Today, you can easily find surplus items online and at your local military surplus stores. However, before your favorite Army and Navy surplus items were available to the public, they were used by the military, each piece serving a specific function. Here’s some history on Army and Navy Surplus items that you may not be aware of.

Military dog ​​tags are incredibly popular. You’ll find all styles of dog tags at army surplus stores, and many will even engrave them at no additional cost. Originally, however, soldiers wore dog tags to convey information such as name, rank, and blood type in case they were injured or killed. The dog tags we now see in military surplus stores were once used to identify otherwise unrecognizable dead soldiers.

Men and women love navy surplus-style pea coats, and you’ll see them everywhere from army surplus stores to high-end fashion boutiques. Army surplus pea coats are not only fashionable, but also functional: they are durable and warm, making them the first choice for many in the winter. Navy surplus sailor coats are characterized by double-breasted fronts and wide lapels, and often have oversized metal or wooden buttons. Military surplus pea coats were originally worn by European soldiers, and later by those in the American navies. Some of the navy surplus pea coats you see in army surplus stores may even be originals.

The military and army surplus combat boots you see on the shelves today are incredibly durable, but definitely more comfortable than their older counterparts. The first combat boots were calf-high versions worn by the US Army in the War of 1812. These early Army surplus boots had neither a left nor a right boot, and over time they molded to the wearer’s feet. . So the combat boots you buy today at army surplus stores have been greatly improved over the years, and no longer cause the chafing and blisters of earlier versions.

Flight jackets are another popular item of clothing available at many military surplus stores. Military flight jackets come with various styles of army or navy related insignia, and are available at both army air force surplus stores and fashion stores at the mall. For example, Guess Jeans has a popular version of the military flight jacket available at many stores. Fun fact: The military flight jackets now available in army surplus stores were first created for open-cockpit pilots in WWI, with thick wind flaps and many were lined with fur. to keep pilots warm and dry. However, modern versions of flight jackets found in military surplus stores are made of lighter materials.

If you’re looking for authentic army surplus gear, you can go online or visit local stores that sell military gear. And, if you’re interested in the history behind the Army and Navy surplus items you buy, spend some time researching where they come from; you can learn a very entertaining story about where that pair of combat boots or navy blue pea coat came from. .