1. Wear of the ACU Uniform
Compiled by SSG Richard Schilling, ACC, from the sources listed in the References section 14 Apr 2012.

2. General Uniform Policies
Jewelry
One wristwatch (AR 670-1, para 1-14a, ALARACT 140/2007)
One wrist ID bracelet (Medical alert, MIA, POW, KIA) – opposite wrist from watch (AR 670-1, para 1-14a, ALARACT 140/2007)
Up to two rings (wedding set counts as one ring) (AR 670-1, para 1-14a, ALARACT 140/2007)
Religious (AR 670-1, para 1-7b)
Piercings prohibited, except earrings (AR 670-1, para 1-14c)
Earrings – females only, < 1/4 inch spherical, but not with class C uniform (ACU) (AR 670-1, para 1-14d)

3. General Uniform Policies
Attaching items to uniform (AR 670-1, para 1-9a(2))
Keys
May be attached to belt, loop, or waist if authorized for duties
Electronic devices
Black pager or cell phone may be worn on belt
Bluetooth devices and ear pieces are only authorized while driving (ALARACT 140/2007, para 5)
ID badges
Commander may authorize wear (AR 670-1, para 1-16b)

4. General Uniform Policies
Glasses and contact lenses (AR 670-1, para 1-15)
May not have initials, designs, or other adornments
Lenses must be clear, gray, brown, or dark green
No chains or bands
May not be hung off the uniform when not worn
Prescription eyeglasses
May be worn with any uniform
Sunglasses
May be worn in a garrison environment, except when in formation and while indoors
May be worn in the field when authorized by the Commander for high glare environments
Contact lenses
May not be tinted or have designs

5. General Uniform Policies
Umbrellas (AR 670-1, para 27-27)
Plain black with no logos or designs
Females only
Only allowed with service, mess, or dress uniforms; not allowed with utility uniforms
Hands may not be placed in pockets, except momentarily to place or retrieve items (AR 670-1, para 1-9a(3))

6. ACU Uniform Policies
All fasteners fastened (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B)
Velcro
Buttons
Zipper
No starch, sizing, dry-cleaning, or steam press (ALARACT 078/2005, para 4)
No modifying for fit (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5A)
Digitized fabric covers for Velcro patches are not authorized (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2O)

7. Headgear Patrol cap (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5D2)
Wear
Bottom parallel to ground
Fit without distortion or gaps
No hair below band on forehead
Rank
Pin-on or sew-on (ALARACT 140/2007, para 10)
Centered vertically and horizontally on the front
Nametape
Centered on Velcro patch on back
Boonie cap (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5D3)
Not authorized for TXSG

8. Coat
Wear
Collar down unless wearing body armor or authorized by commander for inclement weather (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B)
No rolling sleeves (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B); no rolling sleeve cuffs inside sleeves (ALARACT 140/2007, para 19)
Length – between bottom of side pocket and top of cargo pocket of trousers (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B)
Pens may protrude from the left sleeve pen slots but must be black (ACC)
Infrared feedback squares (if equipped) will be covered by insignia or the attached tabs (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B); if not equipped with IR squares, the attached tabs will be fastened behind the pocket flaps (ACC)

9. Coat Insignia Nametape / TXSG tape (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2F)
Embroidered tape, 5 inch long, worn immediately above top of pocket flaps
Digitized background
Nametape above right chest pocket
TXSG tape above left chest pocket
May be sewn on (Army Directive )
SSI (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5Q)
Subdued
Centered on Velcro pad on left sleeve (not including the pocket flap); 1 inch below flap (ACC)
Tabs that are part of SSI will be worn on pad with SSI, not on pocket flap

10. Coat Insignia SSI-FWTS (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5Q)
Subdued
Centered on Velcro pad on right sleeve (not including the pocket flap)
Tabs that are part of SSI-FWTS will be worn on pad with SSI-FWTS, not on pocket flap
Skill tabs (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5S)
President’s Hundred, Special Forces, Ranger, Sapper
Centered on left shoulder pocket flap
Max 3 tabs
TXSG tab
Centered on bottom edge of left shoulder pocket flap
Texas flag
Subdued (off-color), reversed
Centered on right shoulder pocket flap
Blue field toward front, white at top

11. Coat Insignia Identification badges (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2N)
Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier; Drill Sergeant; Career Counselor on right chest pocket
Recruiter badge on left chest pocket (AR 670-1, para 29-18)
Pin-on subdued or sew-on (Army Directive )
Centered on coat pockets, one per pocket
Chaplain insignia (ALARACT 283/2009)
Black embroidered on 2x2 digitized Velcro
Pin-on authorized (ACC)
Centered 1/8 inch above nametape
Rank (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2A)
Embroidered black or bronze rank centered on front pad
Digitized background
May be sewn on (Army Directive )

12. Coat
Insignia
Combat and special skill badges (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5L)
Pin-on subdued or sew-on (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2C) (Army Directive )
May not mix pin-on and sew-on (Army Directive )
Maximum of 5 badges at one time
Centered 1/8 inch above TXSG tape
1/4 inch vertical spacing between badges
1/2 inch horizontal spacing between badges
In order of precedence from top to bottom, then right to left

13. Combat and special skill badge order of precedence (AR 670-1, para 29-17a)
Group 1
Combat Infantryman badges; Expert Infantryman badge
Group 2
Combat Medical badges; Expert Field Medical badge
Group 3
Army Astronaut device; Army Aviator badges; Flight Surgeon badges; Aviation badges; Explosive Ordnance Disposal badges
Group 4
Glider badge; Parachutist badges; Parachutist badges with combat jump device; Pathfinder badge; Military Freefall Parachutist badges; Military Freefall Parachutist badges with combat jump device; Air Assault badge; Sapper, Ranger, and Special Forces tab metal replicas
Group 5
Diver badges; Driver and Mechanic badge; Parachute Rigger badge

14. Combat and special skill badge patterns (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5L)1 1 3 2 4 1 2 1 1 2 3 2 4 3 5

15. Trousers (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5C)
Tucked into boots or bloused
No peg leg
No round cuff inserts
May not extend below third eyelet of boot

16. Boots (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5E)
Issued or commercial
8 to 10 inch height
Tan leather, rough side out
Plain toe
Tan rubber outsole
No zippers (ALARACT 140/2007, para 18)
No sneaker-type
Shall be brushed clean

17. Belt
Black or tan rigger belt (ALARACT 140/2007, para 15)

18. Socks
Black, tan, or green (ALARACT 140/2007, para 16)

19. T-shirt Moisture-wicking tan (ALARACT 078/2005, para 6B)
Tucked into trousers (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5B)

20. Dog tags
Worn at all times when in uniform

21. Fleece (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2P)
Black
No insignia authorized (ALARACT 140/2007, para 23)
Foliage green (ALARACT 302/2008 para 5, 6)
Nametape on right
TXSG tape on left
Rank above TXSG tape (old) or nametape (new) – both are authorized until stocks exhaust

22. Field jacket (AR 670-1, para 3-2)
Same accessories as ACU coat
Has no shoulder pockets or flaps. Wear flag and tabs in comparable position on Velcro shoulder pad

23. Gortex (AR 670-1, para 7-7a(1)(b))
Nametape (ALARACT 140/2007, para 17)
5-1/2 x 1/2 inch embroidered digitized
Sewn centered 1/4 inch above bottom of left sleeve pocket flap
Rank
Pin-on or embroidered cloth loop worn on front center tab (ALARACT 007/2006, para 2L)
Velcro not authorized

24. Gloves
Black only (AR 670-1, para 27-12a)
Work gloves may be tan (ACC)

25. Female only accessories
Handbag (ALARACT 078/2005, para 5H)
Only in garrison

26. Wear policy
Personnel will not wear the ACU in off-post establishments that primarily sell alcohol. If the off-post establishment sells alcohol and food, soldiers may not wear the ACU if their activities in the establishment center on drinking alcohol. (AR 670-1, para 3-3a)
See TXMF policy dated 18 FEB 04.

27. Appearance

28. Hair (AR 670-1, para 1-8a)
Must allow proper wear of headgear and protective mask or other protective equipment.
Extreme, eccentric, or trendy haircuts or hairstyles are not authorized.
Dyes, tints, or bleaches must result in natural hair colors.
May cut a part into the hair if it does not part naturally. The part will be one straight line, not slanted or curved, and will fall in the area where the soldier would normally part the hair. Soldiers will not cut designs into their hair or scalp.

29. Hair - Male No excessive bulk, ragged, unkempt, or extreme appearance.
Must present a tapered appearance - the outline of the hair conforms to the shape of the head, curving inward to the natural termination point at the base of the neck.
Must not fall over the ears or eyebrows, or touch the collar, except for the closely cut hair at the back of the neck.
No braids, cornrows, or dreadlocks.
May be clipped closely or shaved.

30. Hair - Male
Sideburns may not be flared; the base of the sideburn will be a clean-shaven, horizontal line. Sideburns will not extend below the lowest part of the exterior ear opening.
Face must be clean-shaven.
Mustaches are permitted, but will not present a chopped off or bushy appearance, and no portion of the mustache will cover the upper lip line or extend sideways beyond a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth
Medical exceptions must state required length of beard. Beard may not be shaped.
No wigs or hairpieces, except to cover natural baldness or physical disfiguration caused by accident or medical procedure.

31. Hair - Female
Neatly groomed, length and bulk of the hair are not excessive, and hair does not present a ragged, unkempt, or extreme appearance.
No shaved portions of the scalp (other than the neckline) or designs cut into the hair.
Braids and cornrows must be conservative and lie snugly on the head. No dreadlocks (unkempt, twisted, matted individual parts of hair).
May not fall over the eyebrows or extend below the bottom edge of the collar. Long hair will be neatly and inconspicuously fastened or pinned, so no free-hanging hair is visible.

32. Hair - Female Not lopsided or distinctly unbalance.
Extensions, weaves, wigs, and hairpieces must have the same general appearance as the individual’s natural hair.
Hair will not extend below the bottom edge of the front of the headgear, nor will it extend below the bottom edge of the collar.
All hair-holding devices must be plain and of a color as close to the soldier’s hair as is possible or clear. Authorized devices include, but are not limited to, small, plain scrunchies (elastic hair bands covered with material), barrettes, combs, pins, clips, rubber bands, and hair bands. Devices that are conspicuous, excessive, or decorative are prohibited.

33. Cosmetics (AR 670-1, para 1-8b)
Males are prohibited from wearing cosmetics, to include nail polish.
Females are authorized to wear cosmetics with all uniforms, provided they are applied conservatively and in good taste and complement the uniform and their complexion.
Females will not wear shades of lipstick and nail polish that distinctly contrast with their complexion, that detract from the uniform, or that are extreme (e.g., purple, gold, blue, black, white, bright (fire-engine) red, khaki, camouflage colors, and fluorescent colors).

34. Nails (AR 670-1, para 1-8c)
Males will keep nails trimmed so as not to extend beyond the fingertip.
Females will not exceed a nail length of 1⁄4 inch, as measured from the tip of the finger.

35. Hygiene (AR 670-1, para 1-8d)
Soldiers will maintain good personal hygiene and grooming on a daily basis and wear the uniform so as not to detract from their overall military appearance.

36. Tattoos (AR 670-1, para 1-8e)
Tattoos or brands anywhere on the head, face, and neck above the class A uniform collar are prohibited.
Tattoos or brands that are extremist, indecent, sexist, or racist are prohibited, regardless of location on the body, as they are prejudicial to good order and discipline within units.
Existing tattoos or brands on the hands that are not extremist, indecent, sexist, or racist, but are visible in the class A uniform (worn with slacks/trousers), are authorized.
Soldiers may not cover tattoos or brands in order to comply with the tattoo policy.

37. Religious exceptions (AR 670-1, para 1-7b(3))
Exceptions or accommodations based on religious practices will not be granted, except those granted before 1 Jan 1986.

38. References
AR 670-1, 3 FEB 2005, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
ALARACT 078/2005, Z APR 05, Subject: ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM (ACU) ENSEMBLE
ALARACT 007/2006, Subject: ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM (ACU)
ALARACT 140/2007, Z JUN 07, Subject: AR 670-1, 3 FEB 05, WEAR AND APPEARANCE OF ARMY UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA
ALARACT 302/2008, Z DEC 08, Subject: WEAR POLICY FOR THE GENERATION III EXTENDED COLD WEATHER CLOTHING SYSTEM (ECWCS)
ALARACT 283/2009, Z OCT 09, Subject: CHANGES TO THE WEAR POLICY FOR THE CHAPLAINS BRANCH INSIGNIAS WORN ON THE ARMY COMBAT UNIFORM (ACU)
TXMF Policy Letter, dtd 18 FEB 04, Subject: Policy for Wearing of the Texas State Guard Uniform
Army Directive , Subject: Changes to Wear of the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) Items