Army Sgt. Juan Loera-Rogers does a maximum weight deadlift during the U.S. Army Europe and Africa Best Warrior Competition at the Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, Aug. 7, 2021. The black-and-gold physical training uniform design will remain but the Army is looking at some new options for the clothing. (George B. Davis/U.S. Army)
The Army won’t redesign its physical training uniforms in 2025 but is looking at allowing soldiers to purchase different shirts and shorts that use the current black-and-gold look, the service said.
The Army clarified its plans following comments by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael Weimer last week that new uniforms were coming.
“First and foremost is we’re spending no Army money on new PTs ... we have so many higher priorities right now,” Weimer said Wednesday in an emailed statement through his spokesman.
No decisions have been made, but by the end of 2025, the service is looking at “potentially having options to the current PTs,” Weimer said.
Cpt. Kyle Hollingsworth and 1st Lt. Christopher De La Torre run with kettlebells during a fitness challenge at South Camp, Egypt, June 4, 2019. The black-and-gold physical training uniform, introduced in 2017, will continue to be used but options for the clothing are being considered, service officials said this week. (Kulani Lakanaria/U.S. Army)
Weimer, the Army’s top enlisted soldier, likened the options to the way soldiers select their boots by brand, as long as they meet the Army’s criteria.
“We don’t do a ‘You will buy this one pair of boots’ ... because fit is incredibly important to us. That includes our PTs,” Weimer said.
The Army will do some initial questioning and polling to see what’s available across the clothing industry, Sgt. Maj. Rob Haynie, from the office of the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions, logistics and technology, said Wednesday.
Master Sgt. Daniel Carter, a spokesman for Weimer, added that soldier feedback, such as the desire for pockets, is being incorporated into the evaluation and research process.
Last week at the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, Weimer said the uniforms would “look a little different than what we’ve done in the past” and be more representative of the service, according to an AUSA statement.
