Camouflage Uniforms, Flight Suits Now Off-Limits for Marines and Sailors at the Pentagon

Military.com | By Hope Hodge Seck

The Marine Corps and Navy are tightening up the dress code for troops assigned to the National Capital Region and the Pentagon in an effort to put forward a more professional appearance.

In recent messages to their respective forces, the services announced that, effective July 6, Marines and sailors must exchange their comfortable camouflage utilities for crisper service uniforms, at least when they're in the Pentagon and in certain locations around Washington, D.C.

A Navy administrative message released this month specifically prohibited the wear of flight suits and the Navy Working Uniform Type III, the woodland-green camouflage that is now the service's standard utility uniform. These cannot be worn inside the Pentagon, in the National Mall area and around Capitol Hill, the White House, the State Department building and national monuments.

"The NWU Type III may be worn as the alternate uniform of the day per commanding officer or officer-in- charge permission on DoD installations, commands and facilities within the NCR other than the restricted areas established above," the message states.

A Navy administrative message released this month specifically prohibited the wear of flight suits and the Navy Working Uniform Type III, the woodland-green camouflage that is now the service's standard utility uniform. These cannot be worn inside the Pentagon, in the National Mall area and around Capitol Hill, the White House, the State Department building and national monuments.

"The NWU Type III may be worn as the alternate uniform of the day per commanding officer or officer-in- charge permission on DoD installations, commands and facilities within the NCR other than the restricted areas established above," the message states.

Marines, sailors and soldiers were all authorized to wear camouflage in the Pentagon following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, according to a report from USNI News. The Navy initially kept sailors in service uniforms, but in 2019 altered regulations to allow the NWU Type III to be the uniform of the day most days.

Both the Marine Corps and the Navy require service uniforms to be worn on Fridays.

In 2011, the Army moved to formalize appearances inside the Pentagon, changing rules to require wear of the Army Service Uniform instead of camouflage.