'Blue' Combats! Is this true??

[Spearmint]

I'm at a base that's trialling them. I'm told by those that are wearing it that it is an extra uniform for techie types and people working in mucky areas. In essence it replaces coveralls. IMO it looks daft, like you should be wearing a balaclava and have LAPD SWAT across your back.

It's just asking for trouble. Especially with that stupid patch on the arm which is destined to be snagged on an aerial or some other sharp sticky pointy thingy when crawling around an A/C. We Techies were (and still are) quite happy to have badges stiched on to our coveralls as a 'club' mentality (Even though that's dying out now. Morale? Whatever would you need that for?) but they were still not as snaggable as these patches ala PCS. An absolute waste of money, still at least someone will get an OBE or their Air Rank out of it.........

 

[Joe_90]

It won't replace coveralls in the majority of cases though, only for those that already insist on wearing greens instead of proper PPE. If it's issued to anyone working for me I'll still expect coveralls for normal work. If coveralls are withdrawn then any NCO is going to be for the high jump if their lads are seen in PSF dressed like that and covered in muck. It's a waste of money to pander to the likes of 90SU and all the rest of them because they think they're too special to wear the uniform of the Service they joined.

 

[duffman]

The burning question is, tucked in or out?DT_Xtremez_42:

 

[ITgeek]

If you read the comity meeting minute for clothing on their webpage it's a replacement to no2 dress not just for mucky places

 

[Climebear]

If you read the comity meeting minute for clothing on their webpage it's a replacement to no2 dress not just for mucky places

My understanding is that it is to replace No2c Service Dress (not necessarily to replace No2, 2a, or 2b).

Joe. CS95/PCS CU are RAF uniforms - No3 Service Dress (Operational Clothing). I agree with your sentiment though.

 

[Climebear]

Here's a question for the elder statesmen amongst us. The choice is:

a. The new-fangled blue PCS No 2 thingy

or

b. the classic early '80s combination of No2 (aka thunderbirds) jacket, long flasher mac, and forage cap?

Which is the naffest?

 

[ITgeek]

can your wear blue wooley jumper with this

 

[Tango_Lima]

CS95 wasn't supposed to have creases ironed and be starched either, it's just that being the military it went against everything our leaders had ever believed in. The pongos for instance took to melting the zips on the shirts (jackets?) to make the collars lie flat. If they were meant to lie flat there wouldn't have been a zip there in the first place.

I for one hope that this trial falls on it's face, I have no requirement, like nearly everyone in the RAF, to wear CS95 on a regular basis. I wear blues to work and then wear my issued overalls for my day job that involves getting mucky. Anyone who wears this all day instead of overalls is most likely a reesty smelly b*****d who will then go to the mess in the same stinking smelly rig they've done a days hard graft in.

I get what you're saying...

My point is, CS95 can be made to look relatively smart compared to PCS and was originally intended to do service as working dress as well as 'combat uniform without compromise'. I can sort of see the argument for certain people to need a 'combat type' uniform for work, but I don't see that that needs to be optimised for body armour that they're never going to wear with it. So let them wear blue CS95 rather than blue PCS and it might actually look ok.

Didn't the Navy actually trial 'Sailor 95' years ago and pretty much universally gave it the thumbs up, only for someone to decide there was no money for it? (Totally the opposite of the reaction to 'blue PCS')

Another example: when the Yanks introduced their 'Airman Battle Uniform' the cut was based on the older BDUs rather than the new 'Army Combat Uniform' or 'Marine Corps Utility Uniform', which were both optimised for work with body armour, since the airmen in question needed 'relatively smart and practical' as a priority rather than 'works with CBA and is designed uncompromisingly for the field'.

 

[RATR]

1, It's a uniform,
2, It's free,
3, We'll all still get paid,
4, Get it worn,
5, Find something remotely important to moan about!DT_Xtremez_25:

 

[Spearmint]

1, It's a uniform,2, It's free,3, We'll all still get paid,4, Get it worn,5, Find something remotely important to moan about!DT_Xtremez_25:

ILLBW will Jizz in his pants when he reads your post.....

 

[FOMz]

My point is, CS95 can be made to look relatively smart compared to PCS and was originally intended to do service as working dress as well as 'combat uniform without compromise'. I can sort of see the argument for certain people to need a 'combat type' uniform for work, but I don't see that that needs to be optimised for body armour that they're never going to wear with it. So let them wear blue CS95 rather than blue PCS and it might actually look ok.

I'm going to be blunt here... You are sounding just like a stero typical Oggy ****** .... re-read the whole thread and get Body Armour out of your bloody head will you?. Most oggy's I've met love pulling on DPM's etc as it seems to fill a void in their lives somehow. Most regulars wear No2b/2c dress and only wear DPM when they need to (unless you are one of the units that Downsizer mentioned earlier)This trial uniform IS NOT designed to be worn with body armour. When was the last time you saw duty medic wearing BA in the RMC at Brize?

I'm glad I will never have to wear that load of sh1t.

 

[Tango_Lima]

I'm going to be blunt here... You are sounding just like a stero typical Oggy ****** .... re-read the whole thread and get Body Armour out of your bloody head will you?. Most oggy's I've met love pulling on DPM's etc as it seems to fill a void in their lives somehow. Most regulars wear No2b/2c dress and only wear DPM when they need to (unless you are one of the units that Downsizer mentioned earlier)This trial uniform IS NOT designed to be worn with body armour. When was the last time you saw duty medic wearing BA in the RMC at Brize?

I'm glad I will never have to wear that load of ****.

I think you've misunderstood what I'm saying?

Because you seem to be agreeing with me...

PCS 100% IS designed to be worn with CBA, that's the whole point of it and why it's replacing CS95, which isn't.

Hence why issuing it in blue seems a bit silly when, like you say, nobody's going to be wearing CBA with it.

 

[FOMz]

This is not about replacing DPM uniform, its about replacing blues....... DT_Xtremez_39:

 

[Tango_Lima]

This is not about replacing DPM uniform, its about replacing blues....... DT_Xtremez_39:

Yeah...exactly...

I'm not sure what it is that I'm not making clear?

Nobody wears body armour with blues, so why replace it with a uniform designed to work well with body armour (albeit blue in colour)?

 

[sp4rks]

Which, to be fair, is pants!

 

[FOMz]

Poll added. DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Climebear]

The PCS CU (new No3 Service Dress) lightweight jacket (made in MTP) is designed in such a way that it can be worn under CBA.

This PCS (new No2c Service Dress?) lightweight jacket (made in blue material) appears to be the same design as the PCS CU one.

FOMZ is correct that this isn't intended to replace No3 Service Dress; however, I understand that it is intended that it should be worn by those who currently wear No3 Service Dress when there is no requirement for them to be camouflaged.

IIRC the contracts for CS95 (in all its forms - DPM, DCC, MTP) have now ceased. Therefore, it could well be cheaper to use the same pattern as PCS CU as the manufacturer wouldn't need separate sets of patterns and processes to make this new uniform just a different material. That said, I understand (from working with the Army) that the Army hate the PCS CU lightweight jacket in barracks with many continuing to wear the CS95 version in MTP; therefore, they are considering introducing a new cut of 'jacket' for this purpose. Of course, they could just wear Barrack Dress in barracks like they were supposed to and use PCS CU for what it was designed for.

 

[Sniffer]

The design of PCS, regardless of colour is/was designed to work with Body Armour, hence the removal/obscuring of buttons and the inclusion of sleeve pockets etc etc. What TL is asking, is why would you use the same design for work in the UK (to replace blues.... we think) when its compatability with BA is not an issue. I'm currently on standby guard and having wear the MTP PCS this week to cut about the Stn undertaking my usual tasks and this has highlighted just how uncomfortable and I will even go as far as to say inpractical the PCS is. However, sandyside with Osprey Body Armour it was great and much better than the CS95 design.

 

[ady eflog]

I thought the whole point of this new PCS style uniform was for technical trades to provide a hard wearing practical uniform, not for shiney arses with stable belts and tw4t hats.

 

[MrMasher]

I thought the whole point of this new PCS style uniform was for technical trades to provide a hard wearing practical uniform, not for shiney arses with stable belts and tw4t hats.

Well said old chap!