Naval Combat Dress (NCD) uniform [Merged]

[Lumber]

Plus, now how am I supposed to drive Sea Training nuts with my popped collar?

 

[dimsum]

Plus, now how am I supposed to drive Sea Training nuts with my popped collar?

...they still care?  ~10 years ago, I had my jacket collar up (I don't think I ever wore it down) and the (Esquimalt) Red Hat Crew never cared.

 

[Journeyman]

What we have reservations about is the twenty-thousand square acres of  patches and bling that is (1) meaningless to us at sea; and (2) repeat the same "message" over and over.

Complete agreement;  the boyscout badges are fine on DEU and Mess Kit, but don't belong on CADPAT/NCD.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Not enough NAVY/MARINE stuff on them.... ;D

 

[Blackadder1916]

There are three pieces of information that seaman need to know about each other when they meet: What is this person's rank, trade and what unit is she from. The actual name is a good add on, and finally, for the public at large, which country is this seaman from. And all of these can be done in a more discreet fashion.

Maybe I very outdated and, of course, very limited in my experience on Canadian naval vessels (a brief time in Provider with 3 PPCLI when being transported to San Diego for Ex KERNAL POTLACH IN 1979).  However, back then the Navy types seemed to place much importance in having a name tape sewn above the right back pocket of their work dress trousers.  I'll leave the usual snide comments about the reason to others.  Does the Navy still do this and is there a velcro patch appropriately placed on the trousers of this updated rig to accommodate a name tape (with of course the appropriate environmental emblem - you have to be sure the individual was Navy before making a move  :tsktsk

 

[FSTO]

Maybe I very outdated and, of course, very limited in my experience on Canadian naval vessels (a brief time in Provider with 3 PPCLI when being transported to San Diego for Ex KERNAL POTLACH IN 1979).  However, back then the Navy types seemed to place much importance in having a name tape sewn above the right back pocket of their work dress trousers.  I'll leave the usual snide comments about the reason to others.  Does the Navy still do this and is there a velcro patch appropriately placed on the trousers of this updated rig to accommodate a name tape (with of course the appropriate environmental emblem - you have to be sure the individual was Navy before making a move  :tsktsk

The name tap on the pants and shirt was for the ship's laundry. Easier to sort and make sure the sailors got back their correct shirt and pants from the laundry.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Blackadder, the explanation is very mundane: Laundry (or as we say in the Navy, dhoby).

The uniforms are mass cleaned at a centralized laundry facility, so one member of a given mess would collect all shipboard uniforms at set intervals (daily, every second day, etc.) from his mess. They would then be centrally washed, dried and pressed, then re-packaged by mess deck folded in such a way as to show the seaman's name on top to be picked up by the mess rep.

So we had specific places to identify all of our work clothes subject to such centralized laundry process.

 

[NavalMoose]

Funny how it's always the Pongo types that suggest name tapes on naval uniforms may be related to the lifting of shirts. ;D

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Oooooooh! Now I understand why Dimsum thought that not having to tuck the shirt in was a plus.  ;D

 

[Underway]

AKAIK it wont be the black coats we were issued a couple of years ago. Do you mean the dark blue replacement for the Yellow Canary Suits?

I kinda meant both.  Walking out dress would be the new black rain jacket which is perhaps the nicest piece of kit we are issued (in contention with the Gerber and the zipper sided sea boots).  Lots are wearing that in place of the CANNEX jacket and as a light winter jacket. Blue raingear for at sea is excellent.  Just last friday I was out in the cold rain for 2-3 hours and it worked a charm.  Pants too.  When it gets old it starts absorbing a bit of moisture but there is probably a treatment, spray or wash to fix that.  Worse case it "rips" and you get a new issue.

For the new uniform my take:
As far as the patches the reasoning seems to be to match the army setup.  Nametag, rank same place.  Ensign same place on the left arm with the unit badge there as well.  Right arm is for your mission/operation badge.  So for example recently you might have seen HMCS MONTREAL have X SHIP badges on the right arm for their recent work.  This is all pretty standard stuff on previous NCD's with the added addition of the mission badge. 

The NAVY/MARINE label is relatively common in many navies.  UK, AUS, NZ, US, etc... all have a navy identifier and have for years.  Being an ex-reservist this is important as interacting with landlocked civies who didn't recognize a naval uniform was painful.  Only time I was ever even closely identified was when I was in my whites and someone asked me if I was a cruise ship captain.  Which after years of being mistaken for a cop, comissionaire or a pilot was great.

As for the sea service insignia I could leave it.  Means nothing except for another way to differentiate, divide and silently judge your peers, and to increase the chance we are mistaken for a formula one driver with all that advertizing.

 

[Edward Campbell]

My only comment ...

 

[Infanteer]

Actually, I'm not sure about that.  The service/ceremonial dress, including the tailoring, generally costs in the hundreds of dollars.  The cost of an Army Combat uniform (and I assume the new NCD is similar) is about 100 bucks, give or take (going off memory here).  The sword generally costs more than the combat uniform, the patches, and the boots.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Actually, I'm not sure about that.  The service/ceremonial dress, including the tailoring, generally costs in the hundreds of dollars.  The cost of an Army Combat uniform (and I assume the new NCD is similar) is about 100 bucks, give or take (going off memory here).  The sword generally costs more than the combat uniform, the patches, and the boots.

I expect the fancy duds with toad sticker will indeed be more costly than NDC.  But can you imagine the sight of all of us swanning around the office in fancy duds and toad stickers?  It might make for some interesting interpersonal communications around here if everybody had a toad sticker to wave about. 

 

[kratz]

[quote author=E.R. Campbell]
My only comment ...
[/quote]

32 years service: RCN Commander VADM Lloyd, Combat dress
60 Years+ service: HRH Prince Philip, multiple sources. Dress Uniform

 

[NavalMoose]

32 years service: RCN Commander VADM Lloyd, Combat dress
60 Years+ service: HRH Prince Philip, multiple sources. Dress Uniform

Not sure if you were serious, but that's not Phil the Greek in dress uniform ;D

 

[Pencil Tech]

32 years service: RCN Commander VADM Lloyd, Combat dress
60 Years+ service: HRH Prince Philip, multiple sources. Dress Uniform

Sorry that isn't Prince Philip. It's Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, former First Sea Lord, whilst wearing rank of Vice-Admiral.

 

[Pusser]

Actually, I'm not sure about that.  The service/ceremonial dress, including the tailoring, generally costs in the hundreds of dollars.  The cost of an Army Combat uniform (and I assume the new NCD is similar) is about 100 bucks, give or take (going off memory here).  The sword generally costs more than the combat uniform, the patches, and the boots.

That particular full dress uniform does indeed cost more than NCD.  However, the CAF standard No 3 dress is significantly cheaper than BOTH of the uniforms shown.  No 3 (service dress) costs about $100-$200 (depending on what is actually worn vice the $300-$400 for NCD.  It is worth noting that getting rid of the blue NCD shirt may result in a cost savings as that is about $75 on its own.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Thanks for the correct costs ... I was wrong. I was, actually being more than just a bit hyperbolic, especially when I mentioned the sword, but my point is that NCD, flight suits and army CADPAT are too expensive to be worn as day-to-day dress by "office workers" ~ a group that seems to grow with each passing day.

 

[Stoker]

My only comment ...

So the picture you posted above was taken on HMCS Montreal currently deployed, its on a ship so what would you have him wear? Now that being said I have seen one photo of him in Ottawa with it on as well. Would it be plausible that he as the Commander of the RCN is publicizing the new uniform? Seems likely to me as the majority of photos of him ashore he is either wearing whites or S&P's.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Sorry that isn't Prince Philip. It's Admiral Sir Jonathan Band, former First Sea Lord, whilst wearing rank of Vice-Admiral.

Actually no, again.  It's VAdm Sir Adrian Johns in his fancy navy suit during the ceremony installing him as Governor of Gibraltar.

This is Adm Band in his monkey suit . . . along with the other two chiefs in their's.