-3 ABOVE.
B. ODU SHORTS (ODU TROUSERS HEMMED AT THE KNEE OR 1 INCH ABOVE THE KNEE) WORN WITH EITHER THE STANDARD ODU OR OPTIONAL RIGGERS BELT. COMMERCIALLY PROCURED SHORTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AUTHORIZED.
C. ODU T-SHIRT.
D. BLACK CREW LENGTH SOCKS.
E. LOW TOP SAFETY SHOES MUST COMPLY WITH ANSI Z41-1999.
F. COMMERCIAL ODU SHORTS ARE NOT ORGANIZATIONAL CLOTHING AND CAN NOT BE PURCHASED WITH UNIT FUNDS.
6. WHEN WEARING THE MATERNITY ODU: NAMETAPES, U.S. COAST GUARD NAMETAPE, AND QUALIFICATION INSIGNIA ARE TO BE WORN ON THE MATERNITY ODU IN THE SAME RELATIVE AREA AS ON THE STANDARD ODU. MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN PLACEMENT ARE AUTHORIZED TO PREVENT DISCOMFORT AND TO PRESENT AN ORDERLY AND BALANCED APPEARANCE.
7. WORK CONTINUES ON THE UNTUCKED VERSION OF THE ODU. THIS VERSION, WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE AN ENHANCED (WRINKLE RESISTANT, OIL AND FADE RESISTANT) MATERIAL IS STILL BEING DEVELOPED, ALTHOUGH SOME PROTOTYPES HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED FOR INITIAL TESTING. A SERVICE WIDE AVAILABILITY DATE IS STILL UNKNOWN.
8. ALL PROVISIONS OF THIS ALCOAST WILL BE INCORPORATED IN A FUTURE CHANGE TO REF C.
9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.
10. RELEASED BY CURTIS B. ODOM, ACTING DIRECTOR OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT.
BT
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