Military Jackets
Our military jackets bring together the cold weather designs U.S. troops and aircrews made famous, built today by Rothco for everyday wear, the field and the range. The collection spans more than 40 styles.
- Field jackets: the M-65 Field Jacket with a water-repellent shell, a removable quilted liner and a hood that stows in the collar, plus vintage and lightweight versions, the M-65 Storm Jacket and a separate M-65 liner.
- Flight jackets: the MA-1 in standard, lightweight, enhanced nylon, quilted, hooded and patched versions, the CWU-45P, a classic A-2 leather jacket and a vintage B-15A bomber.
- Parkas and coats: the N-3B parka, M-51 fishtail parkas in solid and camo, an anorak parka, a wool pea coat and the Naval Heritage pea coat.
- Fleece and quilted layers: a Generation III Level 3 ECWCS fleece jacket, a Spec Ops tactical fleece, Trailsman sherpa fleece, grid and quarter-zip pullovers and the quilted woobie jacket.
The M-65 alone comes in olive drab, coyote brown, black, navy, khaki, woodland and other camo patterns, with long sizes and sizes past 4XL. Women's MA-1s and kids' M-65 and flight jackets round out the range.
A note for service members: the M-65 and MA-1 are retired issue items, and these jackets are commercial reproductions. The Army allows the ECWCS Layer III fleece as an outer garment with OCP only when your commander authorizes it, in coyote brown. Read the regulation section below before wearing any of these with a uniform.
A Short History of Classic Military Jackets
The M-1965 field jacket, officially the "Coat, Cold Weather, Field," entered U.S. service in 1965. It replaced the M-1951, which had built on the World War II M-1943. The M-65 added a hood that rolls into the collar and a button-in liner, and it started out in olive drab OG-107 before woodland camo arrived in 1981. The U.S. stopped issuing it around 2009 as ECWCS layers took over.
Flight jackets have their own line. The A-2 leather jacket dates to 1931. The nylon MA-1, usually sage green with a blaze orange lining, is now obsolete as issue gear, while the CWU-45/P remains in use as a cold weather flight jacket made of flame-resistant Nomex.
How to Choose a Military Jacket
Field Jackets for Three-Season Use
If you buy one jacket, make it an M-65. Wear the shell alone in spring and fall, button in the quilted liner for winter, or wear the liner by itself. Four front pockets hold more than most jackets, and the adjustable waist and hem help keep wind out.
Flight Jackets for Town and Travel
MA-1 military jackets are short, light and easy to wear over a T-shirt or hoodie. Pick the lightweight version for mild weather or the quilted and hooded versions for more warmth. Rothco's CWU-45P gives you the look of the current aircrew jacket, but it's a commercial version, so don't assume it has the flame resistance of the issue Nomex jacket.
Parkas and Pea Coats for Real Cold
The N-3B is a hip-length hooded parka for deep cold, and the M-51 fishtail parka is longer, with a split tail that wraps the legs. A wool pea coat is the dressier choice, with Navy roots and a heavy fabric that cuts wind.
Sizing Military Jackets
Field jackets and parkas are cut to go over a sweater, so most people take their normal chest size. Flight jackets fit closer at the waist and cuffs, so size up if you want room for a hoodie. The M-65 comes in long lengths for taller builds; choose long if sleeves on standard jackets stop above your wrist bone.
Military Jackets and AR 670-1
None of these Rothco military jackets is an issue item, and the patterns that made them famous, OG-107 and woodland, are retired. For current Army wear, DA PAM 670-1 lists the ECWCS Generation III coat as a normal accessory with the combat uniform, and paragraph 4-7f lets Soldiers wear ECWCS jackets, including the Layer III fleece, as outer garments when the commander authorizes it. The fleece issued for the OCP uniform is coyote brown.
What Can Be Worn on Duty?
Under paragraph 4-7q, Soldiers who buy uniform items commercially are responsible for making sure they meet military specifications. Our Generation III Level 3 ECWCS fleece in coyote brown follows the issue design, but it's a commercial version, so confirm it's acceptable with your unit first. M-65s, flight jackets, parkas and pea coats are for off-duty, training-area and civilian wear. Unit and command policies can be stricter than the regulation.
Who Wears These Jackets Today
Veterans wear them out of habit, collectors and reenactors use the vintage versions for period impressions, airsoft players pick camo M-65s for the field, and plenty of people simply want a jacket that holds up to years of use.