US ARMY AG44 Class A uniform

The AG44 class A uniform was adopted by the US Army to replace the old WWII brown service dress uniform in 1958. The Class A uniform was made in both a winter and summer weight for both Officers and enlisted soldiers.
 The Officers uniform could be identified by the addition of of black pipping around the ends of the Jackets cuffs and a black stripe down the outside of trousers from waist to hem.

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 The uniform consisted of the following components:

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Officers service dress cap

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Enlisted Service dress cap

Service Dress cap with device (Officers have gold chin straps while enlisted are black leather)

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Paratroopers Overseas cap

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Service side cap "over seas cap" was worn by both Officers and enlisted
(officers having gold pipping around the edges)

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Tan service shirt long sleeve

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Black tie

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Service Dress jacket Class A AG44( officers with black braiding around each cuff)

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Enlisted Service dress Jacket Class A AG44

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Officers Service Dress Uniform Class A AG44

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Black trouser belt with brass solid face buckle

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Black socks

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Black low quarter service dress shoes

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Ribbons,awards,lanyards and badges
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Officers Service dress jacket( badge and pin locations)

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Enlisted Service dress jacket (badge,pins and patch locations)

Service and campaign ribbons are worn above the left chest pocket of the Class A jacket, these are worn in rows of NO more than four ribbons wide. Unit award ribbons are worn above the right chest pocket of the Class A jacket. The Combat Infantryman's Badge (CIB) is worn centred above the medal ribbons on the left chest, this is also the same for the Combat Medics Badge. Parachute and airborne assault wings are worn on the left chest pocket flap below the ribbons, a black plastic name badge is worn on the right chest pocket flap.
    Branch of service lanyards are worn on the right shoulder attached under the shoulder epaulette of the Class A jacket, some units also wear foreign lanyards as awards for service in WWI on the left shoulder attached in the same way. Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI)pin badges are fixed to each epaulette positioned in the centre on each side.  
        SSI(Shoulder Sleeve Insignia) is worn at the top of the left sleeve approximately half an inch below the seam. The SSI would be full colour and either Cut edge(pre 1968) or  merrowed edge (post 1968) a unit patch worn on the opposite side would be for the unit that you had previously served in during a combat tour. Enlisted rank would be of full size and colour and worn on both Jacket sleeves positioned with the centre of the rank patch in the centre position located between the top of the shoulder seam and the elbow, Officers rank in metal would be pinned to each shoulder epaulette between the shoulder seam and the DUI pin.
        Branch of service metal badges are worn pinned to the lapels of both the enlisted and Officers Jackets with one being and round pin with U.S in the centre (enlisted) and the other side being worn a round pin with crossed rifles (Infantry) or officers wear an actual U.S pin and crossed rifles that are not mounted on discs. Enlisted personnel also wear pale blue plastic discs (Infantry) behind both branch of service pins and behind the Service Dress cap badge worn on the front of the Service dress cap.
         Over seas service and long service stripes are worn on the bottom of each sleeve. Long service stripes are a diagonal badge that is the same colour as the green and gold rank patches, overseas service stripes are worn horizontally on the opposite  sleeve.

         Airborne and Special Forces wear black jump boots with the trousers blouses above them instead of the standard black low quarter shoes, they also differ in that they wear a green beret (Special Forces) and a round paratrooper cloth patch on the overseas side cap (Airborne).
 


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Jump boots

Article and photos thanks to Alex Allen

 

The information published is to our best knowledge and may be altered if new information is uncovered. 
All photos are from our collection and nothing should be re-use without our prior consent! please contact us first.
Uniform and Equipment Standards Team (Alex,  Jean-Luc, Jack, Paul and Kieran)

 

 
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