The Final Truth: Goodbye, Silkies?

[caption id=”attachment_1168" align=”aligncenter” width=”590" caption=”Awesome Underwear = Awesome Running “Shorts””]

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Candidates and friends,

The Marine Corps Times story last week confused many of us and led to many discussions over on the facebook page. I, the blog author, have been in contact with the writer of the story, who helped clear up the issue. See the correspondence below.

[caption id=”attachment_1211" align=”alignright” width=”160" caption=”Apparently you can still purchase silkies at the moment. Time to stock up on fashion!”]

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• From the Marine Times writer: This was a confusing story precisely because there is no MARADMIN on silkies. It is more based on the Uniform Board’s interpretation of standing guidance on PT shorts. They have been providing guidance to units on an individual basis, they say. This is what I told another Marine who wrote in asking the same thing: There actually isn’t a MARADMIN which makes it confusing. It looks like there isn’t anything explicitly banning silkies. They are banned by virtue of the fact that they don’t fit with the current style of standard issue short, according to the Uniform Board.

From the Uniform Board:

• Q1. Why are silkies no longer authorized for unit PT, but still authorized for individual PT?
• Answer: Paragraph 3023.1 of the Uniform Regulations states:

CH 5 b. Olive green trunks of any material, similar in design to the standard issue trunks, may be worn at the option of the individual on all occasions for which the PT uniform is authorized/prescribed. Optional trunks may be purchased through Marine Corps Exchanges or commercial sources and are not required to contain Marine Corps approval identification.” Marines are authorized to wear any shorts similar in design to the current shorts. The word “current” is the key. The current shorts look like soccer shorts (longer) and are a darker green than the old silkies. The silkies do not look like the current short in either design, color or fabric, as such, they are not authorized.”…

Don’t forget. According to the officials I talked to, you CAN still wear them for individual PT. I’m also not sure how strictly or consistently individual units are actually enforcing the silkies ban. I know a lot of guys like them.