National Park Service
National Park Service Uniforms
The Developing Years, 1932-1970
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APPENDIX B

The following is the only complete set of National Park Service Uniform Regulations, other than Office Order 204, revised, June 7, 1932, found from the 1930s. They are shown in their entirety, as printed. No corrections, punctuation, spelling or otherwise has been made, to give the flavor of the period.

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NATIONAL PARK SERVICE UNIFORMS REGULATIONS
OFFICE ORDER NO.324April 13, 1936

The fundemental purposes of the uniform are to symbolize the National Park Service and to identify the wearer to Park visitors. Accordingly, its use must be limited to the service field personell whose chief duties are to contact visitors and to protect the parks and monuments. The director, however, may approve specific exemptions with respect to the wearing of the uniform.

The following officials and employees of the National Park Service, whether permanent of temporary, shall wear the standard uniform when assigned to duty in any of the National Parks as well as all Historical Parks, National monuments, and other open areas that are open to tourists and visitors.

Superintendents, Assistant superintendents, Custodians rangers, Naturalists, Ranger-Naturalists, Military Park Guards, Museum attendants, Hot Springs National Park Policemen, and other National Park and national monuments employees whose duties are chiefly to attract and to contact park visitors and to protect visitors and to protect the areas adminstered by the National Park Service.

The Uniform is not to be worn by an official or employee when he is not on a duty status.

Emergency Conservation Work and other Emergency employees, when assigned to regular Public Contract service shall wear the Uniform when specificially authorized by the Director.

No other employees of the National Park Service shall wear the Standard Uniform.

ECW supervisitory personnel shall wear the ECW authorized uniform. Other temporary employees or members of other Branches of the National Park Service may wear the special uniform Authorized by the Director, but shall not wear the standard uniform or Insignia prescribed for permenantly appointed or regular National Park Service officials and employees.

I. STANDARD UNIFORM

The standard uniform consists of the following garments and the authorized accessories is prescribed for all formal wear and ordinary usage:

A. Hat

Stiff brim 3 to 3-1/2 inches wide, and 4 to 4-5/8 inch crown, side color. Hat to be worn with the approved leather. Hat band and two silver Sequoia cones.

Width of brim and hieght of crown of hat may be varied, within these dimensions, to suit the size or conformation of the wearer.

B. Cap

The approved NPS cap of the same material as uniform with approved chin strap fastened with two silver Sequoia cones is prescribed for Rangers assigned to Motor Cycle duty

C. Coat

Three or four button Military sack having open collar, Pinch back, two breast pockets, pleated, and two side pockets, bellows type; all outside pockets to have flaps, fastened with small service buttons.

The coat shall be worn on all normal occasions. It may be dispenced with only in hot weather when the superintendent or the custodian authorizes it.

D. Breeches

Of the same material as coat; full peg with two side or top pockets, two hip pockets ; and one watch pocket ; buttoned at the knee openings, with or without knee reinforcement, and double seat of the same material.

Breeches are considered as essential part of the formal uniform.

E.Trousers

Of same material as coat, straight leg, with I-1/2 inch cuff, two side, two hip, and one watch pocket ; may be worn in lieu of breeches;

(1) In such eastern National Parks, Military Parks, National Monuments, and in other areas when extrememly warm weather prevails for considerable periods.
(2) Policemen at Hot Springs National Park.
(3) By superintendents, Custodians, and other members of the field personnel on informal occasions.
F. Field Boots

Leather field boots of medium weight, with laced instep and laced side at top shall be worn with breeches.

F-1. Shoes

Oxford type with plain dark brown socks and they may be worn with trousers.

G. Shirts

Collar attached type of flannel, Wool; Gabardine: or of cotton material, steel gray color, for all normal duty.

A white shirt and collar is authorized for formal occasions only.

A field shirt with collar attached, shoulder straps, two large plaited breast pockets fastened with buttons, steel grey, is prescribed for wear without coats, Such shirts may be flannel, Gaberiadine or cotton material.

H. Tie

Four in hand barathea silk, full wool lined, dark green.

I. Overcoat

Double breasted, four button Mackinaw type with convertaiable collar, two side patch pockets and sewed on half belt in back.

Coat may be unlined or lined with fleece, or any other materail.

J. Raincoat

Double breasted, full belt, set-in-sleeves, calflength of light weight weather-proof material such as alligater cloth or olive green color is authorized.

J-1. raincoat

Double breasted, calflength, trench coat style with raglan sleeves, full belt and diagonial pockets of forestry green, Weather-proof Gaberiadine.

For all formal occassions such as inspections, official receptions, etc. the standard uniform for Superintendents, shall consist of : Hat, Coat, Breeches, Field Boots, steel grayor white shirt, Dark green tie, and all proper insignia and assessories.

The overcoat shall be considered and essential part of the formal when the weather conditions require its use.

II. FATIGUE UNIFORM

The fatigue uniform is prescribed for informal wear such as patrel and general field duty, fatigue use, and when the purpose of the service is other than public contact, or when the nature of the duty is such that the standard uniform would be inappropiate. It shall consist of;

A. Hat

The regulation hat and hat band.

B. Jacket

The National Park Service Field Jacket is slightly longer than the conventinial cossack, but shorter than the cruiser type jacket. It has a waist band approximately two inches wide with adjustable buckles at the side. The Jacket fastens in the front with full length talon fasteners, and has two large plaited breast pockets with flaps fastened with small regulation buttons. From the top of the breast pockets over the shoulder s and full length of back, material is double. The lower part of the back provides a large pocket, closing with talon fasteners on each side under the arms.

C. Breeches

The regulation breeches

D. Trousers

Regulation trousers. Acanvas or any other waterproof material trousers of forestry green or light tan may be authorized when field conditions make this type of garment desireable.

E. Shirt

The regulation shirt, either of wool or of cotton.

F. Tie

The necktie may or may not be worn as diricted by Supt.

G. Boots

Heavey leatherlace boots -10 -16 inch top or standard field boot.

Badges or collar ornaments, and rank Insignia shall be worn on the field jacket and on shirts when worn without coats or jackets. In the same position as prescribed for the coat and o vercoat of the standard uniform.

III WINTER SPORTS PATROL UNIFORM

For the antional parks and ither areas haveing established winter sports seasons the following articles of uniform are prescribed for wear by rangers and other employees whose duties require thier presence with visitors at snow sports activities and who are desiginated to wear them by the supt. Or custodian.

A.Cap

Ski cap type of NPS design, haveing adjustable ear flaps and with embriodered NPS insignia on the front.

B. Jacket

The NPS field or fatigue jacket.

C.Trousers

Ski Trousers with full length cuffs, 20 inches or larger leg and knit ankle cuff.

D. Boots

Ski boots of leather of conventional design.

E. Socks

Heavey wool with dark green top, or in lieu of socks, olive green or steel grey ski leggings or spats.

F. [this is supposed to be Parka]

With or without hood, light wieght weather-proof material either waist or Knee length, of forestry green or steel grey.

IV. MATERIALS

Forestry green elastique cloth, I6 to 22 ounce weight is prescribed for cap, coat, breeches, trousers, and jacket of standard, fatigue,and winter sports uniforms. All articles of a suit shall be of the same weight material.

For use in the areas where climatic conditions require a lighter weight uniform for comfort, light weight gabaradine or tropicial worsted cloth of about I2 oune weight is authorized for the various articles of the standard and fatigue uniforms, subject however to approval of the director for each field unit concerned.

For stry green elastique cloth, 22 to 30 ounce weight is prescribed for overcoat material.

Forestry or olive greeen patened waterproof cloth such as Alligater, -forestry green cravenetted gaberadine, I2 to I8 ounces wieght are also prescribed for raincoat material.

Flannel, wool Gabardine, twill, broadcloth, or poplin cloth of steel grey color are authorized for shirts or shiting materials.

Dark green Barathea silk with full wool lineing is prescribed for the necktie,

First quality calf skin or horsehide leather is recommended for field boots, shoes, hat bands and chin straps. All leather articles and accessories shall be uniform cordovan color.

V. BADGES, BUTTONS, COLLAR ORNAMENTS, INSIGNIAS, HAT*BANDS CHIN STRAPS, AND BELTS

A. BADGES

Prescribed for use by Superintendents, Custodians Rangers, and fire guards as follows.

(1) Superintendents and Custodians, Round badge, made of gold.

(2) Chief rangers and assistant Chief rangers, Shield Badge, gold plated.

(3) Park Rangers, Ranger Naturalists guards, and Park Rangers (temporary) shield badge, (Nickel plated)

(3-a) Park guards, same as Park Ran. With word guard instead of "Ranger".

(4) Fire Guards -- Shield badge, Bronze metal, numbered serially.

Park Naturalists may be issued ranger badges when they enforce Park regulations.

Superintendents, Custodians, rangers, and fire guards shall wear thier badges on thier uniforms at all times, The badge shall be worn ove rthe left the pleat of the left breast pocket, Immediately below the button on coats and fatigue jackets, It shall be worn displayed on approximately the same position on field shirts and overcoats.

ALL BADGES SHALL REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE GOVERNMENT

A deposit of [$]5.00 will be required of temporary rangers and fire guards to whom the badges are issued. This sum will be returned-----Upon surrender of the badge for which it was deposited. If the badge should be lost, an additional deposit of $5.00 will be required before another badge may be issued.

A.-1 BELT

Forestry green, web-waist belt, 1-1/8 inches wide, with buckle of a design approved by the Director, is prescribed for wear when breeches are worn without coat.

B. BUTTONS

Buttons of three sizes, large for overcoats, meium for coats, and small for pocket flaps, of bronze, and of a design as approved by the Director are prescribed.

C. COLLAR ORNAMENTS

Of rolled gold or gilt of a design approved by the Director shall be worn on coats, overcoats, fatigue jackets, and field shirts, one device shall be attached in a horizontal position to each side of the collar.

D. RANGER INSIGNIA

Indicating the various grades, is prescribed for wear by Rangers only. The Sequoia cone and foliage have been adopted as the basic sleeve insignia and the differentiation in rank is indicated by the number of cones, as follows:

Chief RangersThree cones with foliage
Assistant Chief RangersTwo cones with foliage
Rangers (Permanent)One cone with foliage
Rangers (Temporary)Foliage only
Ranger-NaturalistBear with foliage
E. SERVICE INSIGNIA

Indicating length of service as a member of the National Park Service is prescribed as follows:

After the first star is earned, bars shall be discontinued to indicate service of less than five-year periods. For each five-year period of completed service, a silver embroidered star.

The service insignia shall be worn on the cuff of the left sleeve of the coat and overcoat, the lower stripe or star shall be placed 1-1/2" above end of sleeve. When stripes and stars are worn, stars shall be placed uppermost. When more than one star is worn, they shall be arranged horizontally up to four and triangularly when more than four stars are worn.

F. HAT BANDS

Of calf skin, cordovan color, 1-1/8 inch wide, embossed with evergreen twigs and cones and the letters U.S.N.P.S." and ornamented with two silver Sequoia cones, is prescribed for wear on the hat.

G. CHIN STRAP

Of calf skin or same design as the hat band, cordovan color, embossed with evergreen twigs and cones, and the letters "U.S.N.P.S." with silver Sequoia cone fasteners, is prescribed as a part of the uniform cap.

VI. RESPONSIBILITY FOR CORRECTNESS OF ARTICLES AND PROPER USE OF UNIFORM

Employees designated to wear the National Park Service uniform shall, at their own expense, provide and wear uniforms as herein prescribed. They are responsible for compliance with the material and pattern specifications and for the proper use of their uniforms as required in these regulations and by the superintendent or custodian in charge of their field unit.

Superintendents, custodians, and supervisory officials shall, by frequent inspection, see that all members of their organizations required to wear uniforms are properly equipped with all necessary articles of clothing and accessories, and that they wear same in accordance with these regulations. They are responsible for the type of material used, and for the uniformity of all members of their organization. They shall prescribe conditions for the use of the field and winter sports uniforms, and for all seasonal changes. No employee required to wear the standard uniform shall be permitted to remain on duty improperly dressed.

All articles of uniform prescribed herein shall be in accordance with designs and specifications approved by the Director.

Articles of uniform authorized under the provisions of office order number 268 may be continued in use until worn out, Provided such use shall not extend beyond December 31, 1936, when these regulations cancel and supercede all previously issued uniform regulations.



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