U.S. Marines are to be allowed to use umbrellas, a reversal of long-standing tradition.
The change will be announced in a message Thursday evening, according to Task & Purpose. “Marines can carry an all-black, plain, standard or collapsible umbrella at their option during inclement weather with the service and dress uniforms,” the directive reads.
In 2013, President Barack Obama was heavily criticized for asking Marines to shelter him from the rain during a visit from then-Turkish premier Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “I am going to go ahead and ask folks, why don’t we get a couple of Marines — they’re going to look good next to us — just because I’ve got a change of suits but I don’t know about our prime minister,” he said as two Marines appeared at the lecterns with umbrellas. “There we go. That’s good.”
The U.S. Marine Corps was established in 1775. The modern steel-ribbed umbrella was invented in 1852.
An exception to the new rule is the use of an umbrella while in camouflage uniforms, which will still be disallowed. Previously, the only Marines who could carry umbrellas were females who were wearing service or dress uniforms.
Mary Boyt, the uniform board’s program manager, said that the decision came from Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger.
“The option to authorize the use of umbrellas when in uniform has been presented to previous commandants,” she said. “However, it has only recently been approved by Gen. Berger.”
Other branches of the military have been allowed to use umbrellas, so the move carries significance. Additional modifications to the uniform policy include changes to the Marine Corps guidance on earrings and ponytails.
