UNICOR to Take Over Mil Uniform Manufacture at Higher Cost

[Ben]

UNICOR is apparently taking the contract from a private, for profit contractor and charging more per uniform. Nice. It's only part of production, as apparently a number of other contractors also manufacture uniforms. It just irks me because once again, .gov steps in and the cost goes up. Likely quality will go down as well. We get some of our office pens from UNICOR(n) and literally one in three doesn't work or works a few times and then runs out of ink.

This is just like what I always complain about when I have to make purchases for the government. Nearly every time I compare the "mandatory" purchasing vehicles to the private sector, like Amazon.com, I can always find what I need cheaper at Amazon with a more efficient search interface and faster shipping.

http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19559908/american-prison-labor-means-longer-unemployment-lines

[French G.]

The rumormill in the Navy always was that Vanguard, our uniform maker, was owned by retired flag rank. So, back in the day we looked like Shipwreck and everything was iron on transfers. Go through two uniform changes in 8 years, one horribly ill advised and now every tab, every rank insignia is a damn embroidered Vanguard item at $2-4 a pop. Factor in nothing transfered over. I put together my still never worn, may get used once before I retire from the reserves, semi-dress uniform. That's NSU or the I wanna be a Marine look that you only wear daily if you're a pencil pusher. After all the insignia, ribbons and such I was out $120. My everyday digicam takes about $65 from scratch if you don't count the cover or boots. And yeah, digi-cam blue+fall in ocean=BRILLIANT!!! I like them though, so much better than the older options. Still there was a style about rocking faded bellbottoms and a dixie cup that all thiskewl stuff can't match.

And UNICOR ? I'm sure that will be high quality.  More BS preferential contracting, like how every two bit Alaska tribe has a service contract with airfields or port services.

[RoadKingLarry]

I got out in '92. Enlisted uniform quality was absolute crap. Dungaree pants faded and wore out so fast useful life could be measured in weeks depending on how big a prick the command was about faded pants. That miserable stupid *expletive deleted*ing Dixie cup hat was another antiquated piece of *expletive deleted*it. Totally useless as anything other than ornamentation. Look at it hard and it was dirty, wash it and it was yellow.
Dress whites on a submarine was a whole 'nother kind of fun.
We're going to run the diesel and you have stand down wind of the snorkel exhaust while standing topside sentry but no you can't change uniforms or wear a raincoat.

Hey Frenchie, any leads on where a vet can score a current issue digi-cam 5 point cap?
I've been sort of looking online but don't see much Navy stuff.

[BobR]

I was rockin the seafarer look in the early 70's, along with my boondockers. The came the "utility" uniform. What a failure. Then back to seafarers, then flight suits for the most part and then khakis to finish out my career. I seldom wore any of the "working" uniforms, and my dress uniforms very seldom. I am regreting I didn't get any of the DCUs before they were phased out. I still have my "chocolate chip" pants but have gone through my stash of 3 color DCUs. But, at least I can still find them on-line.

RKL, the NWU cap is 8 point, not 5. What size do you wear, I can order you one from the uniform shop online.

bob

[dogmush]

Hey Frenchie, any leads on where a vet can score a current issue digi-cam 5 point cap?
I've been sort of looking online but don't see much Navy stuff.

What size? I can swing onto MacDill and snag one from clothing sales on my way home from work.

[French G.]

I too would be willing to send you one.

My two regrets in that I am not ever going to make chief is no choker whites and no (now gone) aviation greens. While I acknowledge the utter pointlessness of the dixie cup I still love it. Only other option I see for the dress uniform is to go back to the old WWII and before black cover. Anyone wanting to do away with traditional dress blues needs to join a dry land branch. I need to update mine, trying to hold out just a little more so I can put the 5 gold on there, that should be the last change.

[RoadKingLarry]

I was rockin the seafarer look in the early 70's, along with my boondockers. The came the "utility" uniform. What a failure. Then back to seafarers,

I was issued the utilities in boot. I think the #1 reason they did away with it was because it was too durable and didn't have to be replaced as often.

I also went through 2 button changes on my Pea coat, can't remember if was metal-plastic-metal or the other way around. Some POS stole it off the coat rack at the chow hall when I was in Groton. It was cold and snowing that day. I never did replace it.

I was 9 days short of having to sew on gold when I got out, that was after "surviving" one Captain's mast.

Alright , how much do the 8 point caps cost? so I can figure out a way to pay one of you guys for it?

[freakazoid]

If I wasn't on deployment I could pick you up one.

I was 9 days short of having to sew on gold when I got out, that was after "surviving" one Captain's mast.

You were already half way to making Chief then,  

The rumormill in the Navy always was that Vanguard, our uniform maker, was owned by retired flag rank. So, back in the day we looked like Shipwreck and everything was iron on transfers. Go through two uniform changes in 8 years, one horribly ill advised and now every tab, every rank insignia is a damn embroidered Vanguard item at $2-4 a pop.

Yeah, expensive and not well put together. I have to re-enforce all my buttons on my NWUs because if you don't there is a tendency for the threads to pull out and the button to fall off.

[BobR]

My two regrets in that I am not ever going to make chief is no choker whites and no (now gone) aviation greens. While I acknowledge the utter pointlessness of the dixie cup I still love it.

I will wear my choker whites one more time, when they slide me into the oven!! I sold my Aviation Greens, which was by far my most favorite uniform, when I retired.

I can understand why the dislike of the dixie cup, from the pics I see of the sailors these days they have taken the ability to roll and wing the caps to personal taste away. They all look pretty uniformly bleh.

RKL, according to the on-line uniform store the cover is $6.90.

bob

[dogmush]

Bob beat me to it but like $7 or so. and some postage.  The whole thing is like $10. 

[RoadKingLarry]

OK, one of you guys drop me a PM and we'll get something goin. Thanks.

[RoadKingLarry]

Sporting a new NWU 8 point cap today Thanks to Dogmush!