military laundry

[thundley4]

   That's pretty much what I remember about being underway. I never lived on base after finishing my schools, so I usually just handled my own dress uniforms. cold wash and Woolite for the Dress Blues.

[franksolich]

Hmmmm.

More information here; thanks to all for the enlightenment.

http://www.freerepublic.c...cor/2253996/posts?page=21

[Crazy Horse]

And the fun thing about that sea bag...............................for the Dungaree's, you had to have 5 pair (shirts and pants)  What most forgot was that the required shirt was the expensive fire retardant one.  You could get your dress uniforms done on the boat, though I no trutee them.  W had 6 washer and dryers on the boat for 1,600 people to share.  Could have your skivies, socks, undershirts and dungaree's washed in ships laundry.....as hammer man said, you'd get em back a couple days later kinda clean.

Thor I think you were talking about the CNT uniforms.

When I left on WestPac I would tak the following

5 pairs dungaree's
2 dress whites (you think dust and they got dirty)
2 working whites
2 working blues
2 dress blues
3 dixie cups
2 new white belts with buckles
2 new black belts with new buckles
2 used of each belts
2 weeks of socks, undershirts and skivies
4 days of civies
workout clothes
steel toe boots
steel toe dress shoes
pea coat
sweater


And all that fit in one little stand up locker and a 1 foot by 2 foot by 6 foot coffin

[dutch508]

Lots of them, actually.

You see, it's the ordinary little things that are most fascinating.

I suppose I had always assumed the general procedure was that when one had a dirty uniform--working uniform, not dress uniform--he just turned it in at some central collection point and got issued a clean uniform, either a brand-new one or one used but laundered.

As for underclothing, socks, and stuff, I just assumed one hand-washed those things in his overturned helmet.

The logistics of getting all this done must be impressive.

In the old days, before my time, there was a laundry company in each formation. Laundry was turned in, then it was returned washed and pressed. It wasn't in effect in 1983 when I went in.

When we deployed when I was a private, you wore your nasty dirty uniform until you could wash it yourself. We still had steel helmets then, and yes, we could wash and save in it. Sometime in 1983- 84..., I think, we started getting the kevlar helmet. You could not wash in it. I had a small steel cooking bowl I used to carry in the top of my rucksack to shave in.

When the Army got cut in post Vietnam the laundry services went away- I think. Save the government money.

[Thor]

Thor I think you were talking about the CNT uniforms.

Yes. They were an unwritten requirement in the Squadrons, especially for E-6 and above. However, they weren't allowed to be worn onboard ships due to their flammability.

[Crazy Horse]

Yes. They were an unwritten requirement in the Squadrons, especially for E-6 and above. However, they weren't allowed to be worn onboard ships due to their flammability.

Yet many whore em

[dutch508]

Yet many whore em

I always KNEW it was true about the Navy!

 
 

[NHSparky]

Yes. They were an unwritten requirement in the Squadrons, especially for E-6 and above. However, they weren't allowed to be worn onboard ships due to their flammability.

Same with chlorofram shoes.  No matter.  Entering or leaving port, anyone below decks was in dungarees until we secured the maneuvering watch.

[NHSparky]

Yes. They were an unwritten requirement in the Squadrons, especially for E-6 and above. However, they weren't allowed to be worn onboard ships due to their flammability.

I never wore (not whore) anything but after I made third class.  So much easier to take care of, and since I didn't wear them that often until I went to recruiting duty...

[Thor]

I stood ASDO (assistant Squadron Duty Officer) watches about every other week after I made Second Class. CNTs were awesome for watchstanding ashore.

[docstew]

Thank you, Thor, for the illumination about the Navy.

This one's for dutch508 and TxRadioGuy, in the Army, in combat situations.

Wouldn't it just be easier to have something like a haberdashery-on-wheels, traveling just behind the front lines, exchanging clean combat uniforms for dirty ones, and then sending the dirty ones far behind the front lines to be cleaned and mended if needed?

If I had thought about this before yesterday, I guess this is what I would have speculated is done, although apparently not.

Actually, now in the GWOT, the laundry services are contracted out to either KBR (in Iraq) or Supreme (a European country with the contract from NATO for Afghanistan).  These companies also do other contracted logistical work, i.e. running dining facilities, convoying supplies (with military escort of course), contracting work, supply distribution, etc.  At the smaller FOB's (Forward Operating Bases), they would either have a supply convoy backhaul what needed cleaning and bring it on the next visit or they'd do it on site with a washing machine as dutch described.  Having used KBR's services in 05-06 and Supreme now, I much prefer the quality of service I recieved from KBR.

When a Soldier turns in some uniforms for cleaning, they are kept separate from anyone else's clothing and the Soldier has a reasonable assurance that everything he gets back is his own clothing.  This is for multiple reasons, but fit is a large one, as not all Soldiers are the same size obviously.  Also, back when we had BDU's and every uniform had badges and rank and name sewn on the uniform, it would be very important to get your own stuff back.

What Thor said about the "sea bag" applies to Soldiers as well, we have a "clothing bag" list for items that we (enlisted) are issued, such as ACU's, boots, hats, gloves, physical fitness gear (minus shoes), as well as dress uniforms, of which enlisted are issued Class A's and have to buy Dress Blues if they want them.  Officers are required to buy all of their uniforms, which makes it much easier for them if they are/were former enlisted, as they would have a lot of what they already need.