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Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) Uniforms
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Submitted by LCDR Kyle Lyons, USPHS, Uniform Policy Coordinator,
Workforce Policy and Plans Division, Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management
Please note:Any uniform questions can be sent electronically to LCDR Lyons at
james.lyons@hhs.gov or 240-453-6098
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The events of the devastating earthquake in Haiti should be a reminder to officers of the
Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (Corps) to always have their mobility
or “Go-bag” ready at a moment’s notice. The Corps could be asked to assist anytime, day or
night, or season of the year. The Corps is just not poised only for Hurricane Season, but
should be prepared for an all-hazards approach and response. Officers may go to the Office
of Force Readiness’ Web site http://ccrf.hhs.gov/ccrf/faq_gobag.htm at which they can review
and stock their bag accordingly. Don’t wait until you have a deployment order in your hand
to start buying items for your Go-bag. Make sure your rank is current and up-to-date on your
Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and/or outerwear. Make sure uniform or personal items are properly
stenciled with identifying information (either first initial, last name or last four numbers of
your social security number or your full PHS serial number (SERNO) and the first letter of your
last name (e.g., 0123A or 12345A). BDU nametapes on the rear pockets of BDU trousers are not
authorized. If deploying with a sister service, primarily the Navy, uniforms will be laundered
by shipboard personnel and un-stenciled or un-marked items might not make it back to you.
Normal ship compliment is several hundred persons, and digging through mounds of uniforms for
your lost item would be very time consuming and, more than likely, fruitless.
It has been 6 months since numerous uniform items and/or components were discontinued
and, therefore, made unauthorized for wear. However, there are still some officers who
have not heeded the policy or have received notification. We will not go over the entire
list of discontinued uniforms or components, but will address the wearing of the black
garrison cap with gold piping. This cover is no longer authorized. Within the last 3
months, several officers have been sighted, primarily in the National Capitol Region,
continuing to wear this item. If you see a fellow officer wearing an unauthorized item,
politely tell him or her, send the officer an e-mail or, if you feel hindered by rank issues,
advise another senior officer or official to discuss the issue with the officer. How we look
as officers and how we wear our uniform is greatly scrutinized by the public, media, other
uniformed service members and veterans.
The Office of Commissioned Corps Force Management (OCCFM), along with input from the Office
of the Surgeon General (OSG) and the Transformation leadership, in partnership with the Institute
of Heraldry (IOH), U.S. Army, has agreed to the preliminary design, color and style of the ribbons
and medals for the Global Health Campaign Medal and the Global Health Initiatives Service Medal.
Officers will notice a significant change in color scheme and medallion style as compared to the
Corps’ current styling. It is too early to predict when the awards will be available for purchase
from a vendor or be distributed to officers, however, suffice it to say it should be within the next 8
to 12 months. The cause for the lengthy process is to ensure proper coloring and other aesthetic and
heraldic issues are squared away before the awards are released. Each color, shape and style of an
award has a significant meaning, and is not something that is taken lightly by IOH. Additionally,
numerous other Corps devices and insignia are being made to strict military specifications (MilSpec)
to prevent vendors from cutting corners or changing designs of our insignia. In the next several months,
MilSpec’d versions of the cover devices, collar insignia, buttons, the Health and Human Services
identification badge and some other items, will undergo small, but important changes to conform to
military standards. For example, the cover device will no longer have a “clipped” wing in the caduceus,
the chain in the collar device will be placed in the proper place, based on MilSpecs from earlier times,
and as seen on the Corps flag, logo, etc. For most officers, these changes will not be noticeable, but
officers with a background in heraldry and military awards and decoration, these changes will be
noticeable and significant.
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Important Message Regarding U.S. Navy’s Service Dress Khaki
In the 1 February 2010 edition of Navy Times, the Chief of Naval Operations has
approved the Service Dress Khaki for wear by Navy officers and chief petty officers,
with a wear date in the not so distant future. At this time, the Corps has not authorized
this uniform and its various components. This will be presented to senior Corps leadership
as an optional uniform item after the Navy has finalized all necessary revisions and updates
to their uniform regulations.
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Question and Answer
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Q.
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More and more, I’m seeing administrative/support office working officers wearing the BDUs
on routine duty days instead of just Friday, as authorized by policy and the National Uniform
Authority (NUA). Has the policy changed and are we allowed to wear BDUs everyday? And if
not, why are other officers permitted to wear the BDU whenever they want?
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A.
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According to Personnel Policy Memorandum (PPM) PPM 07-013, “Weekly Wear of the Battle Dress Uniform,”
dated 28 August 2007, http://dcp.psc.gov/eccis/documents/PPM07_013.pdf Personnel Operations Memorandum
(POM) POM 09-003, “Uniform of the Day – Fall and Winter,” dated 18 September 2009, and Commissioned Corps
Instruction (CCI) CCI 26.3.7, “Special Uniform Situations,” dated 24 September 2008, The NUA may authorize
wear of the BDU in any of the following situations:
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a.
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Emergency preparedness or response activities, including field exercises, planned or emergency
responses in austere environments, HHS emergency response-related exhibits, HHS emergency-response-related
recruiting, and training for operations in austere environments.
In this case, “austere” means conditions in which officers will or could be working:
- While exposed to harsh elements, e.g., high temperatures, cold, or precipitation;
- In dirt, water, or mud;
- Where other types of uniforms would become unreasonably soiled or
unkempt and require daily cleaning; or
- In indoor settings where officers will or could be working in dirty settings,
e.g., partially destroyed buildings, or on the floor of a building, e.g.,
kneeling beside patients on stretchers.
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b.
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Exercises or operations that are conducted jointly, or in the same environment with other branches
of the uniformed services when the counterpart uniforms of the other Services are being worn by their
Service members. The NUA shall prescribe a BDU that is in accordance with the directives of the commanding
officer in charge of a joint exercise or operation when such a directive can be obtained in advance.
In circumstances in which such a directive cannot be obtained in advance or when an operation is in the
same environment but not a joint operation, the NUA may prescribe the BDU independently.
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c.
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Work details where personnel safety (from physical or environmental conditions), durability, and appearance
make other uniforms inappropriate, e.g., vehicle maintenance, environmental sampling in muddy conditions, or
construction or recovery sites.
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d.
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Special HHS or Joint Services event, e.g., a salute to returning forces ceremonies or awards ceremonies,
in which Corps officers are attending or participating. In a Joint Services event, the BDU is authorized only
when other uniformed services will wear their equivalent uniform. In HHS-only events, the event must be an
emergency-response or austere environment-related ceremony, otherwise the BDU wear must be approved by the
Surgeon General.
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Therefore, routine wear in a normal day-to-day office setting, is not authorized. The intent of the polices
described above is for wear of the BDU when actively engaged in field or austere environment operations or
in situations in which a normal service type uniform would be unduly soiled or damaged. Providing normal or
routine day-to-day duty related office activities or providing normal or routine support does not constitute
the need for BDU wear. With exception of Fridays, the BDU is not to be worn in lieu of service uniforms
described or prescribed in the Uniform of the Day POMs. Corps officers detailed to some Department of
Defense (DOD) entities or programs may be authorized routine daily wear per their detail agreements.
The issue of whether or not an officer should or should not be wearing BDUs on a routine daily basis is an
issue between the individual officer, his/her chain of command or supervisors, the NUA and the policies
established by the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health.
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