For nearly 20 years, sailors have been wearing PT gear that features a distinctive gold shirt, but now the sun is setting on the Navy’s original physical fitness uniform.
Next year, the Navy plans to phase out the physical training uniform, or PTU, in favor of a newer one that was approved for wear in 2018, said Robert Carroll, branch head of Navy Uniform Matters and Emerging Issues.
That uniform, currently known as the Navy’s “optional” PT gear, consists of blue shirts and shorts that feature gold Navy logos, including one on the back of the shirt that reads “America’s Navy Forged By The Sea.”
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The newer fitness gear will become the Navy’s mandatory PT uniform in 2027, Carroll said in a statement to Task & Purpose.
“Sailors have expressed a preference for that style over the current requirement,” Carroll said.
The Navy expects to begin phasing out the PTU sometime in 2027, depending on the contracting and production schedule for the newer uniform, Carroll said.
Military Times first reported that the Navy plans to phase out the “gold” uniform next year.
Adm. Mike Mullen, then serving as chief of naval operations, approved the PTU in 2007 as the service’s first-ever physical fitness uniform, and it became available to sailors starting the following year.
The Navy’s decision to retire the uniform was based on input from sailors, who said they wanted PT gear with better fabric and features, Carroll said.
“Sailors expressed their preference for a better fit and a more modern design (blue on blue with gold logos) instead of the gold on blue with silver logos,” Carroll said.
Making the blue-on-blue PT gear mandatory next year will also cut down on the number of uniforms sailors are required to wear, reducing the out-of-pocket costs they face for uniform items, he said.
“We continue to incorporate sailor feedback and proactively look for ways to streamline seabag items, improve form fit, function and appearance, and mitigate costs whenever possible,” Carroll said. “This includes both mandatory and optional items – to ensure organizational clothing meets performance specifications and the needs of our sailors.”
Last year, the Navy reestablished its uniform board, and the service is currently looking at eliminating other mandatory and optional uniform items, including types of boots, Caroll said. He did not specify which boots the Navy is considering retiring.
“Our efforts to streamline footwear will focus on mission requirements, performance, appearance and standardization,” Carroll said.
