All these wont happen if you take some pride in your
turnout.
That's not fair. The reality is it's more specific to the
particular unit culture, where - if anything - standardization is
more of the keyword. It's par for the course that personnel at
division or formation levels (or units that share the same army
camp with them) are expected to wear smart 4's; ditto for those PES
C guys with 8-to-5:30 vocations.
But IMO combat-outfit troops aren't as strangled with such
chickensh!t customs. Of course, they must be presentable when
booking in/out but, attire-wise, it could be civilian (most
popular), PT kit, smart 4 or long 4.
Heck, even the daytime sentry guards for these places aren't that
consistent with folded or unfolded sleeves.
Again, IMO "symmetry" is the emphasis. FYI My own reservist unit
designated long 4's as the standard attire (in camp, out to field,
book out, et al), but it could never be consistently enforced -
even officers rolled up their sleeves. & whenever the senior
trainer or "visiting" colonel complained about the, ahem,
non-uniform (pun) uniforms, all they verbally asked for was for
everyone to conform to a coherent appearance - & nothing
more.
For the record, I'm inclined to hold that smart 4's are "neater"
& more orderly (particularly out in the field), but long 4's
provide for more ventilation (with the cuffs unbuttoned). Some of
us improvised with what could be called the "casual 4" - one-fold
sleeves that cover the biceps up to the elbow - as early as the 2nd
year of "active" service, but worn commonly together with the
webbing & certainly not near a RSM or RP back in base.
