Why Vietnam War Navy Seals Loved to Wear Blue Jeans in the Field

[rangerrebew]

April 14, 2020

Why Vietnam War Navy Seals Loved to Wear Blue Jeans in the Field

Who would have guessed?
by Peter Suciu
 
Today it isn’t possible to visit a shooting range without seeing at least a few guys decked out in “tactical clothing,” and this Spec-Ops look has become quite fashionable for sport shooters, hunters and even for just doing some work around the yard. That’s because this gear is made to nearly—if not quite—the same level as what actual Special Forces warfighters now wear in the field.
 

However, quality clothing that could stand up to the rigors of covert missions and still be comfortable for hours or days on end, simply wasn’t always available. That’s why in the early days of the highly elite U.S. Navy SEALs they made do with what was available.

During the CIA-sponsored Phoenix Program in Vietnam in the early 1960s, the SEALs found that the standard issue battle dress uniform wasn’t exactly up to the task, and the olive drab uniforms didn’t quite blend in as well as they could.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-vietnam-war-navy-seals-loved-wear-blue-jeans-field-143917

[sneakypete]

The answer is BS.

First of all,most of the Phoenix Project people were US Army Special Forces. The SEALS only operated around shorelines,and rarely stayed out longer than overnight.

Secondly,even though the regular army didn't get the "rip-stop jungle fatigues" until sometime in 68,SF had them as issue items when I got to Ft Bragg in 1964. They were in the US Military supply chain as an official item with a government stock number,so the SEALS could have ordered them.
 
The standard issue fatigues given to the US Army at the time were made from cotton,just like blue jeans. I am almost certain the same can be said about the standard issue "utilitIes" given to the USMC and the SEALS.

Finally,blue jeans were thicker than jungle fatigues,and would stay wet MUCH longer than the issue jungle fatigues when were much thinner. This is important because the blue jeans would cause crotch rot and chaffing.

BTW,the "tiger stripe" thin jungle fatigue shirts mentioned did make sense because unlike something blue,they did blend in,and they would dry much quicker.