Change can be tough to deal with, but a new proposal for so-called “unisex” hats for the Marine Corps has drawn the ire of soldiers … at least according to one outlet.
The Marine Corps Uniform Board recently distributed a survey to active-duty Marines to gauge their opinions on three uniform-related issues. Nevermind the other two. It's these slimmed-down hats that are causing a brouhaha.
According to the New York Post, the new proposal comes at the suggestion of President Obama to create a unisex look for the Corps. (Via The White House)
The paper quotes one less-than-excited senior Marine source who said,
"We don't even have enough funding to buy bullets, and the DoD is pushing to spend $8 million on covers that look like women's hats! … The Marines deserve better. It makes them look ridiculous." (Via New York Post)
The Post even piles on their own brand of criticism, calling the new hats so “‘girly’ that they would make the French blush,” saying the slimmer headgear “will take the hard-nosed Leathernecks from the Halls of Montezuma to the shops of Christopher Street.”
I'm not going to guess which Christopher Street the writer was referring to, but there is one very popular street of the same name in Manhattan's West Village — it's been an icon of gay culture in New York since since the '70s. (Via YouTube / usbotshaft)
But one writer for Stars and Stripes blows the whistle on the New York Post article, calling some of it just plain wrong.
The outlet citing the Marine Corps says the military branch is looking for new covers — the nickname for the uniform caps — mainly because "The manufacturer of the women's 'bucket cover' … is going out of business and will not continue to make the cap. … The Marine Corps also has been asked by the DoD to find a unisex option for a dress and service cover."
But even if there was an overwhelming opposition to the new covers, are they really that girly?
Many military outlets say the new hats hearken back to the time of Sgt. Maj. Dan Daly, a two-time Medal of Honor recipient who was once quoted as saying in battle, "Come on, you sons of b******, do you want to live forever?"
Active-duty Marines have until Friday to submit their surveys on the new uniform options. The Marine Corps Uniform Board will convene next week to consider the results.
- See more at: Newsy.com
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