How does US military handle socks?

[Hauldren Collider]

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

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

I somehow missed these earlier. Gold

[Tuberski]

I'n the Navy, we had little net bags,(small version of the large laundry bag}, that you put your socks in and that went to the laundry. It was stenciled with your name, by you.

No gay sharpies.

Yes, the one straight thing in the Navy.

ACK!

[Dinner]

Socks have been a standard issue item in the US army at least since the early 1800's. When I was in the service you got issued ten pairs of black wool socks as well as 10 pars of white cotton socks. The wool socks were for wearing with your regular uniform while the cotton socks were for your PT uniform.

If you're at garrison then each soldier is responsible for washing his own uniform items and keeping them both clean and presentable while if you're on deployment to a war zone the Army provides "laundry points" where you can drop of your dirty laundry and have it washed by contractors free of charge (or rather the service was paid for by the Army). In Iraq a lot of the laundry ladies seemed to be from Bangladesh.

[Dinner]

BTW everyone is issued a green cotton laundry bag and the way the contractors wash things is by the bag so that each load only has one person's clothing items in it. That way they don't have to sort through stuff and figure out what belongs to who.

I noticed that in Iraq the green cotton laundry bags were being replaced by a white nylon netting bag. The upside is that bag packed down much smaller so it was easier to carry in your duffle bag and it allowed the dirty clothing to air out but it also meant everyone got to see everyone else's dirty underwear. It was pretty obvious which guys didn't wipe very well if you know what I mean.

[Dinner]

How many sizes do you need??

Yeah, there are usually four sizes. Small, medium, large, and extra large. Unless you're big foot you should be able to find a size which fits.

[Dinner]

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/

In barracks their is always a laundry room with two to three dozen regular standard sized home washing machines and driers. It's all self service and the soldiers can use it for no charge though they do have to buy their own laundry detergent. When on deployment you just drop off your laundry bag at the laundry point and civilian contractors wash them and the soldier comes back to pick them up the next day.

[Dinner]

Yeah, I never wear mine. They're alright but they aren't really proper hiking socks. Then again the issued boots aren't constructed properly either. For some reason they're 8 inches high even though it's all thin cloth and provides no support. They have zero ankle support whatsoever.

When you get deployed to a war zone they issue you much better after market boots. Hell, I still have like five or six pairs of them. Cold weather boots, regular boots, desert boots, jungle boots, jump boots. The standard issue stuff was ok but not great while the after market stuff you could buy at the PX or which you got free if you were deployed were much nicer with vibrum soles, gortex lining to make them water proof & breathable, more cushioning, better quality leather, etc...

MtG: I also replaced my issue socks with socks from REI. I really liked the "Smart Wool" socks which wicked away moisture and had extra thick padding on the soles. Best socks I ever owned and when you combined them with the better after market boots long hikes were happily blister free unlike the torture devices which are the issue boots.

[MichaeltheGreat]

BTW everyone is issued a green cotton laundry bag and the way the contractors wash things is by the bag so that each load only has one person's clothing items in it. That way they don't have to sort through stuff and figure out what belongs to who.

I noticed that in Iraq the green cotton laundry bags were being replaced by a white nylon netting bag. The upside is that bag packed down much smaller so it was easier to carry in your duffle bag and it allowed the dirty clothing to air out but it also meant everyone got to see everyone else's dirty underwear. It was pretty obvious which guys didn't wipe very well if you know what I mean.

Or else you could tell combat MOS from REMF types.

[MichaeltheGreat]

MtG: I also replaced my issue socks with socks from REI. I really liked the "Smart Wool" socks which wicked away moisture and had extra thick padding on the soles. Best socks I ever owned and when you combined them with the better after market boots long hikes were happily blister free unlike the torture devices which are the issue boots.

Yeah, I still have a drawer full of Smart Wool socks. Love those things. I liked my Corcoran II jump boots, also.

[Alexander's Horse]

foot wrappings may have beaten the Germans but socks won the Cold war

[Al B. Sure!]

You are actually allowed to buy your own boots though. It's not worth the money to me.

You've clearly never worn Bates Lites

[Hauldren Collider]

According to google, those are dress shoes, not boots...?

EDIT: Nvm, they are also the name of boots

[Al B. Sure!]

According to google, those are dress shoes, not boots...?

This is why you can't use the google as a primary source


Bates Lites! Freaking go fasters in boot form.

[regexcellent]

You've clearly never worn Bates Lites

I've worn tennis shoes. If I were to quit ROTC I'd be stuck with a pair of ****ing worthless boots that are only useful because you have to have something that looks like a boot when you wear the uniform, but you're in an environment where a real boot makes no sense so it's actually a tennis shoe in disguise. I have real tennis shoes for that.

[regexcellent]

When you get deployed to a war zone they issue you much better after market boots. Hell, I still have like five or six pairs of them. Cold weather boots, regular boots, desert boots, jungle boots, jump boots. The standard issue stuff was ok but not great while the after market stuff you could buy at the PX or which you got free if you were deployed were much nicer with vibrum soles, gortex lining to make them water proof & breathable, more cushioning, better quality leather, etc...

I figured. I got two pairs of boots, temperate (gore-tex) and summers (non-goretex). The temperate boots are okay, they're actually pretty comfy, although I wouldn't want to go on a really long hike or ruck march or whatever in em. The summers are unbelievably horrible and I never wear them.

Oh, and you mention Vibram soles--both of the sets of boots I got have vibram soles.

MtG: I also replaced my issue socks with socks from REI. I really liked the "Smart Wool" socks which wicked away moisture and had extra thick padding on the soles. Best socks I ever owned and when you combined them with the better after market boots long hikes were happily blister free unlike the torture devices which are the issue boots.

I use those socks too, plus I have a bunch of similar ones from L.L. Bean. They're excellent. I already owned them prior to joining ROTC because during the winter in Rochester I exclusively wear boots (hiking boots or snow boots depending on if there's snow on the ground).