The M-1965 Field Jacket (also known as M65, M-65 Field Jacket, and Coat, Cold Weather, Man's Field), named after the year it was introduced, is a popular field jacket initially designed for the United States Army under the MIL-C-43455 standard by Alpha Industries. It was introduced into U.S. military service in 1965 to replace the previous M-1951 field jacket, itself an improvement on the M-1943 field jacket introduced during World War II, although the M-51 continued to be issued for quite some time. The M65 field jacket was widely used by United States forces during the Vietnam War in which the jacket became useful for troops serving in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam due to its wind and rain resistance, especially in the monsoon season and after. It was a standard issue to US troops in several other wars all around the globe as well, due to its long service life. Variations of the jacket are used in countries like Austria or South Korea.
The jacket has also been produced for civilian use since at least the early 1970s, and has been available in many different colors and patterns, many of which were never used by the United States Army or any other armed service. The front portion of the jacket has two large hip pockets and two medium-sized breast pockets. The collar of the jacket features a zipper which houses a protective hood. The M-1965 field jacket can be combined with a button-in insulated lining for cold-weather wear, as well as a button-on fur trimmed winter hood. The jacket is fastened with a large aluminum (later brass, then nylon) zipper, with a storm flap fastened with snaps covering it.
The jacket is constructed of a durable cotton or cotton-nylon or cotton-polyester blend sateen fabric, which was windproof due to its tight weave and water-resistant due to that and chemical treatment, originally in OG-107. Like many other uniform items at the time and in the past, Marine Corps examples were stamped with "USMC". Later, the jacket was issued in the brown-dominant Woodland camouflage pattern beginning in 1981, coinciding with the introduction of the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). Later versions were made using the camouflage patterns of the Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU), the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU), and the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP). The final variant - (Coat, Cold Weather, Field Universal Pattern) was made in the UCP pattern, and had the addition of hook-and-loop fasteners for name tape, rank insignia and unit patches, with the shoulder straps used in the previous versions removed and also had a redesigned collar. This version was also made with waterproof material and from the introduction of the UCP pattern until the late 2000s it was standard issue along with other clothing. Commercial versions have also been made in the MultiCam pattern.
The M65 has since been replaced by the Gen II Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS).
See also
References
- "The Evolution of a Revolutionary Jacket".
- MIL-DTL-43455
- "The Legendary M-65 Field Jacket". The Legendary M-65 Field Jacket. Retrieved 2023-06-13.