Officials to decide regs for running suits

[unhappycamper]

Running suit not yet authorized for off-base use


Officials to decide regs for running suits
By John Hoellwarth - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Sep 27, 2007 20:24:02 EDT

The new running suit is on its way, but it’s still up in the air whether Marines will be allowed to wear it on leave and liberty, according to the commandant’s spokesman.

“In reality, what is being considered is whether to authorize Marines to wear the jacket portion of the new uniform as they would wear a windbreaker. But the regulations for wear have not been finalized,” said Lt. Col. T.V. Johnson, spokesman for Commandant Gen. James Conway.

Johnson was responding to a story that appeared in Sept. 24 edition of Marine Corps Times, in which Mary Boyt, project manager for the Marine Corps Uniform Board, was quoted as telling senior enlisted leaders that Marines will be allowed to wear the running suit on liberty. Johnson said the issue was “pre-decisional.”

After months of testing and evaluation, the Defense Department announced Sept. 24 that InSport, a subsidiary of Vital Performance in Huntington Station, N.Y., was awarded a $14 million contract to manufacture the running suit. The firm was chosen from among 50 companies involved in the selection process.

InSport also holds the $2 million contract based on a congressional earmark to supply 200,000 “base layer T-shirts” with anti-microbial and moisture-removing properties to Marines operating in cold weather environments, according to a press release on the company’s Web site.

~snip~

The commandant’s stated intent so far has been that he wants Marines to look more “squared away” in their physical training gear, which, if everything goes according to plan, could have a positive impact on recruiting when seen by civilians.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2007/09/marine_runningsuit_070927/



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