Latest Navy Locker app guides sailors through new uniform regs

Sailors adjusting to the most recently released Navy Working Uniform Type III guidelines can now turn to their smartphones for guidance, according to a Navy press release. The OPNAV Uniform app made available this month is the latest in the Navy’s initiative to make resources more accessible to sailors.

The app itself is available for iOS or Android mobile devices, according to the Chief of Naval Personnel. It can also be downloaded as part of the Navy App Locker. According to the Navy press release, it was developed using commercial off-the-shelf software by the U.S. Navy Sea Warrior Mobility Program and Tracen Technologies, Inc.

The app “collects data from various Department of the Navy sources to provide all sailors with the information and guidance necessary to successfully transition and properly wear the NWU Type III uniform and associated components,” according to the application’s introductory statement.

The menu under the NWU Type III selection allows the user to select from different information categories from Occasions for Wear, to Male Enlisted Working Uniform, to Uniform Care. Certain categories include images of the uniform component described, however according to a Navy spokesperson, the illustrative component is still being developed.

The Frequently Asked Questions menu category offers clarification on authorized fleece colors, umbrella use, and where certain patches should be worn, among other topics. It was not clear how these topics had been selected, however the spokesperson clarified that standard open source application software would incorporate data from user searches and clicks to expand the category options.

A key feature of the app is a mechanism for sailors to submit feedback, which will be incorporated into future updates of the app, according to the spokesperson.

The app will also be updated in accordance with updates to the NWU Type III codes.