Dark Blue Berets return

[Jed]

Just curious, are Army Engineers going to wear a dark blue beret now? (RCE and all that) I believe the Royal Engrs wear a one.

 

[daftandbarmy]

No kidding.

I slept over at an armoury one night while in transit, the armoury is primarily for a PRes Artillery unit.

The unit is quite large, which surprised me because out of the four C3 Howitzers they have, only one actually works.

It's a damn shame.

I get it though, you can't give everyone an M777, but give them something.

They had mortars.... until the return spring was operated

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Just curious, are Army Engineers going to wear a dark blue beret now? (RCE and all that) I believe the Royal Engrs wear a one.

There was talk but I haven't heard anything more than whispers in the wind....

 

[Ralph]

No - I believe they were given the option and chose not to opt in.

 

[Old EO Tech]

No - I believe they were given the option and chose not to opt in.

That is correct CME were offered just as the other CSS/CS Corps, and they declined. I suspect because the Engineers have a culture of thinking they are infantry as well as CME.  15th May is RCEME Day for those that don't know, we maybe the first Corps to have this blessed this year.  Being the RCEME 75th Anniversary, that maybe why the Artillery and maybe all others, not sure have been authorized to were it on this date.

And even though I'm not as long in the tooth as FJAG I share his opinion on unification/integration and the travesties that happened then.  I welcome the Blue Beret.  The "rifle green" beret should only be worn by Infantry Rifle Regiments, but it became "CF Green" at unification.  Just like we all ended up wearing scarlet mess kit, when only line infantry should be wearing it(and Regt with infantry in their linage like LdSH and RCDs).  Us Corps that will now go back to the blue beret should also wear blue mess kit, much like the Artillery Band does already.

Just my 2 cents

Jon

 

[RocketRichard]

That is correct CME were offered just as the other CSS/CS Corps, and they declined. I suspect because the Engineers have a culture of thinking they are infantry as well as CME.  15th May is RCEME Day for those that don't know, we maybe the first Corps to have this blessed this year.  Being the RCEME 75th Anniversary, that maybe why the Artillery and maybe all others, not sure have been authorized to were it on this date.

And even though I'm not as long in the tooth as FJAG I share his opinion on unification/integration and the travesties that happened then.  I welcome the Blue Beret.  The "rifle green" beret should only be worn by Infantry Rifle Regiments, but it became "CF Green" at unification.  Just like we all ended up wearing scarlet mess kit, when only line infantry should be wearing it(and Regt with infantry in their linage like LdSH and RCDs).  Us Corps that will now go back to the blue beret should also wear blue mess kit, much like the Artillery Band does already.

Just my 2 cents

Jon

I concur. I now have the blue beret and the colour is a fine hue. It is distinctive and I believe will be good for esprits de corps. Not as good as new boots, pistols, chest rigs etc. I agree that infantry should be the the folks wearing scarlet for  mess dress.


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[Kat Stevens]

Engineers think they are infantry?? Going to need some help with that one, no Sapper I know would self identify as infantry, other than the old trade descriptor of “grunts with a destructive hobby”.

 

[Petard]

Reading some of the comments on social media from currently serving gunners, I'd say this idea isn't achieving the desired effect, seems most see at as more of a nuisance rather than anything else. I can't say I blame them.

In a way, they're still contending with the mindset of that post unification era, i.e. minimizing capabilities almost to the point of near irrelevance, almost. I suppose if the bigger issues were being dealt with, and they could actually see a return to robust RCA capabilities, with depth, that existed before unification, then this return to the headdress of that time would have more meaning. As it is, it seems a hollow gesture towards what should be.

 

[FJAG]

I concur. I now have the blue beret and the colour is a fine hue. It is distinctive and I believe will be good for esprits de corps. Not as good as new boots, pistols, chest rigs etc. I agree that infantry should be the the folks wearing scarlet for  mess dress.

Actually we gunners wore scarlet cutaway mess kit before unification as well. Our patrol dress was blue. I know that the UK Royal Artillery was and still is blue. I'm not sure when or why we switched to scarlet.

:cheers:

 

[MJP]

Reading some of the comments on social media from currently serving gunners, I'd say this idea isn't achieving the desired effect, seems most see at as more of a nuisance rather than anything else. I can't say I blame them.

In a way, they're still contending with the mindset of that post unification era, i.e. minimizing capabilities almost to the point of near irrelevance, almost. I suppose if the bigger issues were being dealt with, and they could actually see a return to robust RCA capabilities, with depth, that existed before unification, then this return to the headdress of that time would have more meaning. As it is, it seems a hollow gesture towards what should be.

What!  You are telling me a return to our "lost" heritage hasn't fixed the myriad of real problems?  I would have thought those youngsters that have never known true pride until now would be overjoyed and all our problems would be solved.

/s

 

[McG]

It’s worse. I seem to recall a comment in the fall dress committee meeting about the next round of fashion restoration (colourful corps/regimental shoulder patches) being put on hold because all these little projects really are getting in the way of ADM(Mat) purchasers buying more important kit.

 

[dapaterson]

Like shirts, pants, rain gear and hats?

 

[Remius]

Like shirts, pants, rain gear and hats?

Something tells me that berets and badges are not the reason we are not getting that stuff.  We likely would not be getting that stuff regardless.

 

[dapaterson]

Limited staff doing "priorities" of fripperies means core business does not get the priority it needs.

 

[dimsum]

Limited staff doing "priorities" of fripperies means core business does not get the priority it needs.

I really need to use that word more. 

I read one of the older minutes when I was bored at work and there was one about RCAF and RCN pers not needing to wear divisional/brigade patches on their DEU. 

No shit, Sherlock. 

 

[Nfld Sapper]

It’s worse. I seem to recall a comment in the fall dress committee meeting about the next round of fashion restoration (colourful corps/regimental shoulder patches) being put on hold because all these little projects really are getting in the way of ADM(Mat) purchasers buying more important kit.

Like how the kit shop is fixated on using the US SAPPER tab on everything we have.....

 

[daftandbarmy]

Like shirts, pants, rain gear and hats?

I'm glad that you didn't have to add 'boots' to that list as we've already declared defeat in being able to successfully produce that piece of equipment..

 

[dimsum]

I'm glad that you didn't have to add 'boots' to that list as we've already declared defeat in being able to successfully produce that piece of equipment..

"Where your failure is our success!"

 

[PuckChaser]

It’s worse. I seem to recall a comment in the fall dress committee meeting about the next round of fashion restoration (colourful corps/regimental shoulder patches) being put on hold because all these little projects really are getting in the way of ADM(Mat) purchasers buying more important kit.

ADM(Mat) is #$@#ing terrible at their jobs if they cannot figure out how to quickly get a few thousand blue berets on Logistik Unicorp website in a timely fashion. God help us if we ever have a full scale mobilization.

 

[BeyondTheNow]

It’s worse. I seem to recall a comment in the fall dress committee meeting about the next round of fashion restoration (colourful corps/regimental shoulder patches) being put on hold because all these little projects really are getting in the way of ADM(Mat) purchasers buying more important kit.

I really don’t understand how any of this is a thing when all troops don’t even have, not only the number of cadpat they’re supposed to have, but even the same ones issued across the board. How many can’t even wear div patches yet? Why are we worried about little details (new patches and fancy badges and whatever else) when the big details aren’t being taken care of?