How does US military handle socks?

[onodera]

There's another round of discussions here in Russia about replacing footwraps with socks in the army uniform. As always, there are those that say footwraps are a symbol of backwardness and those (including veterans) who swear by them. One of the questions that's always raised is the question of washing. Footwraps are one size fits all and can be rewrapped to serve longer. Socks come in several sizes and have to be changed every day or every time your feet get wet.
I know ACU includes socks. How does the military handle their socks in the garrison and in the field? Who takes care of washing them, sorting them, distributing them?

[Asher]

People have not exported sock technology to Russia?

[onodera]

People have not exported sock technology to Russia?

No, sock management technology.

[Asher]

How many sizes do you need??

Jesus.

Don't you already have different sizes of jackets, shirts, pants, underwear...wait, do Russian soldiers wear underwear or do they have loin cloths?

[MikeH]

The US army handles it by only recruiting people who can fit in a standard size sock.

[MikeH]

This is actually an unintended additional benefit of the standard boot size policy.

[Alexander's Horse]

foot wrappings? Seemed to work in WW2, why change it?

[onodera]

How many sizes do you need??

Jesus.

Don't you already have different sizes of jackets, shirts, pants, underwear...wait, do Russian soldiers wear underwear or do they have loin cloths?

Underwear is single size, since it's rather loose. Jackets are issued for the whole season, and are not washed. Shirts (T- or A-shirts) are replaced weekly, and are single size, IIRC. Jackets also have sew-on collars that are discarded after single use.

[regexcellent]

I was issued 4 pairs of socks with my uniform. They come in 3 or 4 sizes based on your boot size. My name is written on them in sharpie and on FTX I have to keep track of them and stuff. I imagine in some places soldiers share them but that wouldn't be SOP.

The socks are part of the gear issue and get distributed by the normal uniform supply system. I imagine soldiers are responsible for their own laundry, but if not the socks would be handled like all the other parts of the uniform where they belong to one person, I think.

[onodera]

I was issued 4 pairs of socks with my uniform. They come in 3 or 4 sizes based on your boot size. My name is written on them in sharpie and on FTX I have to keep track of them and stuff. I imagine in some places soldiers share them but that wouldn't be SOP.

The socks are part of the gear issue and get distributed by the normal uniform supply system. I imagine soldiers are responsible for their own laundry, but if not the socks would be handled like all the other parts of the uniform where they belong to one person, I think.

Is there a special laundry room in the barracks where the socks are left to dry? How does US military process their laundry in general?

Also, http://blog.uso.org/2010/05/16/socks...hn-university/

[Asher]

This thread is ****ing surreal.

[onodera]

This thread is ****ing surreal.

Everything about the army is ****ing surreal.

[snoopy369]

Onodera, if you really wanted to do everything in a non-personal fashion (and I don't think the US military does), color code the socks. Each sock gets a single (thick) thread near the toe. Blue for size 1, red for size 2, green for size 3, yellow for size 4. Then when washing/folding, you can tell which goes with which.

Really though you shouldn't need multiple sizes. My socks are 'size 6-12' and work fine for me (size 11). Most men are 6-12. Really most men are probably 8-14, if you wanted a 6 size spread, so just go there... why not one size socks if you have one-size underwear (which we don't - underwear is only a 3 inch range, ie, '30-32' '34-36' etc. I imagine in the military you tend towards thinner people, but if Ruskies are like Americans, our folk in the prairies and farm areas (where most of our recruits come from) are hardy stock with thick waists even with 0% fat (ie, big-boned), so I'm sure we have more than one size of underwear...

[Alexander's Horse]

this is secret information isn't it? can you tell Russians about your socks?

[MichaeltheGreat]

I was issued 4 pairs of socks with my uniform. They come in 3 or 4 sizes based on your boot size. My name is written on them in sharpie and on FTX I have to keep track of them and stuff. I imagine in some places soldiers share them but that wouldn't be SOP.

The socks are part of the gear issue and get distributed by the normal uniform supply system. I imagine soldiers are responsible for their own laundry, but if not the socks would be handled like all the other parts of the uniform where they belong to one person, I think.

Issue socks used to suck, don't know if they still do. Mine were always in pristine condition, since the ones I actually wore were self-provided, courtesy of REI.