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Who Wore A Banana Suit?
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We got them at BCT at Fort Bliss, January 1987. They seemed to come in only two sizes: too big or too small. If you were on the shorter side you got the ones that had to be rolled up on the sleeves and cuffs. If you were on the taller side (like me), you got a short-sleeved jacket, and a pair of knickerbockers. If you tried to trade with someone, the Drills would know it and jump all over you (good times…). And the shirt was reversible (black and yellow), we wore it yellow-side out, and the Drills and cadre wore black-side out. That “awesome” polyester material… ah the memories! When I got to AIT, they didn’t issue that uniform, and we wore whatever we could scrounge together. At my first duty station, same thing, until the “new” grey Army PT uniform came out (I guess that was an improvement).
I loved the T-shirt. The rest? Not so much.
Made a great shine rag
Wore them also at Basic at Ft. Bliss (what a misnomer) also. Also had them at Ft. Sam and then at my first duty station for around six months, then we got the “new” gray PT gear. The reversible shirt was great. That and company PT shirts.
Haha Ft. Bliss, what a misnomer. Awesome. You probably wouldn’t recognize the place now (save for the historically significant structures).
Ft. Bliss upsides: Best gyms anywhere in the Army. The gun shop in the PX has stuff like SCAR-H’s. El Paso is still a heckuva town if you know where to go/where not to get caught.
But yeah, that reversible t-shirt was pretty schweet–and cooler-ironically, than that godawful gray shirt we’re replacing.
It continues to be my opinion that one of the biggest reasons for getting rid of “unit” PT uniforms was all the IG traffic those shenanigans generated: Unit leadership sent you to THEIR vendor for a few pricey sets of duds to muddy up. What could go wrong?
We were issued these at Bragg for the Q Course, early 80’s. They just tossed you a top and bottom and when you got to the company, you were supposed to swap around for a size close to yours.
I’d like to know who looked at an artists rendition of this on a board and said…”Yes! That’s exactly the look we are going for!” ??
I can guarantee it was not any of the guys having to wear it.
Truly the worst PT uniform since we stopped doing PT in our combat uniform. Ugly, impossible to keep clean, ill fitting, uncomfortable, fell apart in the laundry. Its multiple failures is why so many units had their own PT uniforms and unit shirts flourished.
The only good thing about that uniform is you didn’t need a reflective belt.
Nope, in the 82nd we had our own grey sweats with BN t-shirts.
At Fort Benning OSUT in 1985 every company had their own PT uniform. We had to buy them. Ours were actually really nice. Blue sweat shirt and sweat pants, red T shirts and light gray shots. The sweat shirt and t shit had our company logo and motto on them in yellow letters “NO SLACK” A-2-2. Your last name was on the back of the T shirt and your roster number was on the shorts. They were much better then the gray ones we all got a few years later. I still have them.
“It’s just like a health spa only they pay US!”
Just wondering where the Chiquita banana logo is…
Anyone else notice that (a) their pants don’t *quite* match their jackets, (b) that the pants are the right length on all three of those dudes, and (c) didn’t the issued pants have (“one-time-use”) zippers, as shown in this pic?
https://d26horl2n8pviu.cloudfront.net/pictures/images/000/004/376/for_gallery_v2/image.jpg?1402405100
My suspicion is that the advertising agency sent a PA out to find a few pair of decent pants for that advertising shoot…
Issued the new “greys” in Sep 87, arrived to my first unit after jump school in Jan 88 to find out us knew guys had to wear the CIF issued ‘banana suits’ along with everyone else! Hilarious at best!