Pinks and greens

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WW II U.S. Army Air Forces officers wearing the "pinks and greens" uniform

"Pinks and greens" and "Army greens" are colloquial terms for the United States Army's officer winter service uniform from World War II and the similarly patterned service uniform introduced in the early 21st century.

"Pinks and greens"[]

The "pinks and greens" uniform developed between the World Wars as a variant of the officer's service uniform. The service uniform consisted of a dark green (olive drab shade No. 51) coat with matching colored trousers. An alternate trouser option of a contrasting color with a slight pinkish hue (drab shade No. 54) was also authorized in 1924,[1] which proved popular among officers, and displaced the olive drab pants in regular use. In 1944, an optional field jacket, sometimes called the Ike jacket due its association with Dwight Eisenhower, was introduced.[2][3]

The uniform continued in use through the Korean War. It was deauthorized for officers of the United States Army effective February 1, 1958, and for officers of the United States Army Reserve and the Army National Guard of the United States effective October 1, 1959.[2] It was replaced by a new "Class A" service uniform worn by all ranks, which featured matching coat and trousers in a new grayish-green shade.

The "pinks and greens" have been called "one of the flashiest and most striking uniforms ever authorized by the Army".[3]

Army Green Service Uniform[]

Main article: Army Service Uniform
The new Army Green Service Uniform will be a general service uniform while the Army Blue Service Uniform (center) will return to its former use as a ceremonial and parade uniform.

After a 60-year hiatus, on November 11, 2018, the U.S. Army announced it would adopt a new uniform patterned on the "pinks and greens" effective 2020, with phase-in to be complete by 2028.[3] The decision to adopt the new uniform was done to fill the gap between the formal blue Army Service Uniform and the Army Combat Uniform created by the deauthorization of the old Army Green uniform used between 1954 and 2015. With the change, the blue Army Service Uniform will again be restricted to ceremonial wear.[4][5][6][7]

According to former Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey, the Army designation for the new uniform is "Army Green Service Uniform" rather than "pinks and greens".[4]

References[]

  1. ^ "Commissioned officers may wear breeches of Bedford cord or similar material, slightly lighter in color than the service coat": paragraph 3b of AR 600-35, 1924
  2. ^ a b Stanton, Shelby L. (1998). U. S. Army Uniforms of the Cold War, 1948–1973. Stackpole Books. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0811729508.
  3. ^ a b c Mack-Jackson, Benjamin. "Old Uniform is New Again". ausa.org. Association of the United States Army. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Robson, Seth (November 15, 2018). "Don't call them 'pinks and greens': Top enlisted soldier says there's another name for the Army's new dress uniforms". Stars & Stripes. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  5. ^ "'Pinks and greens' are the throwback jersey the Army needs". ngac.org. National Guard Association of California. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  6. ^ "Army getting new uniforms; service returns to WWII-era 'Pinks and Greens'". WTVY-TV. November 14, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  7. ^ Milzarski, Eric (November 15, 2018). "The US Army announced the comeback of the iconic WWII-era 'Army Greens.' Here's what you should expect". Business Insider. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
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