Sunday, April 26, 2009

Can We Have A Reasonable Uniform Policy

I VIEW THE PROHIBITION AGAINST THE WEARING OF CLEAN, NEAT WORKING UNIFORMS OR DUNGAREES TO AND FROM WORK AS UNWARRANTED AND I NOW DIRECT THAT IT BE SUSPENDED FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF ALL CONCERNED.

TO STANDARDIZE CURRENT PRACTICES, WORKING UNIFORMS, DUNGAREES, AND FLIGHT SUITS ARE AUTHORIZED IN ALL NAVAL COMMISSARIES. EXCHANGES, SNACK BARS, DISPENSARIES, DISBURSING OFFICES, AND OTHER SERVICE TYPE FACILITIES, AND NO ONE WILL BE DENIED ENTRANCE FOR BEING IN THE "IMPROPER" UNIFORM, ASSUMING THOSE WORN ARE CLEAN, NEAT, AND IN GOOD CONDITION. BASE COMMANDERS WILL REVIEW SIMILAR RESTRICTIONS APPLICABLE TO DEPENDENTS AND ADOPT REGULATIONS CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT FASHIONS.

Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, Chief of Naval Operations
Z-gram # 57 (Elimination of Demeaning or Abrasive Regulations), 10 November 1970

Upon his death, President Clinton said "He is the Sailor who never stopped serving his country, never stopped fighting for the men and women in uniform, never stopped being the conscience of the Navy. His earthly voyage is now done. And now he sails beyond the farthest horizon, out of the home port where at last he is safe from all storms."

3 comments:

Anathema said...

Amen!

Anonymous said...

Captain Lambert,

The wearing of the working uniform ashore and other items brought out in Z-57 must have really been good policy, because 3 years later most did not exist. Why do you think the Navy today questions whether Sailors can wear the working uniform ashore? They only have to look back at the policy failures of the 1970s to comprehend.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834

Anonymous said...

Captain Lambert,

I neglected to comment about what President Clinton said of Adm Zumwalt. President Clinton gave praise to Adm Zumwalt, but was not the most qualified Commander in Chief, he never served in the military, and was accused of evading the draft. But he did not inhale and the definition of the word “is”, still evades us.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834