Global InformationNavy Working Uniform information
| Navy Working Uniform | |
|---|---|
  From left to right: A U.S. Navy Lieutenant wearing the NWU Type III, bearing the AOR2 camouflage pattern and a chief petty officer wearing the NWU Type II in AOR1. | |
| Type | Military uniforms |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 2009–2019 (NWU Type I)[a] 2010–present (NWU Type II and III) |
| Used by | United States Navy U.S. Coast Guard[1][2] U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps New York Naval Militia |
| Wars | Global War on Terrorism |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 2004 (NWU Type I), 2009 (NWU Type II and III) |
| Unit cost | 120.00$ (MSRP in 2010, minus boots)[3] |
| Produced | 2004–2017 (NWU Type I) 2009–present (NWU Type II and III) |
| Variants | NWU Type I, NWU Type II, NWU Type III, NWU-D (limited prototype, defunct, obsolete), NWU-C (limited prototype, defunct, obsolete) |
The Navy Working Uniform (NWU) is a series of military uniforms that are currently used by the United States Navy (and some elements of the U.S. Coast Guard) for wear by its members. The NWU is a "working" uniform, which means that it is made to a more durable and utilitarian standard, thus being worn in lieu of more formal uniforms that might get unduly damaged or dirtied in the process of normal military duties.
The first NWU variant, known as the NWU Type I, was designed in late 2004 and began being used by the U.S. Navy in limited quantities beginning in late 2008. By late 2010, it had completely replaced most other "working" uniforms. Colloquially called both "Blueberries" and "Aqua-flage" (a portmanteau of aquatic and camouflage), it was made of a ripstop cotton–nylon blend and featured a blue and grey camouflage pattern. Though originally intended for shipboard use, the nylon content caused the uniforms to lack sufficient flame resistance for shipboard environments, and it was replaced with flame-resistant coveralls when working shipboard. Due to the unsuitability of its camouflage pattern ashore, the NWU Type I was completely retired from use in 2019, replaced by other variants.
There are currently two variants of the NWU in use by the U.S. Navy for shore environments. The NWU Type II, which has a primarily tan and brown camouflage pattern called AOR1, is designed to be worn in sandy and arid desert battlefield environments, while the NWU Type III, which has primarily green, brown, and black pattern called AOR2, is designed to be worn in more temperate environments such as the contiguous United States.
NWU Type III is now worn by all U.S. Navy personnel. The NWU Type III has been issued to new naval recruits since late 2017 and completely replaced the NWU Type I in 2019 when the latter was discontinued and phased out of service. The NWU Type II is worn only by specialized units such as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Navy SEALs, Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians, and Seabees when in the appropriate environment.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Pratt, Mary-Elizabeth (27 May 2020). "The complete hater's guide to the US Coast Guard". We Are The Mighty. Mighty Networks. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Navy Working Uniform Type II and III - finally something sailors can wear". Air Warriors. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2017.