Army and Navy Uniforms and Insignia / How to Know Rank, Corps and Service in the Military and Naval Forces of the United States and Foreign Countries

by Dion Williams

SEAL OF THE U. S. NAVY DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER V
UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA OF THE U. S. NAVY

The uniforms of the officers and enlisted men of the United States Navy are made of dark blue cloth for wear in cold or temperate weather and of white duck for wear in hot or tropical weather.

U. S. NAVAL OFFICERS’ UNIFORMS

Copyright, G. V. Buck, Washington, D. C.

Admiral William S. Benson
Chief of Naval Operations, United States Navy

Commissioned officers of the Navy are required to have complete outfits of special full dress, evening dress, full dress, undress, blue service dress and white service dress uniforms; the occasions upon which the various uniforms are required to be worn by officers of the Navy and the Marine Corps being given in the official regulations as follows:

Occasion.	Uniform.
1. State occasions, at home or abroad.	NAVY.—Special full dress, or white special full dress. MARINE CORPS.—Special full dress (with full dress trousers, if in line with troops), or white special full dress.
2. Receiving or being received by the President, an ex-President, the Vice President, or the Secretary of the Navy of the United States, or the sovereign, chief executive or ruler of any country, or any member of a royal family, or an ambassador of the United States or of any country, at home or abroad.
3. At ceremonies, solemnities, or entertainments, when desirable to do special honor to the occasion.
4. At general inspection on the first Saturday in the month. In inclement weather, service dress may be prescribed.
5. First visits to officers of flag rank, or exchanging visits of ceremony with foreign officials.	Navy.—Full dress, or white full dress. Marine Corps.—Special full dress (with full dress trousers, if in line with troops), or white full dress.
6. Ceremonies, solemnities, or entertainments where dress uniform is not sufficient.
7. Reception of—	Navy.—Dress, or white dress. Marine Corps.— Special full dress (with full dress trousers, if in line with troops), or white undress.
(a) Assistant Secretary of the Navy.
(b) Member of the President’s Cabinet other than the Secretary of the Navy.
(c) Chief Justice of the United States.
(d) Governor general of islands or groups of islands occupied by the United States, visiting a ship or station officially, within the waters or limits of his government.
(e) Governor of one of the States or Territories of the United States, visiting a ship or station within the waters or limits of his government.
(f) President of the Senate.
(g) Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(h) Committee of Congress.
(i) Envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, minister resident, or other diplomatic representative of or above the rank of chargé d’affaires, within the waters of the nation to which he is accredited.
(j) Flag officer going aboard his flagship to assume command; also when he relinquishes command.
8. First visit in port to commanding officers, and ordinary occasions of duty and ceremony on shore.	Navy.—Dress, or white dress. Marine Corps.—Special full dress (with full dress trousers, if in line with troops), or white undress.
9. At Saturday morning inspection, except the first in the month. In inclement or hot weather, service dress or white service dress may be prescribed, in either case with swords.
10. Reporting for duty.	Navy.—Undress, or white undress. Marine Corps.—Undress, or white undress.
11. Serving as member of a general court-martial, court of inquiry, examining or retiring board.	Navy.—Undress, or white undress. Marine Corps.—Undress, or white undress, or field dress.