Dress Uniform - United States - U.S. Marine Corps

U.S. Marine Corps

See also: Uniforms of the United States Marine Corps

The Marine Corps has a dress blue uniform, in addition to their green service uniform which is part of a long line of historical Marine Corps uniforms dating back to the American Revolution. The most formal of a Marine's uniforms outside of the elaborate evening dress uniforms of officers and senior enlisted, it is often referred to as "Dress Blues", due to its color (as distinguished from the green and khaki service uniforms), and can be worn in many forms. It is the only uniform of the United States military to use all of the colors of the nation's flag and incorporates button designs which are the oldest military insignia still in use in the United States Armed Forces.

• Dress Blue "A" has a long sleeve choker-collar midnight blue outer blouse, white barracks cover, with all medals and ribbons. Enlisted coats have a red trim and more buttons down the middle of the coat than officers.
• Dress Blue "B" is the same as "A", but ribbons and marksmanship badges are worn instead of medals. Dress Blue "A" (with medals worn) is strictly reserved for official ceremonies, while Dress Blue "B" may be worn on leave or liberty.
• Dress Blue "C" is the dress blue uniform worn with the long sleeve khaki shirt (without coat). Ribbons and badges may be worn.
• Dress Blue "D" is the dress blue uniform worn with the short sleeve khaki shirt (without coat). Ribbons and badges may be worn

All the blue uniforms have the same trousers, cover, and black shoes, with the exception of general officers who wear dark blue trousers in the same color as the coat.Officers, Staff Noncommissioned Officers, and Noncommissioned Officers wear blood stripes on their trousers. Blood stripes are 1.25" in width for NCOs and SNCOs, 1.5" for officers, and 2" for general officers.

A sword may be worn when the individual is in command of troops in formation—the Mameluke sword for officers, the NCO sword for NCOs and SNCOs. When wearing the sword and Dress Blue coat, officers wear the Sam Browne belt. For enlisted, the sword is worn with a white waistbelt and brass buckle when wearing the Dress Blue coat. The Marine Corps is the only branch of the United States military which regularly allows NCOs to carry a sword. For enlisted Marines, they earn the right to carry the NCO sword and wear the scarlet blood stripe on their blue trousers when they achieve the rank of Corporal.

Prior to 1998, certain ceremonial Marine units, such as the Silent Drill Platoon, wore a blue/white dress uniform in which white trousers were substituted for blue while performing ceremonial functions. The blue/white version is now an authorized summer uniform for officers, SNCOs, and on certain functions, NCOs.

Another uniform, the obsolete Dress White uniform, was a white version of the standard dress coat and trousers, was authorized only for officers, and resembled the Navy's Officer/CPO dress whites. No blood stripes were authorized, and white shoes were worn. This uniform was superseded by the Blue/White Dress uniform in 2000.