Army Service Uniform Regulations: ASU, AGSU, and Grooming Rules

Army Service Uniform regulations are set out in Army Regulation 670-1 and its companion DA PAM 670-1, which together control every visible detail of how a soldier appears in uniform. The Army currently fields two service uniforms in parallel: the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU) and the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU). The AGSU is gradually replacing the ASU as everyday service dress, and the ASU wear-out date is September 30, 2027. After that, the blue uniform will be redesignated “Army Blue” and reserved for formal and ceremonial occasions.¹

The Two Service Uniforms and What Goes With Each

The blue ASU pairs a blue coat and trousers or slacks (skirt options for women) with a white long- or short-sleeve shirt. Men wear a necktie; women wear a neck tab with the long-sleeve shirt. Headgear is the black beret. Footwear is black oxfords, with optional pumps for women. Trouser braid varies by rank, and privates through specialists wear no braid.¹

The AGSU draws on the World War II “pinks and greens” look. The coat is heritage green, paired with taupe trousers or slacks and a khaki long- or short-sleeve shirt. Headgear switches to the garrison cap or service cap rather than the beret. Footwear is walnut brown oxfords, with optional walnut brown pumps for women. The possession date for those shoes is October 1, 2027, meaning every soldier must own them by then. Brown leather combat boots are authorized with bloused trousers, but only for airborne, air assault, Ranger, or military police soldiers.¹ Both coats and trousers use a 55/45 polyester-wool blend.²

Grooming You Have to Meet Before Putting the Uniform On

Hair

Male soldiers keep hair neatly groomed with a tapered appearance that conforms to the shape of the head. When combed, hair cannot fall over the ears or eyebrows or touch the collar. Moderate block-cut fullness in the back is allowed as long as the taper is maintained.²

Female soldiers have more styling flexibility but face specific measurements. Bulk generally cannot exceed two inches from the scalp. Buns sit on the back of the head, extending no more than three inches from the scalp and no wider than the head. Ponytails cannot hang more than six inches below the top of the collar. Braids are limited to two running down the center of the back, each no wider than two inches.³

Facial Hair, Cosmetics, and Nails

Facial hair is prohibited unless a soldier holds an approved religious accommodation or a medical profile. Even with an accommodation, beards must stay under two inches measured from the bottom of the chin, and the accommodation must be approved before the soldier starts growing the beard.⁴

Cosmetics must be conservative and complement the uniform. Female soldiers may wear clear nail polish only. Male soldiers may not wear any nail polish, including clear, unless they have a medical exemption.³

Tattoos, Jewelry, and Eyewear

Tattoos

Army Directive 2022-09 loosened the tattoo rules, but location limits still apply. Allowed placements now include:

One visible tattoo per hand, not exceeding one inch in any direction, plus unlimited tattoos between the fingers as long as they are not visible when the fingers are closed, and one ring tattoo per hand.
One tattoo behind each ear, not exceeding one inch and not extending forward of the earlobe.
One tattoo on the back of the neck, not exceeding two inches in any direction.

Tattoos remain prohibited on the face, head, and inside the eyelids, mouth, and ears. Permanent makeup falls under separate grooming rules. Extremist, indecent, or racist tattoos are banned anywhere on the body. Soldiers who received a tattoo validation memorandum before the 2022 directive keep their previously documented hand or neck tattoos as authorized.⁵

Jewelry

In uniform, you can wear a wristwatch, a religious or identification bracelet, and up to two rings total. A wedding set counts as one ring. One activity tracker or heart rate monitor is also permitted. Authorized bracelets are limited to medical alert, MIA/POW/KIA (black or silver), and religious types that resemble identification bracelets. Only one item per wrist is authorized besides the activity tracker. Ankle bracelets, toe rings, visible necklaces, and medallions are off-limits.²

Female soldiers may wear matched stud earrings in the earlobe, one per ear. Authorized materials are gold, silver, clear diamond, or white pearl, and the stud cannot exceed six millimeters in diameter. Hoop and drop styles are not allowed. Earrings may not be worn during physical fitness activities, in tactical environments, or in the physical fitness uniform. Male soldiers are not authorized to wear earrings in any uniform or while on duty in civilian clothes.³

Eyewear

Conservative sunglasses are authorized in garrison but not indoors. Lenses must be traditional gray, brown, or dark green. Red, yellow, blue, purple, or orange lenses are prohibited, along with frames carrying conspicuous logos. Frames cannot be so oversized or undersized that they detract from the uniform. Glasses may not be worn on top of the head, hung from the uniform, or attached to chains or ribbons. Eyeglass restraint bands are only authorized when safety requires them.⁶

Religious Accommodations

Soldiers with an approved religious accommodation may wear certain items that would otherwise violate grooming or headgear rules. Accommodations are granted case by case and must be approved before the soldier makes any change to their appearance.⁴

A hijab worn under an accommodation must be a subdued color that closely matches the assigned uniform: generally black, brown, green, tan, or navy blue. It fits closely to the head and neck, cannot cover the eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, nose, mouth, or chin, and the bottom edges tuck under the uniform top. A camouflage-pattern hijab is authorized with the combat uniform. Commanders can require fire-resistant material when duties demand it.²

Turbans and under-turbans follow similar color-matching rules. In units that wear the maroon, tan, or green beret, the turban color follows the unit commander’s direction. Accommodated soldiers are not required to wear military headgear over the turban unless the assignment calls for the Advanced Combat Helmet or other protective gear. When military headgear would normally be worn, rank is displayed on the turban; when it would not, rank is removed.²

Insignia and Award Placement

Insignia placement is the detail-intensive part of service dress and the most common source of failed inspections. Every measurement is verified with a ruler or the DA PAM 670-1 placement template, and a quarter-inch off can draw a correction.

ASU Layout

On the ASU coat, the nameplate goes on the right side, centered on the pocket flap for men or one to two inches above the top button for women. Ribbons sit on the left, centered one-eighth inch above the top of the pocket. Marksmanship badges go one-eighth inch below the ribbons or the top of the pocket flap, and multiple badges are spaced one inch apart. Unit awards center one-eighth inch above the nameplate on the right chest. The U.S. insignia sits on the right coat lapel, one inch above the notch and centered for enlisted soldiers, with branch insignia mirroring on the left. Officers position these on the upper and lower lapel sections with the bottom of each insignia horizontal.²

AGSU Layout

The AGSU follows a different layout, and a nameplate is not authorized on the AGSU or its components. Identification badges on the AGSU coat center on the pocket between the bottom of the flap and the bottom of the pocket for male soldiers. For female soldiers, the badge centers with its bottom parallel to the third buttonhole of the coat, and placement may be adjusted slightly to conform to individual body shape. Only one identification badge per side is authorized on the AGSU.⁷

Where You Can and Can’t Wear the Uniform

The combat uniform (ACU) is the primary daily duty uniform, prescribed year-round unless a commander directs otherwise. The AGSU is authorized year-round and is worn when a commander prescribes it for office environments or when soldiers choose it for travel, social functions, or official events. The ASU fills the more formal role at ceremonies, funerals, and formal events.²

Soldiers may wear the service or combat uniform off-post unless their commander prohibits it. The uniform is banned in any off-post establishment that primarily sells alcohol. If an establishment serves both food and alcohol, the uniform is allowed there as long as the visit centers on eating. Wearing the uniform during off-duty civilian employment or commercial activity is prohibited.⁶ Hospital and food service uniforms cannot be worn off-installation at all except while commuting between quarters and the duty station.

Wearing any military uniform at political fundraisers, rallies, conventions, or campaign events is prohibited for active-duty personnel, and the ban covers partisan and nonpartisan activities alike. DoD Directive 1344.10 further bars active-duty members from making political speeches or managing campaigns regardless of whether they are in uniform.⁸

Misusing the uniform can lead to non-judicial punishment under Article 15 of the UCMJ. Commanders can impose punishments ranging from extra duty for up to 45 days, to forfeiture of up to half a month’s pay for two months, to reduction in grade. Severity depends on the commander’s rank and the nature of the offense.⁹ Federal law also prohibits civilians from wearing the Army uniform or any distinctive part of it outside a narrow set of exceptions.¹⁰

Maternity Uniform Rules

Both service uniforms have maternity versions. The ASU-Maternity includes a tunic, slacks, skirt, shirt, neck tab, headgear, footwear, and hosiery. The AGSU-Maternity mirrors these components with the addition of a necktie option and socks or hosiery.²

Under Army Directive 2025-02, commanders cannot require a soldier to wear the ASU or AGSU while pregnant or for 365 days after the pregnancy ends. During that window, the soldier may wear the maternity or non-maternity permethrin-free combat uniform instead, and may mix maternity ACU trousers with a non-maternity combat coat. A soldier can voluntarily return to the standard service uniform before the 365 days are up, but leaders cannot pressure that decision. No favorable or unfavorable action may be taken based on which uniform a soldier chooses during the exemption window.¹¹

Retirees and Veterans in Uniform

Retired soldiers not on active duty may wear the Army uniform on specific occasions:

Military funerals, memorial services, weddings, inaugurations, and similar ceremonies.
National or state patriotic parades and ceremonies where a military unit participates.

These occasions are limited to service and dress uniforms. The combat uniform and physical fitness uniform are not authorized for ceremonial wear. Retirees may not mix their retired-grade uniform with the current active-duty configuration, and they are not authorized to wear the uniform as instructors at civilian educational institutions unless those institutions conduct military-approved courses.¹²

Federal law separately authorizes retired officers to bear the title and wear the uniform of their retired grade. A person honorably discharged may wear the uniform while traveling home within three months of discharge. Actors may wear the uniform in theatrical or film productions as long as the portrayal does not discredit the armed forces.¹³

Clothing Allowances

Officers buy their own uniforms. The initial clothing allowance upon commissioning is $2,144.47 for men and $2,475.17 for women.¹⁴ After that, replacement costs come out of pocket.

Enlisted soldiers get their initial issue at no cost and then receive an annual clothing replacement allowance. For FY2026, the basic annual allowance is $429.23 for men and $427.00 for women. Soldiers who have served long enough to qualify for the standard rate receive $613.19 for men or $610.00 for women.¹⁵ With the AGSU transition requiring new shoes, headgear, and a full coat and trouser set, that allowance goes fast. Buying items incrementally against issue dates absorbs the transition cost more easily than waiting until the deadline.

1
U.S. Army. DA PAM 670-1 – Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
2
Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 670-1 – Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
3
U.S. Army. Army Directive 2025-18 – Appearance, Grooming, and Army Body Composition
4
The Inspector General. IG Update 23-2 – Grooming Policies Armywide
5
U.S. Army. Army Directive 2022-09 – Soldier Tattoos
6
U.S. Army. AR 670-1 – Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
7
Army Publishing Directorate. DA PAM 670-1 – Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
8
Department of Defense. DoD Directive 1344.10 – Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 815 – Art 15 Commanding Officers Non-Judicial Punishment
10
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 771 – Unauthorized Wearing Prohibited
11
Army Human Performance Resource Center. Army Directive 2025-02 – Parenthood, Pregnancy, and Postpartum
12
U.S. Army Central. AR 670-1 – Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
13
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 772 – When Wearing by Persons Not on Active Duty Authorized
14
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Standard Initial Military Clothing Allowance
15
Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Clothing Replacement Allowance