Can You Pass This Quiz About the Army’s Uniform Standards?

Army Regulation 670-1 covers the wear and appearance of uniforms and insignia. You can view it in full on the Army website as a 75-page long pdf file. It was last updated in 2017. The info in it covers male and female soldiers as well as every kind of uniform you could possibly wear while on duty.

The Improved Physical Fitness Uniform is essentially workout clothes for soldiers. Soldiers are permitted to wear these in combination with civilian clothes off the base, and the components consist of running pants or shorts, moisture-wicking shirts, a jacket, and a hat.

Service stripes or hash marks are the embroidered stripes worn on the sleeves of army uniforms. In the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, these stripes represent four years of service, while in the Army they represent three.

ECWCS stands for "extreme cold weather clothing system" and is designed for temperatures that range for 40 Fahrenheit all the way down to -60. It was developed in the 1980s and consisted of a number of winter items including a parka and mittens.

Generally speaking, a pen is not a part of any standard Army uniform. That said, certain roles require that you carry a pen for your duties. One of those is in a hospital, so a hospital duty uniform is permitted to have pens in the pocket.

Public speeches, marches, picket lines, rallies and public demonstrations all require authorization from further up the chain of command if you want to participate in them while wearing your uniform.

There are a number of circumstances under which you don't need to hear any kind of headgear including at social events, on private transportation like a bicycle or on public transportation like a bus or the subway.

Regulations require that the shirt portion of the improved physical fitness uniform be tucked into your trunks or pants at all times. That said, if a soldier is pregnant this regulation will not apply.

Your Army Combat Uniform has a lifetime of 6 months. This is the same as a uniform like the Enhanced Hot Weather Battle Dress Uniform. After that time, the uniform should be retired and replaced with a new one.

Scorpion 2 was the code name for the operational camouflage pattern that became the go-to camo pattern for the US Army in the mid-2010s. It is currently the main camouflage pattern for army uniforms.

Facial hair, in general, is limited strictly to mustaches which must be trimmed and not extend past the edges of your lips. Goatees are not permitted, nor are other styles of facial hair unless for religious or medical reasons. In fact, the guidelines specifically prohibit "Fu Manchu" mustaches by name.

If you're going to sport some sideburns, they can't extend below the hole of your ear. They must also be kept neatly trimmed and not look bushy in any way. They should end neatly with a solid, horizontal line.

Fingernails are required to be clean at all times and can't extend past the fingertip for males. Men can also not wear polish. Females are allowed to have nails at 1/4 inch in length.

Hair dyes and tints are allowed for soldiers, but only if the resulting hair color is natural looking. It will be up to the discretion of a commanding officer to determine if the hair meets those standards. A color like purple is obviously a no-go.

Wigs and hairpieces are only allowed for a good reason. Those reasons include covering natural baldness as well as scars from surgeries or accidents. You cannot wear a wig just for kicks.

Eyelash extensions are prohibited except if they have been medically prescribed. Medically prescribed reasons would be any instances when a soldier had suffered hair loss, such as from chemotherapy.

Shoulder sleeve insignia-former wartime service is also known as the Army combat patch. It recognizes a soldier's participation in combat and there are varying standards for how it should be worn.

The male dress uniform has 10 pieces. They are a coat, trousers, shirt, necktie, undergarments, belt, headgear, footwear, socks and undershirt. Depending on the situation, not all items are necessary.

According to regulations, while in uniform you can only place your hands in your pockets momentarily to retrieve an item. Any buttons need to be polished and free from scratches as well.

Soldiers in uniform are not permitted to do any activities whole walking that will interfere with their ability to salute or detract from their professional image. This includes eating, smoking or using a cellphone, among other things.

Oddly enough, there are a number of dental regulations in the uniform code. Soldiers can't have decorations on their teeth like jewels or initials. They also can't have gold or platinum caps. Finally, you can't shape your teeth, meaning no fangs for you.

There are strict regulations regarding the kinds of tattoos a soldier can have and also where they can have them. When it comes to the face, there is only one kind of tattoo permitted and that is permanent makeup, which still must meet standards of good taste.

Officers in the military police corps wear insignia featuring two crossed gold pistols. Enlisted personnel will wear the same insignia on a small, 1-inch gold-colored metal disk.

You can identify a general by the stars on their shoulders. Four stars is a general, three stars is a lieutenant general, two is a major general and one is a brigadier general.

The US flag is to be worn on the right shoulder pocket flap of the utility uniform. On uniforms without pocket flaps, the flag insignia is worn on the uppermost section of the hook-and-loop-faced pad with the top of the insignia at the top of the pad.

Every branch of the army has their own colors used for insignia and various emblems. The Army Corps of Engineers use the colors scarlet and white.

While most medals can be worn on the uniform on the chest, the medal of honor is worn on a ribbon around the neck. Any other medals worn around the neck are to be worn under the Medal of Honor.

Shoulder boards cover ranks all the way up to sergeant major as well as officer ranks. The starting rank where you'll see shoulder boards is corporal.

The combat vehicle crewman's uniform is also known as a tanker's uniform. It's quite a bit different from a standard uniform, as it includes a coverall and a vest. It's also made of flame-resistant materials.

The headband of your beret needs to be worn one inch above the eyebrows. It should be a straight line across the forehead. The excess material should be worn draped over the right ear, and your hair should be short enough that the hat doesn't look misshapen when worn.

When a male wears a belt, the tab should be pulled across to their left and for a female, it is the opposite. There is no regulation regarding a difference in belt width between men and women.

Backpacks are allowed to be worn, as are gym bags over one shoulder. A bag cannot be worn over the shoulder so that the strap is diagonal across the body, however.

Soldiers should have three pairs of boots in their possession for their combat uniform. Two pairs should be hot weather and one pair should be temperate weather. They should be tan or coyote leather.

When wearing your tie with your service uniform, it should be only black and the material can be either silk or satin. It can be tied in a Windsor know, a half-Windsor or a four-in-hand knot.

Hats are a permitted part of the physical fitness uniform. It has to be made from black fleece, and in cold weather, it can cover the tops of your ears. However, it can't be pulled down below your eyebrows.