Uniforms of The United States Marine Corps - Service Uniform

The service uniform consists of green and khaki colors. It is roughly equivalent in function and composition to a business suit. It is the prescribed uniform when

• serving on a court-martial
• making official visits and calls on American and foreign dignitaries, officials, and military officers.
• visiting the White House, except when in a tourist capacity, or on an occasion where another uniform is specified.
• reporting for duty onshore

Like the Blue Dress uniform, the service uniform is authorized for wear while off-duty (i.e., while on leave or liberty).

The service uniforms are designated:

• Service "A" (or Alpha) is the base uniform. It consists of a green coat, green trousers with khaki web belt, khaki long-sleeve button-up shirt, khaki tie, tie clasp, and black shoes. The coat is cut to be semi-form fitting, with ribbons and marksmanship badges worn on the left chest of the coat. Women wear a green necktab in place of the tie, pumps instead of shoes, and have the option of wearing a skirt instead of slacks. It is sometimes appropriate to remove the jacket while indoors.
• Service "B" (or Bravo) is identical to the "A" except the coat is removed. Ribbons may be worn on the shirt.
• Service "C" (or Charlie) is identical to the "B" except with a short-sleeve button-up shirt and no tie.

There are two types of authorized headwear for the service uniform. Both men and women may wear the green soft garrison cap, sometimes nicknamed a "piss cutter". There is the option of wearing a hard-framed service cap (called a Barracks Cover). The design of these covers differ between women and men. As on the Blue Dress uniform, officers wear rank insignia on the shoulder epaulettes of their jackets and the collars of their shirts, while enlisted personnel wear rank insignia sewn on their sleeves.

A green crewneck sweater may be worn with the "B" and "C" uniforms, in which case rank insignia will continue to be worn on the collar by officers and all ranks will wear rank insignia on shoulder epaulettes (black for enlisted). The collar is worn on the outside of the sweater in order to display the rated rank insignia of officers. When wearing the crewneck sweater with the long sleeve khaki shirt, a tie is not required.