Sailors may soon say goodbye to their "blueberries."

Navy officials are moving to reduce the number of sets of the blue-and-gray Navy working uniform in each sailor's seabag. They have also acknowledged, for the first time, that they're weighing whether to ditch the beleaguered cammies entirely in coming years.

The moves are part of an emerging roadmap for fleet uniforms that recognizes flame-resistant coveralls have effectively replaced the NWU and utility coveralls at sea because they offer better protection. The initiatives:

Cut the NWU requirement in sailors' seabags from four pairs to three by the end of the year. Further reductions are possible, officials say.

Develop and field test a new flame-resistant coverall this year that could resemble the Coast Guard working uniform. Officials hope this will improve upon the rapidly fielded FRV that many sailors find ill-fitting and uncomfortable.

Plan to reduce or eliminate the poly-cotton utility coveralls now in the seabag.

as Navy leaders look at replacing the Type I Navy Working Uniform with improved fire-retardant coveralls. Type II and Type III NWUs, the desert and woodland variants, will likely change to align with a congressional plan for a common camouflage shared across the services.

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If the new FRV coverall works, the Navy's top officer is open to this becoming sailors' new working uniform .

"If we get a good coverall, why couldn't that be the working uniform for the fleet?" Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert told Navy Times in a recent sit-down . "We have to get a good coverall though, one that lasts."

He cautioned that any new uniform has to be comfortable, durable and cost effective, and referenced the blue, two-piece Operational Dress Uniform worn in the Coast Guard fleet.

"I look toward the Coast Guard. They have been able to do this. It can be done."

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Photo of events during a visit to the Coast Guard Cutter Stratton as it sails near Annapolis, Md., Oct. 31, 2011. The Stratton is the third National Security Cutter to be delivered to Coast Guard. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley.

The Navy is considering a two-piece fleet uniform similar to the Coast Guard's fleet mainstay, known as the Operational Dress Uniform. Like the NWU, the blouse is worn untucked over a blue T-shirt, as shown here by watchstanders on the cutter Stratton.

Photo Credit: PO2 Patrick Kelley/Coast Guard

The services also are under increasing pressure from Congress to dump service specific camouflage, and the heavy development and production costs that entails. Lawmakers in the past two defense bills shaped a rule that would require services to share a common camouflage pattern no later than October 2018, a move recommended by the Government Accountability Office .

If that happens, don't count on your blueberries to win the day. The digital Marine pattern has excelled in countless tests, and the Army just spent $5 million developing its new Operational Camouflage Pattern. Even Navy Secretary Ray Mabus jokes about blue-and-grays, telling reporters in 2013 that "the great camouflage it gives is if you fall overboard."

Indeed, Navy leaders are developing a long-term plan.

"What I am wondering is, since NWUs are not suitable for fleet use, why does the Navy continue to issue them?" said Vice Adm. Bill Moran, the chief of naval personnel, whose office sets seabag requirements, including the NWU. "And what is the conversation like in terms of what you are going to do moving forward with this uniform?"

Still, don't toss those blueberries just yet. Final decisions about its future are likely years away. Design and wear tests typically take two to three years and the Navy still has a stockpile that will last through 2018 of the NWU Type 1, which was designed and introduced a decade ago to be the working uniform ashore and at sea. There is too much money on the shelves for the Navy to walk away.

"We have got a pretty hefty inventory of NWUs, and it is in the tens of millions of dollars. So to be fair to the American taxpayer who has helped fund those things, we cannot just discard them overnight, even if we wanted to," Moran said in an interview. "But we are always reviewing how many do we issue [and] can we issue less when we finally get to an FRV that makes the final cut? And I think the answer is yes. We will start issuing them in the sea bag at the right point down the road and then we do not have to issue as many NWUs and then we start driving down the stock."

The next coverall

Sailors are getting a new FRV, whether or not the Navy deep sixes the NWU. But improvement in this area does not bode well for the NWU, which cannot be worn underway . When deployed and expeditionary sailors are taken into account, fewer than half of the Navy is wearing NWUs on any given day, officials said.



Moran admitted the current FRV was a quick fix to a problem with the NWU. Tests in late 2012 revealed the NWU would "burn robustly" if exposed to fire and could melt to sailors' skin . Fleet commanders then banned its use as the working uniform at sea.

FRV distribution began a year later, a uniform fast-tracked to replace the NWU and poly-cotton coverall, also susceptible to fire . But sailors say the new uniform is heavy, doesn't breathe, fits poorly and shrinks in the wash.

"When you get something fast it is often not perfect, and we were far from perfect," Moran said.

Fleet Forces Command, with input from the Navy's top enlisted, has the lead on developing and testing the improved FRV. Officials say the prototype coverall, described as a cross between a flight suit and a NASCAR racing suit, will have far better fit and function. Tests will begin in September and are expected to run about six months .

Greenert said a trip to the Persian Gulf with Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (AW/NAC) Mike Stevens proved insightful, as sailors suggested a blending of the flight suit and fire resistant coveralls. Key suggestions include the removal of belt loops, better placement of pockets, and an adjustable fit. Greenert also noted the Velcro strap at the bottom of the Australian coverall. Instead of tucking your pant leg into your socks at general quarters, you could cinch the velcro strap.

The improved FRV will likely have a slightly higher price tag than the current FRV, as the Navy has to cover the cost of design and all the new bells and whistles. But don't worry: You're not footing the bill. The FRV will be organizational clothing and leaders are adamant that sailors will be happy with the end product .

"I do recognize that the pickle is only so big and you can only put so much in there," Moran said of the seabag. "And it is expensive to issue so many different types of uniforms and uniform items to go with it. So it is good fiscal sense to look at all this, and if you are going to introduce something new, and it costs a lot of money, then [you] ought to be looking at things that help offset those costs."

A big stockpile

Developing a replacement uniform is only half the battle. The Navy must also exhaust mountains of cammies worth millions of dollars. Stockpiles are filled ahead of time to ensure the Navy has all the uniforms it needs, and the Defense Logistics Agency has long-term contracts to keep that supply flowing.

Until a new uniform is ordered, the Navy must proceed as though no change is coming. That includes some improvements. For example, the Lightweight NWU will be an optional item available this fall. The prototypes weigh about one-third less and were described by sailors as "more breathable" and "much cooler."

Still, the Navy is buying NWUs at a rate much higher than what is being sold.

As of March 9, the Defense Logistics Agency had 144,357 NWU Type I trousers and 121,517 blouses worth a combined $9.7 million. The Navy will spend $15.4 million in fiscal 2015 to buy 200,059 trousers and 224,232 blouses and plans to spend more next year.

Ironically, Type I NWU sales have steadily declined since 2010, when the Navy made blueberries mandatory. Annual sales started strong with roughly 280,000 pairs sold. The uniforms are supposed to last 24 months; by design, half of the 267,636 enlisted sailors on active duty — or 133,818 — should buy a new set each year. But only 80,300 blouses and 82,940 trousers were sold in fiscal 2014, according to data from the Navy Exchange Service Command.

Similarly, the Navy keeps buying the polyester and cotton blend coveralls amid declining sales. Sales have dropped from 149,800 in 2010 to just 68,000 in fiscal 2014, according to NEXCOM , and it's not hard to understand why. The poly-cotton coveralls are no longer worn underway, replaced by the current FRV. While it is likely the poly-cotton coveralls are soon to be retired, the uniforms will be issued in boot camp and allowed for use in some locations until that decision is made. As of March 9, DLA had 49,284 poly/cotton utility coveralls on hand, valued at $1.3 million. Another 175,440 will be bought in fiscal 15, at a cost of $4.8 million.

Two contracts that govern the NWU Type I trousers and blouses will expire in 2018, said Mikia Muhammad, spokeswoman for Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support. A separate contract for the poly/cotton coveralls will expire in 2019.

The "indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity" contracts give the Navy

flexibility to draw down its stocks, but the Navy must still purchase a minimum amount. One contract has a minimum buy of 50,000 units. The other is a bit tricky. It encompasses production of four different types of uniforms, with a minimum of 104,000 units per year. Because other uniforms are on this second contract, Muhammad said it would be very difficult to figure out exact NWU annual minimums.

Mark has asked what other uniforms are purchased under this contract and if the minimums can be met by only buying the other three uniforms].

The poly/cotton coverall contract has a 72,000 minimum through 2019.