Sailors may have a hard time getting a hold of the Navy Working Uniform Type III trousers for the next several months, due to massive shortages worldwide.
Courtney Williams, a spokesperson for Navy Exchange Service Command, said that the Navy Exchange is experiencing “severe shortages” in its stores, as well as online.
“Size and location may vary, but overall NEXCOM’s NWU Type III trouser inventory stock level is currently at around 13% worldwide,” Williams said in an email to Navy Times. “Focus remains on the Navy’s new accessions programs, like Recruit Training Command, Naval Academy Preparatory School, Officer Candidate School and Officer Development School.”
Williams said NEXCOM is coordinating with the Defense Logistics Agency on issues pertaining to the uniform’s production and supply chain, and is working with the Chief of Naval Personnel on “mitigation strategies” to reduce the impact on the fleet.
Military.com first reported the shortage.
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The Defense Logistics Agency said it first started experiencing “significant issues” receiving the trousers back in April.
“Since this time, DLA has implemented several contracts to produce the trousers with deliveries starting in October 2024,” a Defense Logistics Agency spokesperson said in an email to Navy Times. “Priority sizes and quantities have been communicated to vendors. DLA has requested accelerated delivery where possible.”
The Defense Logistics Agency said it is currently focused on providing support to Navy Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois, and full support to NEXCOM is expected to resume in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025.
Lt. Meagan Morrison, a spokeswoman for the Chief of Naval Personnel, said in an email to Navy Times that the command is encouraging sailors to “minimize wear and tear on serviceable NWUs” and instead, wear other working uniforms options like coveralls.
The Navy started introducing the 2-Piece Organizational Clothing uniform, or 2POC, to the fleet in December 2022 as an option for multiple working conditions — including surface ships, submarines and flight decks. The two-piece, flame retardant uniform is composed of a tri-fiber blend and flame resistant fabric, equivalent to the flame resistance found in the Improved Fire Retardant Variant uniform.
Uniform shortages are not unique to the Navy. For example, the Marine Corps started experiencing a low inventory of its woodland-pattern combat utility uniforms, known as cammies, back in 2022. As a result, the service distributed only two sets of the cammies to incoming recruits – rather than the standard three.
However, the service reported in April that shortages were improving and new recruits were once again receiving the full issue of uniforms.
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