With the toll of Marines killed in Iraq mounting, the Marine Corps is no longer requiring the Marines notifying families of such deaths to wear the Corps' distinctive dress blue uniform.
The change, authorized by Commandant Gen. Michael Hagee, was made because the public was beginning to associate the blue uniform, usually worn during ceremonial or joyous occasions, with death and tragedy, officials said.
Officers and senior enlisted Marines making notification visits are now ordered to wear the Corps' green uniform, known as alphas.
Marine uniforms -- A March 20 article in Section A about the Marine Corps altering its dress code rules for casualty notification calls said that only Marines wear their dress uniforms in those circumstances. In fact, other branches of the military also wear a dress uniform when making those calls. Only the Marines have worn their most formal attire, known as dress blues, on casualty notification calls.
The switch has caused a rift among active-duty and retired Marines. Some, including recruiters and casualty assistance officers, applaud the switch. But others say it smacks of disrespect for the dead Marines and their families.
"Casualty notification is a solemn event and deserves full honors," said Col. John Toolan, who disagrees with the switch.
Toolan, who led the 1st Marine Regiment during the 2003 assault on Baghdad and April's offensive in Fallouja, said the dress blues were a perfect symbol of "a noble profession that must often balance the euphoria of battles won and the pain of brothers lost."
But Gunnery Sgt. Cindy Grubb, operations chief for the Corps' casualty branch, said wearing the dress blues while notifying families had begun to associate the uniform unfairly with bad news.
"We want to keep that positive image of the blues," she said.
The latest casualty count shows 1,513 members of the U.S. military killed in Iraq, including more than 460 Marines. Most of the Marines were part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force based at Camp Pendleton.
The uniform change, announced to Marines last month, is part of an overhaul of the Corps' procedure for notifying families and providing them with emotional and financial support.
The goal is to make notifications quicker and with more information about the cause of death and then be able to provide help for family members, including aid in arranging funerals and burials. Marine Corps brass were displeased after the assault on Baghdad with how casualty notifications were being handled on the home front.
The dress blue uniforms are still authorized for funerals and memorial services, as well as weddings, Toys for Tots events and the annual Marine Corps birthday celebration. Considered the most distinctive of all U.S. military uniforms, the dress blues are also featured in Marine Corps recruiting advertisements.
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