Special clothing is a specialized type of organizational clothing as defined in U.S. Navy Uniform Regula- tions, art. 3901.2a. Special clothing includes cold weather clothing, utility clothing and wet weather clothing. It does not include flight clothing, medical clothing, passive defense (or disaster control) cloth- ing, radiological clothing, anti-contamination cloth- ing, or rocket fuel handler’s protective clothing. Special clothing is designed for providing environ- mental protection under various climatic conditions and for incorporating camouflage characteristics when required for Naval personnel assigned to duties under environmental conditions when standard arti- cles of uniforms are inadequate. Special clothing is issued to an individual on a loan basis as equipage and remains the property of the Navy. It is returned to the activity when the individual is transferred. Grad- uate students of the Naval School Explosive Ordi- nance Disposal are authorized to retain the green utility working uniforms issued during the course of instruction when transferred to a command/billet which would require the continued wearing of the aforementioned uniform items.
25900 ALLOWANCES
1. ESTABLISHMENT OF ALLOWANCES. Al-
lowances of special clothing are established by the Chief of Naval Operations on the basis of studies of environmental and operational conditions, including camouflage requirements, under which naval person- nel serve and on the basis of recommendations of area commanders, commandants of naval districts, the Chief of Naval Air Training, and the bureaus, com- mands, and offices of the Navy Department. Allow- ances established by the Chief of Naval Operations are published in pars. 25901-25908 and are stated as maximum permissive allowances. It is not necessary, in all cases, to carry aboard a station all articles and quantities of special clothing authorized in” the allowances. Accordingly, only those articles and quantities considered necessary by competent author- ity will be requisitioned. Area commanders, com- mandants of naval districts, and the Chief of Naval Air Training, or their delegated subordinate com- manders, will establish and publish the allowances of types and quantities of special clothing, within
permissive allowances, which will be carried on board stations. A copy of such allowances will be furnished to the Naval Supply Systems Command and the Navy Fleet Material Support Office. In tailoring the maxi-
mum permissive allowances, consideration
should be
given to conservation and efficient utilization of special clothing, funds, and storage space.
2. COLD WEATHER CLOTHING
a. Utilization, Cold weather clothing issued
under special clothing allowances in par. 25901 is made available to provide protection for naval per- sonnel exposed to climatic conditions when standard uniform items will not suffice. Cold weather clothing consists of two basic outfits: the A-1, extreme cold weather outfit, and the A-2, intermediate cold weather outfit. In addition, long underwear of all cotton waffle knitwear and waterproof insulated boots and handwear are available. For greater warmth, cold weather clothing items should be worn in combination with standard clothing items, i.e., wool knit sweater, watch cap, working blue jacket, and the like. Units operating in cold weather areas may be required to utilize all or a part of the various cold weather items depending on the weather to be encountered and the nature of the duties involved. The information in subpars. b through f may be considered as a guide for obtaining maximum effec- tiveness from this clothing. When reference is made to zones, the zone map in par. 25901 will be consulted to determine actual location.
b. A-2 Type. The A-2 type of clothing will
provide protection in cool to moderately cold condi-
tions, about 30° F., when worn with adequate under-
clothing. However, this temperature figure may vary,
depending on wind conditions, relative humidity, sunshine, and so forth. The efficiency of the outfit can be increased by wearing the jacket in combina- tion with a woolen sweater or shirt. The A-2 clothing is water repellent but not waterproof. It is designed to be worn in zones II, III, IV, V, and VI, or for general shipboard use.
c. A-1 Type. The A-1 type of clothing pro-
vides protection against wet and cold conditions, and subzero temperatures when worn with removable liner of the jacket. The materials used in A-1 type
clothing are completely waterproof and may be used in rain or spray without the need for additional wet weather clothing. The removable liner of the jacket provides a certain degree of versatility in the amount of protection afforded since the liner may be re- moved or snapped in as conditions require. This outfit is designed for personnel performing duties of a physically inactive nature such as guards.
d. A-1 and A-2 Jackets. The A-1 and A-2
jackets are designed so that the two may be worn together. The A-l jacket may be worn over the A-2 jacket. This combination is intended for use in extremely low. temperatures or when men will be required to remain motionless for long periods of time during extreme cold weather conditions. In some cases, an A-1 jacket in a size larger than that normally worn may be required for proper fitting.
e. Boots. When wearing the insulated cold
weather boot, it is not necessary to wear heavy wool socks. The insulating properties of this boot are such that the cushion sole sock or the wool and cotton sock will suffice.
f. Precautions. To avoid becoming overheated
during periods of exertion, slide fasteners will be opened and, if necessary, some clothing will be
removed. However, care should be taken to re-don the items removed and to close slide fasteners as soon as becoming inactive again. This will prevent excessive loss of body heat. The effectiveness of cold weather clothing depends to a great extent on proper fit. Tight garments which result in loss of valuable dead air insulating space and restricted blood circulation cause a person to get cold faster. On the other hand, excessively loose clothing can result in cold drafts at garment openings. Particular attention should be given to avoiding tight footgear and handwear. The A-1 and A-2 outfits will not, nor will any other known clothing, keep a person warm indefinitely if they remain motionless for long periods of time. Periodic running in place and other mild exercises will add significantly to a person’s tolerance in cold weather.
25901 STANDARD SHORE OUTFITS
The following table of standard shore outfits indi- cates the allowance of clothing per man by location. The special clothing allowances are established pri- marily on the basis of the average temperatures of the coldest and warmest months. The number of men t o be outfitted will be determined in accordance with par. 25902. The clothing allowance zones are indi- cated on the clothing zone map that follows.
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