Humidity and Heavy Starch don't mix....

For thoughs of you in the military, have been in, or are a spouse know that the old BDU uniforms should be pressed and looking there best most of the time. But if you are living in any part of the deep south or any place that the humidity gets to around 80-100% daily know that keeping that set of BDU looking crisp just wont work.

I spent 3 hours this morning trying to get my husbands BDUs ready for todays Change of Comand (sp?)
Finaly it is now done and is looking the best it can for being 80% humidity in our house. Also our AC is not working on top of that.

Next time he better take them to the :cens0r: cleaners or get the new ACUs (they dont get pressed)

Sorry I had to get this out ... I was going to scream if I didn't. Thanks Guys/Gals
:salute:

Boy do I know how you feel. When my ex husband was in the Army I had to do all his uniform pressing and starching... I HATED IT ALSO!!!

I found it was always easier to take them to the cleaners and tell them to use extra starch. They would come out looking like a stiff piece of cardboard. ;)

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

I found it was always easier to take them to the cleaners and tell them to use extra starch. They would come out looking like a stiff piece of cardboard. ;)

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Thats definately the BEST way to do it IMO.. hehehee.

My husband and I are 16+ years Air Force and counting...


Before we even got married, I informed him he would have to press his own clothes. Ironing is just NOT one of my gifts. LOL So....most of his pressing needs end up at the cleaners. ;)

While I haven't had to do military pressing, I did have to do super starch pressing while touring with a theatre company in Hawaii while it was supremely hot and humid.

The method I used was to soak the clothes in the sink with barely-watered-down liquid starch and then pressing them. They were boards even in the heat and humidity. Although I'd suggest testing it on something else before trying it on the uniforms just in case it doesn't work. =)

I hate pressing clothes tho; I definitely vote for having the cleaners do it!

We used to take ours to the cleaners...we could never get them as nicely pressed as they did. We used to compete to see whose uniform and boots looked better. lol! Now that it's just my husband, he said "screw it" and bought ACU's. :D

Your hubby should quit waiting to have them issued and just go buy them at the PX. It's like, $80 for a set. Not bad.

I guess I have been out of the military too long, what are ACU's? Is it a new version of the BDU? All the units I was in required highly pressed uniforms and highly spit-shined boots, if you didn't have them you stuck out like a sore thumb.

ACU = Army Combat Uniform. Basically the Army copied the Marines and created a new digital camo uniform with more functionality. The pockets are slanted for easier access, there are openings to slide in body armor plates and knee-pads, pen holders on the sleeves, everything is velcro instead of buttons, and the cargo pockets have drawstrings. All unit patches, flags, rank, and nametapes are velcro so there's no more having to get them sewn on and removed. The material is soft and wrinkle-resistant so you just throw it in the washing machine like normal clothes...no dry cleaning required. You also have to wear the official ACU desert boots with it.

http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=6042

My hubby:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...Alexis/ACU.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...lexis/ACU1.jpg

Something about soldiers not having to have pressed uniforms and no longer polishing boots just seems wrong. I guess I'm old-school, it seems todays Army is getting lazy. You could always tell who the dedicated soldiers were by the shine on their boot. :salute:

I agree, we talked about that when they came out. I loved shining my boots, I took a lot of pride in having the best in the platoon. BUT...in a day where a soldier's biggest concern is safety and functionality in war...boot shining and uniform pressing are no longer pressing matters. :(

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

I agree, we talked about that when they came out. I loved shining my boots, I took a lot of pride in having the best in the platoon. BUT...in a day where a soldier's biggest concern is safety and functionality in war...boot shining and uniform pressing are no longer pressing matters. :(

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I agree in combat situations and deployment those are trivial concerns. But on post in a normal day to day routine it is a must in my eyes. It seemed to be the people with the high shined boots also seemed to be the ones I would trust in a war-time environment, the ones that couldnt keep their boots shined were the ones that worried me. LOL!!!

Dang, so many pictures of hot guys! *wolf whistles at Mr. Harrison!*

I like the wash-and-wear idea (Army a la "pret-a-porter"?) but I can see what Bill is saying too...=)

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

I agree in combat situations and deployment those are trivial concerns. But on post in a normal day to day routine it is a must in my eyes. It seemed to be the people with the high shined boots also seemed to be the ones I would trust in a war-time environment, the ones that couldnt keep their boots shined were the ones that worried me. LOL!!!

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But the Army then sees that as being not economically feasible. The point of the new uniform was to have one single uniform for both garrison and deployment use. Before that, the Army had to manufacture two entirely different types of uniforms...woodland camo BDUs and desert BDUs....and the deserts weren't as useful and comfortable as the new ACUs. Plus the soldier then had 8 uniforms to buy and maintain, rather than just 4.

Cassandra, I'll tell him you said that. ;) He was who I was referring to when I told Neil I had my own "Big Guns" at home. lol!

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Originally Posted by JenHarrison

Cassandra, I'll tell him you said that. ;) He was who I was referring to when I told Neil I had my own "Big Guns" at home. lol!

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A hot honey at home is worth two on the boards...or something, hehe!

*hugs her honey!*

Jen your husband, did he ever got to fort Bliss? or Fort Huachuca? I feels as if I have seen him befor. He is signal right? could he happen to be a 31 Romeo or 31 Fox? My mom was military and was a 31R/F she worked with a guy who looked just like him.

sorry had to ask :P

I take mine to the cleaners. I don't polish my boots, because they are only going to get "stuff" on them everytime someone needs a boot. As far as the starch goes, use Elmers Glue. Has the same effect but it breathes a lot better in the heat and humidity. I am not sure how it's supposed to be used, but the people I know who use it claim it's very effective. You can probably "google" how to use it properly.

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Originally Posted by jessie_k_pythons

Jen your husband, did he ever got to fort Bliss? or Fort Huachuca? I feels as if I have seen him befor. He is signal right? could he happen to be a 31 Romeo or 31 Fox? My mom was military and was a 31R/F she worked with a guy who looked just like him.

sorry had to ask :P

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Nope, he's only been here and Fort Meade, MD. He's not signal, he just trained at USASSD because journalists train with the signal kids at DINFOS (Defense Information School). He's a 46Q - Public Affairs Specialist/Journalist, just like I was. ;)

Oh ok .. figure I would ask. He just looked like some one I knew. lol