I noticed that some soldiers and SOFs wear pants bottoms down to the top of the shoes whereas others either roll it up or tuck it into the boots. Are there any advantages or disadvantages with either method? I would think that tucking the pants bottoms into the boots would prevent them from getting wet when walking into puddles or shallow streams.

Do some units prefer one method or the other? For instance, I noticed that most PMCs don't tuck in their pants bottoms.

Thanks in advance.

The appearance of "tucked in" trouser legs usually is accomplished using blousing bands, which are elastic bands wrapped around the top of boots, with the hem of the trousers tucked up under the bands. My understanding is that some Ranger / Airborne types actually tuck their trouser legs into their paratrooper boot tops, creating a peg leg look. The look where the trouser hems come to the top of the foot, un-bloused, are a result of military minds realizing that blousing boots prevents venting in hot and humid climates, adding to heat stress. In training in Southern state in the US during the summer months, Marine and Army training cadres will tell trainees to un-blouse boots on hot days.

Hope this helps...

Semper Fi,
JSN

Being an ex M113 driver and short in stature, I used to drive basically standing up. We used to have ours pants un-bloused to stop creepy crawlies from falling from trees, down the back of our shirts and getting stuck in out pant legs. However, outside the car, bloused, to stop them crawling up!

I think a lot of it now days has to do with "look at me, I'm so hard I don't apply with standing orders!!!".
Or, a lot of SF guys prefer to wear hiking boots, instead of standard issue high leg/ankle boots.
For instance an Australian who was awarded the Victoria Cross a couple of years ago, was wearing Nike cross trainers at the time.

Cheers Jason

I know for the Canadian Army while in the sand box. Blousing while in KAF (Kandahar Air Field). And the local FOB's. Once you where outside the wire, it was usually base on the Platoon Warrant's direction. Personally it didn't matter to me. As long as rounds went down range.

Cheers,
Tom

Speaking as a retired NCO of the USArmy type. The Army regs call for the boots to be bloused(tucked into)the boot top and boot laces tucked into the boot tops with the trousers falling down slightly over the tops of the boots.
Maybe the Marines were different but NCOs that were worth there salt and carried out their job(part of which is maintaining order,discipline and keeping the troops in the prescribed uniform) would never let their troops use blousing rubbers. Not only are they unauthorized as per A/R but they constrict the blood flow to the feet. If the weather was hot and the orders came down to untuck boots then it was allowed. In the 82nd Airborne we never once allowed that during my time there in hot-ass North Carolina.
We always looked on troops that were allowed by their officers and/or NCOs to wear what they wanted as an undisciplined mob. Think about it. If you can't even get your troops to wear the prescribed uniform correctly,how are you gonna control them in combat? HMMMM?

SpecOps are a different matter. They have a whole different mission and way of life.
But if you check out the Para Regts in the 82nd Abn or the Ranger Bn s you will see uniformity that is policed by good NCOs. Period.
I can't speak for the leg units.
J

Bwaaaahaaahaaha!! Good one.
J