Skip to Content

5 Things you can’t Do in an Army Uniform

Talk about five things that you can’t do while wearing the US Army uniform. What’s up, friends? I’m US Army veteran Christopher Khaos. You may notice that I have a different backdrop than I normally have, and that’s because I’m on vacation in my hometown in California, but that’s not important. So what’s important is these five things that you can’t do while wearing the army uniform. Now, if you’re already in the army or were in the army, you may already know about these things, but who knows? You might not. You might learn something new that you didn’t know that you weren’t allowed to do. Now, I’m sure you can probably think of some really obvious things that you can’t do in an army uniform, but these five are things you might not even know you’re not allowed to do in the army uniform because it just seems ridiculous. So let’s start off with the very first thing that you’re not allowed to do while wearing the US Army uniform, and that is having your hands in your pockets. Now, you can reach in your pockets if you’re grabbing out your keys, your wallet, whatever the case might be, but if it’s cold outside or you’re just bored and you want to hang out with your hands in your pockets, you can’t do that.

That is against army policy with the uniform is hanging out with your hands in your pockets. It’s really just storage space, cargo space for holding different items. So you’re reaching your pockets to grab those items out, put items in, but you can’t just hang out with your hands in your pockets. Someone is probably going to yell at you and tell you to get your hands out of your pockets if you do that. I remember the older physical fitness uniforms, they had these pouches in the front of the jacket, and it was stupid because it was like, I’m cold, my hands are freezing, I’d like to put my hands inside these pockets to keep them warm, like their intended to be used for, and we’re not allowed to do that. So I always thought it was crazy. But even with the regular uniform, just in the pants, you can’t put your hands in your pockets. Even in the physical fitness uniform, you can’t stick your hands in your pockets. Just hang out like that to keep them warm. So make sure that if you’re in an army uniform, don’t be hanging out with your hands in your pockets.

Next up, we have the number two thing that you’re not allowed to do while wearing the army uniform, and that’s walking while talking on a cell phone. Along with that, you’re also not allowed to walk and smoke a cigarette. I even think you’re not allowed to be supposed to walk and chew gum. Not 100 % sure on that one. But I do know you can’t walk and talk on a cell phone or walk and smoke. It’s a weird thing, but they just don’t want you doing it. So if you do receive a phone call while you’re in uniform, you’re supposed to stop and take that phone call and talk then. You’d probably even apply with text messaging as well. And if you are a smoker, you’re supposed to go to a designated smoking area and hang out there and smoke your cigarette. But yeah, so don’t get caught talking on a cell phone while you’re walking around. Don’t get caught smoking a cigarette while you’re walking around. And probably don’t get caught walking around, sending a text message. Next up, we have the number three thing that you are not allowed to do while wearing an army uniform.

So if you have some cool backpack, maybe it’s an Oakley backpack with a big Oakley logo on it, a Nike backpack with a Nike logo on it. Maybe you have some cool backpack that’s got some awesome design on it, some skulls, some zebra print or something crazy, you can’t wear it. At least not while in the army uniform as you’re supposed to wear an all black backpack or a camouflage backpack that matches one of the patterns that the army currently uses. Even I think you’re allowed to use the previous camouflage pattern as well, though. Even if it’s all black but has a big Nike logo on it, not allowed. It’s got to be plain all black or it’s got to have some camouflage pattern. Actually, the army issues you an assault pack, which has the camouflage pattern on it. So a lot of soldiers will wear that. But if you have some awesome backpack, you’re going to have to save it while you’re walking around in civilian clothes. Next up, we have the number 4 thing that you can’t do while wearing the army uniform, and that is wearing the army uniform when you’re not on duty.

Now, this varies by post to post and leadership to leadership, but basically, when I was in, a lot of the duty stations I was at, they would tell us, Hey, once you’re done off work, go home, change the civilian clothes and get this stuff done. You got to get done. They were okay with it. If you had to maybe stop by to pick up some milk or something real quick. But if you wanted to go shopping at the mall, you need to go home, change the civilian clothes before you go roaming around the mall. I see a lot of people all the time near Fort Carson that don’t really abide by this. It’s not really a set in stone rule, though. It’s usually based on the leadership. So if the leadership is not stressing enough to the soldiers to tell them not to be out just hanging out in uniform while they go to the bar, well, definitely not while they’re going to the bar. That’s definitely prohibited. But while going to the mall or going shopping or something like that, then a lot of soldiers still just walk around in an army uniform and don’t really pay attention to that rule because it hasn’t really stressed to them enough.

A lot of this is done because they don’t want these soldiers to become targets to maybe someone who wants to target a soldier or military personnel and see them walk around through the mall in an army uniform. So they’d rather prefer them to go home and change. I mean, sometimes the haircut gives stuff away, but there’s also a lot of people that just like that style of haircut. So it’s sometimes hard to tell just based on the haircut if that person is in the military or not. So once you’re done with work and everything like that, you’re supposed to go home. So definitely, regardless, you’re not allowed to go to the bar and drink while in army uniform. You’re not supposed to be walking around in the mall and going shopping. But also along with that, you’re actually not allowed to go protest. So if you want to go participate in some protest against something that you believe in, you are not allowed to do it while in army uniform. So if you want to go and protest, you’re allowed to go protest. But you need to go home, change into civilian clothes because this can look negatively on the army and your views may not match up with what the army’s views are.

And then someone seeing you in army uniform can sometimes reflect negatively on the United States military. So don’t go shopping in uniform. Don’t go protest in uniform, don’t go drinking at the bar in uniform. A lot of stuff. Just if you’re off duty, go home, change, get out of uniform. And now number five on our list of things that you can’t do while we’re in the army uniform. Those are PDA or public displays of affection. So if you have a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, and you’re in uniform, you’re out in public holding hands, you’re not supposed to be doing that stuff. Now, also along with that, you’re not even supposed to be out kissing, even if it’s a small little smooch and definitely not making out out in public. All that public displays of affection is not really allowed while you’re in your army uniform. In fact, they even usually recommend that your spouse, your boyfriend, girlfriend, whatever the case might be, should be walking on the left side of you. That way, you’re not in the way if they have to render a salute to an officer. Now, it’s not really necessarily a rule.

It’s more of a suggestion, but the PDA is a rule. You’re not supposed to be out doing public displays of affection with your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife while you are wearing the army uniform. It seems a little ridiculous. I don’t really have a good explanation as to why that is a rule, but it is a rule that you’re supposed to obey. So there you go. Those are just five that I quickly threw together to tell you about some things that you’re not supposed to do while wearing the army uniform. If any of you veterans or current active duty military people have some more you’d like to add to it, make sure to drop some comments down below. Those of you who are not in the military, if you have any of those that you thought were pretty crazy and you want to talk about them a little bit more in the comments, then feel free, let me know which ones you think are pretty crazy ones. So that’s the video. Hopefully you liked it. If so, make sure you hit that thumbs up button because you’re awesome and I know you want to. I’m here on vacation for a little bit, so you’ll probably see some more with some different style backgrounds.

But in the meantime, I also got some other videos over here that you can check out if you’d like. If you’re not subscribed to this channel and you want more army content, military content and fun content, then make sure to hit that subscribe button right down there. Thanks for watching. I’m Christopher Kness and I will see you next time. See you.

George N.
Latest posts by George N. (see all)