Soldiers at Fort Hood in Texas will be taking part in a 10-day pilot program that lets them roll up the sleeves of their Army Combat Uniforms, a rule change that could soon be expanded to the rest of the Army, the Army Times reports.
(FOX)- “Feedback from soldiers resulted in us wanting to do a trial over the next 10 days to see the feasibility of updating [Army Regulation] 670-1 and incorporating these changes in the future to give commanders flexibility in wear based upon their unit’s mission,” Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman, told the paper.
At Fort Hood soldiers were rolling their sleeves before the pilot project even started.
It hasn’t been “Sun’s Up, Guns Out” since the Army Combat Uniform replaced the Battle Dress Uniform in 2005, according to the paper.
The Army’s official reason for the ban was that the new top was made to protect soldiers’ forearms from the sun, insects and other elements. It also wasn’t designed for rolled up sleeves.
Army regulations in 1969 allowed rolled up sleeves in Vietnam at a commander’s discretion, based on the heat, according to the Army Times.