Military drops BCG Glasses

[Muck]

Military dumps infamous ?BCG? eyeglasses

Military recruits who wear glasses no longer will have to endure the embarrassment of sporting BCGs - those beloved standard-issue specs, technically called S9s, which are universally known as "Birth Control Glasses" because they're supposedly so unattractive.

The Naval Medical Logistics Command has chosen a new design, which will be offered to all active-duty and Reserve personnel and will be the sole choice for service members at recruit depots.

The glasses, with a hipster, Buddy Holly vibe, will soon be the rage on recruits' faces in Great Lakes, Ill., Parris Island, S.C., Fort Sill, Okla., Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, and elsewhere.

"Service members have told us they like the appearance of the new frame. We are confident this frame will increase the likelihood that military personnel will continue to utilize their eyeglasses beyond boot camp," said Capt. Matt Newton, commander of the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Activity, Yorktown, Va.

.../cont/...

Technically the 'Frames of Choice' program has been around a few years so new service members weren't absolutely stuck with BCGs.


I find it funny that the new 'cooler' R-5A frames actually more closely resemble the ORIGINAL BCGs from way back when?

 

[Jake]

 

[DubCoffman62]

I had a pair of those. I'd thought that in the late 80's or early 90's they'd gone to something a little more stylish.

 

[DubCoffman62]

This is the style I was issued in 89. They're still the current issue BCGs mentioned in the article.

That's right, I remember the brown frames. In '87 I was issued the Barry Goldwater glasses, black horn rimmed beauties.

 

[Taosman]

My first glasses.(unbreakable?)
I broke many a pair of those playing sports.

 

[BuckeyeSoldier]

This must be the conservatives trying to remove another form or birth control!

 

[Mike80]

Yeah I went through 3-4 pairs in Saudi (where the pic was taken*). The hinges were definitely the weak link.

*Speaking of which that pic has me stumped. I had never looked at it that closely and had assumed it was after we had gone into Kuwait. The assumption was based on the belief that I was wearing a MOPP suit in the pic...but that's not it, it's a field jacket (shoulder epaulettes and zipper). But I never had a field jacket in Saudi that I recall, we were issued the desert night parkas instead. So WTF?

well you do have the cookie dough uniform on under it....

Maybe your memory is faulty