I wasn't sure whether to post this under "Equipment" or "History" so I defaulted to this topic heading.
I'm just wondering how many people out there remember the old style uniforms we wore prior to the new millenium.
Ah yes, I remember it well. It was the 1980's and I was en route to a parade practice. We had been pounding the ashphalt for weeks in prep for the arrival of some General who was going to show up 25 minutes late, leaving us all standing around on the parade square with pounding headaches from the night before. It wasn't all one sided though. Our reward was that he would deign to inspect us, stop to talk to a few of the boys for a moment, then get up and regale us with an interminabley boring speech about how this was a "particularly challenging time to be in the CF blah, blah, blah".
Anyway, I was still living in, but was usually staying off base with a particular little chickie who I loved at the time but whose name I now barely remember. We were getting ready for this big event, and I had to stop on my way to work to get gas.
I gassed up my car, then proceeded to walk into the kiosk to pay. As I did, I was met by a cute 14 year old girl on the way out. She was looking at me-hard. At first I thought she might be interested. Then I thought better of it because she was... ONLY 14! (That said, looking back I was only 19 or so. Doing the math, that would put her well into cougar country and my league nowadays!) Still, that was then, this is now.
Still, I was feeling pretty proud of myself, being a dumb teenager in uniform, recently out of the awkward experience that is high school, and now being ogled by the same kind of girls who never gave me a minute's thought only months before.
Then it happened. The girl, though trying to be polite, was suddenly overcome with horror at the sight before her eyes. She suddenly screwed up her face, pointed directly at me and exclaimed "eeewwwwwwww!"
I didn't know what to do. Was she talking about me? She must be, that's where she's pointing. What happened?
Suddenly, I passed myself in the store window. That's when it all became horrifyingly clear.
I looked at myself. I was wearing the dress of the day!
Boots, ankle, black;
Work dress polyester green pants;
Lagoon green vomit coloured work dress shirt;
Work dress jacket, green (bus driver style);
Forge Cap, green;
White plastic belt, white;
Gloves, white;
And finally
Silver braid on hat, unhooked and placed on the chin to keep the head dress on in strong wind.
I was mortified!
Instantly, I understood what the poor girl had been repulsed by. I looked like a train wreck in slow motion. You didn't want to look anymore, but somehow, you just couldn't help yourself. It was awful!
Man, there was so many bad decisions of uniforms made foisted on the CF when I was in.
Does anyone remember the "CF K-way". Manufactured in Quebec, that's a great example of Government corruption/kickbacks and graft. Not one drop of rain was ever stopped by one of those things. EVERYONE I knew went out and spent their own money on decent US gear at John's Army Surplus in Pet. The troops shouldn't have been expected to do that. We are a first world nation, and troops shouldn't be expected to go begging for decent clothing.
How about the "Jeans Jacket" aka; the CF combat jacket? That was another example of Government suppliers paying off DND bureaucrats to push their useless product. I don't remember anyone after about 1989 wearing that useless piece of crap outside of garrison. The white, courdrouy collar was a nice touch though. Jon and Ponch from CHIPS would have been proud to wear it!
"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."
I'm just wondering how many people out there remember the old style uniforms we wore prior to the new millenium.
Ah yes, I remember it well. It was the 1980's and I was en route to a parade practice. We had been pounding the ashphalt for weeks in prep for the arrival of some General who was going to show up 25 minutes late, leaving us all standing around on the parade square with pounding headaches from the night before. It wasn't all one sided though. Our reward was that he would deign to inspect us, stop to talk to a few of the boys for a moment, then get up and regale us with an interminabley boring speech about how this was a "particularly challenging time to be in the CF blah, blah, blah".
Anyway, I was still living in, but was usually staying off base with a particular little chickie who I loved at the time but whose name I now barely remember. We were getting ready for this big event, and I had to stop on my way to work to get gas.
I gassed up my car, then proceeded to walk into the kiosk to pay. As I did, I was met by a cute 14 year old girl on the way out. She was looking at me-hard. At first I thought she might be interested. Then I thought better of it because she was... ONLY 14! (That said, looking back I was only 19 or so. Doing the math, that would put her well into cougar country and my league nowadays!) Still, that was then, this is now.
Still, I was feeling pretty proud of myself, being a dumb teenager in uniform, recently out of the awkward experience that is high school, and now being ogled by the same kind of girls who never gave me a minute's thought only months before.
Then it happened. The girl, though trying to be polite, was suddenly overcome with horror at the sight before her eyes. She suddenly screwed up her face, pointed directly at me and exclaimed "eeewwwwwwww!"
I didn't know what to do. Was she talking about me? She must be, that's where she's pointing. What happened?
Suddenly, I passed myself in the store window. That's when it all became horrifyingly clear.
I looked at myself. I was wearing the dress of the day!
Boots, ankle, black;
Work dress polyester green pants;
Lagoon green vomit coloured work dress shirt;
Work dress jacket, green (bus driver style);
Forge Cap, green;
White plastic belt, white;
Gloves, white;
And finally
Silver braid on hat, unhooked and placed on the chin to keep the head dress on in strong wind.
I was mortified!
Instantly, I understood what the poor girl had been repulsed by. I looked like a train wreck in slow motion. You didn't want to look anymore, but somehow, you just couldn't help yourself. It was awful!
Man, there was so many bad decisions of uniforms made foisted on the CF when I was in.
Does anyone remember the "CF K-way". Manufactured in Quebec, that's a great example of Government corruption/kickbacks and graft. Not one drop of rain was ever stopped by one of those things. EVERYONE I knew went out and spent their own money on decent US gear at John's Army Surplus in Pet. The troops shouldn't have been expected to do that. We are a first world nation, and troops shouldn't be expected to go begging for decent clothing.
How about the "Jeans Jacket" aka; the CF combat jacket? That was another example of Government suppliers paying off DND bureaucrats to push their useless product. I don't remember anyone after about 1989 wearing that useless piece of crap outside of garrison. The white, courdrouy collar was a nice touch though. Jon and Ponch from CHIPS would have been proud to wear it!
"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence upon those who would do us harm."