Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive DSpace Repository Theses and Dissertations 1. Thesis and Dissertation Collection, all items 2018-06 COSTS AND BENEFITS OF UNIFORM COMMONALITY FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS Hicks, Bryce; House, Jason; Styer, Varsha Monterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/59683 Downloaded from NPS Archive: Calhoun NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL PROJECT COSTS AND BENEFITS OF UNIFORM COMMONALITY FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS June 2018 By: Bryce Hicks Jason House Varsha Styer Advisors: Spencer T. Brien Robert F. Mortlock Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Form Approved OMB REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED (Leave blank) June 2018 MBA Professional Project 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS COSTS AND BENEFITS OF UNIFORM COMMONALITY FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS 6. AUTHOR(S) Bryce Hicks, Jason House, and Varsha Styer 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING / MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND 10. SPONSORING / ADDRESS(ES) MONITORING AGENCY N/A REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. A 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This research used uniforms of the United States Navy and Marine Corps to explain the costs and benefits of the services consolidating uniforms and wearing a single functional uniform. This study examined the history of Navy and Marine Corps uniforms. It analyzed benefits and costs, as well as identified impediments to implementing a single functional uniform for use at Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) duty stations. The research team concluded that there are many possible benefits to consolidation such as increased concealment, safety, and functionality. After analyzing eight possible courses of action (COA), the research team concluded that COA 4, both the Navy and Marine Corps utilizing the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU) Flame Resistant (FR) variant, resulted in the greatest number of benefits and the highest weight of perceived benefits to the warfighter. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF uniforms, camouflage, Navy Working Uniform, NWU, Marine Corps Combat Utility PAGES Uniform, MCCUU, cost benefit analysis, CBA 87 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. COSTS AND BENEFITS OF UNIFORM COMMONALITY FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS Bryce Hicks, Lieutenant, United States Navy Jason House, Lieutenant, United States Navy Varsha Styer, Lieutenant, United States Navy Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 2018 Approved by: Spencer T. Brien Advisor Robert F. Mortlock Advisor Rene G. Rendon Academic Associate Graduate School of Business and Public Policy iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv COSTS AND BENEFITS OF UNIFORM COMMONALITY FOR THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS ABSTRACT This research used uniforms of the United States Navy and Marine Corps to explain the costs and benefits of the services consolidating uniforms and wearing a single functional uniform. This study examined the history of Navy and Marine Corps uniforms. It analyzed benefits and costs, as well as identified impediments to implementing a single functional uniform for use at Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside Continental United States (OCONUS) duty stations. The research team concluded that there are many possible benefits to consolidation such as increased concealment, safety, and functionality. After analyzing eight possible courses of action (COA), the research team concluded that COA 4, both the Navy and Marine Corps utilizing the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform (MCCUU) Flame Resistant (FR) variant, resulted in the greatest number of benefits and the highest weight of perceived benefits to the warfighter. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................1 A. PROBLEM STATEMENT .......................................................................1 B. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................2 C. PURPOSE ...................................................................................................2 D. ORGANIZATION ......................................................................................4 II. BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................5 A. INTRODUCTION TO CAMOUFLAGE ................................................5 B. NON-SERVICE SPECIFIC CAMOUFLAGE UNIFORMS USED BY AMERICAN FORCES ............................................................6 1. Olive Green Shade 107 ..................................................................7 2. Tiger Stripe .....................................................................................8 3. Engineer Research and Development Lab ..................................9 4. Woodland Camouflage Utility Uniform.....................................10 5. Desert Battle Dress Uniform .......................................................11 6. Desert Camouflage Uniform .......................................................12 C. USMC SPECIFIC UNIFORMS .............................................................13 1. Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniforms....................................13 2. Flame Resistant Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniforms .......15 3. Future Tropical Uniform ............................................................15 D. USN SPECIFIC UNIFORMS .................................................................16 1. Navy Working Uniform Type I ..................................................17 2. Navy Working Uniform Type II .................................................18 3. Navy Working Uniform Type III ...............................................20 4. Flame Resistant Navy Working Uniforms .................................21 5. Flame Resistant Variant Coveralls and Flight Suits ................21 E. CAMOUFLAGE IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL .........................23 F. SUMMARY ..............................................................................................25 III. LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................27 A. BACKGROUND ......................................................................................27 1. Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) .......................28 2. Marine Corps Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) ......30 3. Naval Facility Engineering Command (NAVFAC) ..................30 4. U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center (NSRDEC) ..................................................30 vii 5. Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Troop Support Clothing and Textiles ...................................................................................31 B. UNIFORM FINDINGS ...........................................................................31 1. Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform .....................................31 2. Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type I .....................................34 3. Navy Working Uniform (NWU) Type II and Type III .............35 IV. METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................37 A. COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS MODEL .................................................37 1. History of CBA .............................................................................37 2. Steps of CBA .................................................................................38 B. DATA ANALYSIS ...................................................................................41 1. Courses of Action (COA).............................................................41 2. Benefits ..........................................................................................42 3. Costs ..............................................................................................43