Uniforms of The United States Marine Corps - Comparison With The Army

Comparison With The Army

Marines are sometimes confused with United States Army. This was more prevalent when both services wore the same utilities, but with the introduction of unique digital camouflage patterns (MARPAT for the Marines, UCP for the Army), this is no longer a point of confusion. There are several other significant differences:

• Marines do not wear berets, and wear boots only with the utility uniform, while certain airborne-qualified and ceremonial Army units are authorized to wear shined black boots with service/dress uniforms. Both services make exceptions for boots with other working uniforms, such as coveralls, aviation, and cold weather uniforms.

• The Marine utility cover is an 8-pointed creased and peaked cover, the Army uses a rounded kepi-style patrol cap. Unlike the Army, Marines do not wear rank insignia on the cover, instead there is an Eagle, Globe, and Anchor in the middle of the cap. The Army used to wear beret in garrison but has since changed the policy back to wearing the patrol cap in garrison and in field (Airborne, Special Forces, and Rangers may wear their distinctive berets in garrison). The cloth helmet covers formerly were required to have iron-on EGAs, but this has fallen into disuse. Marines may also wear the creased garrison cover or a barracks cover with their service uniforms, while the Army wears berets and service cap with theirs.

• Marines now wear predominantly dark green or tan camouflage utilities (switching between woodlands in winter and desert in summer, and as appropriate to the theater of operations), while the ACU is a light green, tan and gray uniform intended for all climates. Marines most often wear a green undershirt with their utilities, while most Army units wear a sand-colored shirt.

• Marines are not authorized to wear their utility uniforms off-base while on leave or liberty, except while in a vehicle traveling to or from base, or in an emergency. The Army offers more leeway in this regard, but still prohibits casual wear of utilities, especially in social or drinking scenarios.

• The Marine service uniform is an olive green coat with a waistbelt and worn with khaki shirt and tie. The Army's current service uniform is a dark blue coat with a white shirt, previously referred to on a regular basis as the "Dress Blue" uniform (the green coat with light green shirt and white coat are being phased out in favor of the blue uniform).

• The Marine service and dress uniforms displays fewer items - only rank insignia, ribbons, marksmanship badges, and breast insignia. The Army Service Uniform contains, in addition, branch insignia, distinctive unit and regimental distinctive insignia, combat and special skill badges (e.g., Combat Infantryman Badge or Combat Medical Badge)--some of which correlate to Marine breast insignia--shoulder sleeve insignia (only on the green service uniforms), and skill qualification tabs above current unit shoulder sleeve insignia like the Ranger Tab or Sapper Tab.

• Likewise, Marines wear few items on their utilities, compared to the Army, which wear American Flag patches, shoulder sleeve insignia, service tabs, and have the option of wearing subdued combat and special skill badges when in garrison. Typically, the only distinguishing features on Marine utilities are service and name tapes; Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem; rank insignia; breast insignia (which is not worn in the field) and (depending on the personnel) the Red Patch.

• Marines never salute without a cover. This precludes the vast majority of Marines from saluting inside, where covers are removed except for those individuals under arms (or wearing a duty belt, a method of symbolically being under arms without a weapon). Soldiers are permitted to salute uncovered when reporting to a superior.

• Marine NCO's and staff NCO's are the only enlisted personnel authorized to carry swords depending on the occasion and when in charge of a formation.