Field Jackets

[TrashcanDan]

Still have your original issue?
This is the last one I have, the spare, the non-inspection one, and its followed me around since the 90’s.

I wish I had smuggled out liberated a Goretex, but they wanted that one back.

Show me what ya got!

 

[AFAR/PFAR]

I sold all mine. Never wore them anyways.

 

[jd4444]

Still have your original issue?
This is the last one I have, the spare, the non-inspection one, and its followed me around since the 90’s.

I wish I had smuggled out liberated a Goretex, but they wanted that one back.

Show me what ya got!

View attachment 444182

Love your old school (from the 1990s) printed name tapes.

 

[Picton]

I got issued two of those M-65s and never put either of them on. I was an early Gore-Tex adopter, buying my own parka in 1994. I still wear it shoveling snow, and it still works great.

 

[TrashcanDan]

Mines a little tighter than I remember. In the shoulder.
Definitely not the midsection.
The shoulder. Yea..................

 

[KMM696]

In 1990 going through basic, USAF was almost done transitioning to BDUs. Everything I was issued was BDU, except the green M-65. Gave it to a family friend when I finally got a BDU one from my unit, since I was no longer a medium anyway. I had bought a Goretex by then, anyway which was much better at standing on ladders, leaning into A-10 compartments in the rain. They issued me another BDU goretex, then a desert one, and then an ABU goretex that was obviously designed by someone who never actually worked outside. Too many dumb design changes to list.

If I could find an original green M65, I'd like to have it. Still have the patches and tapes from my original around here somewhere.

 

[NHKevin]

I probably have my old BDU field jacket in a box somewhere. I definitely have my old BDU GoreTex as well as my old ABU GoreTex.

 

[one-eyed Jack]

I still have the jacket with a liner. Somewhere. Also a mess kit and entrenching tool. Somewhere. I'd throw it all out if I could find it. Along with another 1207 items that I've accumulated over the years. Jack.

 

[frenchman]

I think I still have my dress uniform with all the Christmas tree bullshit on it, at my brother’s house. It’s in one of these zip locked bags that accommodate a hanger. My kepi should be in there too. My medals drowned in a flood in my parent’s basement in the 90ies. Never bothered replacing them, and never been one to hang one of those displays on a “I love me cause I’m awesome” walls anyway. All the combat uniform stuff had to be returned, si I got nothing but name tapes with my legion name. I think.

 

[timbo]

Not field jackets per se' but I still have both of my Navy leather G2 flight jackets when I became a flightcrew member. When I was issued my first one, I hadn't stopped growing (I was a late bloomer) and I outgrew it in about a year...I was then issued another one a size or two larger which I no longer fit in, because I grew larger again, but in a different way . Maybe I'll fit in the larger one again someday.

 

[Wickedcoolname]

I think the M65 field jacket is the best jacket ever invented.

 

[cams]

Was issued 2 field jackets at CIF but we weren’t allowed to wear them in my unit, ever. Still brand new when I ETS’d.

The most we could use for snivel gear was a field jacket ‘liner’ under a BDU shirt, one of the old sleep shirts, lightweight polypro shirt, lightweight packable gortex jacket and a woobie. But any of those were only allowed during RON ops, never on any type of movement cuz sweat vs cold.

Some brutal nights out in WA state mountains, freezing winter rains, with nothing but a soaking wet BDU top and brown t-shirt while our field jackets sat new in our lockers. lol
Builds character I guess. We lived.

 

[garandman]

This is my M65 "Fishtail" field jacket with liner and hood. There is a split in the back and two drawstrings so you can tie it around each leg. They were developed for Korea, but this version I believe was released late 1960's. The original hood had real animal fur, but people complained so this one has fake [worthless] fur. There is a wire in the outer edge of the hood so you can form it into a snorkel, allowing your exhaled breath to warm the inhaled air, but it's pretty hard to perform reconnaissance with a snorkel....

It was only worn on border patrols (Germany, mid 1980's) and often over my regular field jacket with liner. It was cold AF in our sector, which included the Rhon mountain range. We wore the Army cold weather gear at the time, which was wool long underwear, wool shirt and trousers. So yes, that's six layers....

We were allowed insulated boots and most of us bought either US or German insulated boots. The Mickey Mouse boots were available but not great for patrolling so no one used them. [Now I have Danner Fort Lewis, which are higher and have a Gortex liner. Perfection}

The unit issued us similar white snow smocks with no external markings at all. They didn't have liners so I often wore my own down parka underneath. This was a few years before GoreTex outerwear was issued, which is far superior.

Apparently these were a mod culture thing in the UK.