There is quite a misconception that the military carries an excess of gear with them wherever they go, but this could not be further from the truth. The reality is that the main gear that the military issues to its members are the uniforms that they wear every day that they are on duty. From there, they are issued extra gear, depending on the duty and the campaign of which they are a part, but this gear, too, is subject to change.

So, when considering the gear carried by each branch of the military, we must strip our understanding down to the bare bones to realize that the uniform is most important and always comes first, before anything and everything else.

Working Uniforms and Their Purpose

The working uniform takes on different connotations among different branches of the military. The working-class uniform is for military duties involving labor and blue-collar work. At some point in time, regardless of what the job title of the service member is, they will have to put on their working uniforms and complete some kind of operational task or campaign to which they are assigned.

These uniforms range from camouflage to more specific outfits like utilities and even workout gear when necessary. It is really at the discretion of the commander as to which uniform soldiers use for jobs that require more hands-on activity. Every service member will have a uniform specifically made for these types of conditions, whether that be a uniform that’s specific to the job or an extra uniform that they use for such orders.

Business Attire and When To Wear It

What is accepted in military circles as the “business attire” is the standard uniform—this is the typical uniform that soldiers wear. This uniform can have different names among branches, such as the mess uniform or the black or white tie uniform. These uniforms are unlike something you would see at a military surplus store that advertises military gear for sale, as the outfit is a little more formal. This uniform signifies the more business savvy departments of the military, such as legal workers, medical personnel, and anyone who may work in administration or as a higher official.

The standard uniform generally calls for a long or short-sleeved dress shirt with a long black tie, black slacks, and shoes. Soldiers will wear a jacket to match, with all insignias, medals, and ribbons sewn in or pinned on for identification purposes. Any time there is any kind of semi-formal meeting, members of the military wear these outfits—for example, military members might wear the standard uniform when going into town outside of military installations. Of all the uniforms, this uniform looks the most like business attire.

All About Dress Uniforms

Dress uniforms are exactly what they sound like. These are the dressiest of all the types of uniforms, made for special occasions. Whether worn for uniform inspections, command ceremonies, or larger events that the command hosts, these are the flashiest and most decorated of all the uniforms.

Wearing this uniform is all for show so that the service member may show off what they have accomplished in their career. The uniform shows what a service member has given back to their country and symbolizes their pride in what they do every day. Although service members must keep up all uniforms to a perfect code, the military holds the dress uniform to a standard beyond all others. This uniform is especially significant, as all eyes are on the veteran who wears it.

There are usually award ceremonies or command-wide meetings and formal instances when the service members must wear these. The dinner dress uniform is the rarest of them all, as it is for the highest-ranking formal occasions, such as high-ranking social dinners and branch-specific, annually held balls. Dinner dress uniforms are essentially a hybrid of the working-class uniform and the dress uniform.

They tend to include a blend of both colors incorporated but are mixed and matched. In the Navy, service members wear white jackets with black slacks, ties, shoes, and white button-up dress shirts in the summertime. The medals are larger than usual and pinned on the outside of the jacket for a more formal look. In most of the branches, this is standard, even in the Marine Corps—although they are unique in every uniform that they have.

The Many Uses of Camouflage

In most cases, the military member will only use their camouflage when at war or on an expedition that is war-related, but that is not always true of the uniform. Many commands choose to keep camouflage as their standardized daytime uniform year-round for multiple reasons. One reason is that it’s easy to take care of and wears well, and there’s no need to iron and press it every day.

It does not take much to prepare a camouflage uniform for the next day’s work, as opposed to the preparation of other uniforms, which can be quite tedious. Another reason the military often prefers camouflage is that service members can be called to war at a moment’s notice, so if they are suddenly called upon, their uniform will be the last thing to worry about instead of the first. As a tactical move, this is a very smart way of approaching deployments, as there is a multitude of things to worry about other than the uniform whenever preparing for such a change in orders. Like camouflage uniforms, boots are now easier to maintain. Most are now made for desert operations, meaning they do not need daily polishing, and their upkeep is much easier than before.

All in all, the gear that the military carries with them throughout each branch is unique to the branch, and yet, the same regarding the jobs that they take on. They all serve a very specific purpose and must be that way to complete the missions and campaigns to which they are assigned. So, rather than thinking along the lines of weapons or tactical items, the next time you consider the gear that the military carries, remember that it starts with the uniform, which dictates everything that will be utilized while on duty in that specific gear.