Pinks and Greens

The days dragged on and with the resolve of lasting one more sunrise, 18 of the 22 weeks passed. At that point, we became Redbirds and turned into the ogres we had so hated for the first period of our training.

It amazed me how the candidates we were in charge of tried the same lame excuses and ruses to pass inspection as we did, hiding extra hangers under the springs on their cot, for instance. The Redbird system took into account that the upper classmen would know all the tricks because they had “been there, done that.”

Those last few weeks gave us hope that we would eventually get our commissions. But it was not without problems, particularly with a few of us who did not seem to want to conform to Capt. Fatback’s expectations.

He gathered us together as graduation approached and, in a fatherly manner, explained about what to expect. Enlisted personnel are supplied with uniforms, housing and food. Officers get higher pay but must pay for their own meals. They get an allotment for housing but single men don’t ever see it. It is taken to pay for your space in the BOQ (bachelor officer quarters). Officers are given $150 to buy uniforms when they are commissioned but after that must pay for their own.

Our dear captain said he was not allowed to direct us to any particular store down town, but XYZ Store (the one we were sure he was getting a kickback from) would be a good place to go. As an afterthought, he said the post quartermaster also had officers’ uniforms but it was quite evident he didn’t think that was a good choice for us.

Several of us checked it out and found the stores down town had uniforms that would nearly eat up our entire $150 allotment and the post quartermaster could provide the same thing for about $80 and we could pocket the extra 70 bucks. These outfits we were required to have were dress uniforms called “Pinks and Greens.” They were so called because the trousers were gabardine and a pink color while the blouse was a very dark green. We were not aware of it at the time, but the occasions to use the dress uniform were few. I still have mine stored away in a basement closet. I probably wore it twice during my Army hitch.

Capt. Brazier wasn’t very happy with our decision to buy quartermaster uniforms but he couldn’t do anything about it, except make us sweat about the fit. He took it upon himself to make sure his officers wore properly fitted uniforms. All of those who spent their money where he suggested passed inspection without much difficulty. Those of us who defied him by buying on the post had to fall out morning after morning to see if he approved of our fit. We had to keep returning to the quartermaster for minor alterations until he finally got tired of the game and let us be.