The U.S. Navy announced on Wednesday that sailors will now be able to place their hands in their pockets (as God intended) and female sailors may wear undershirts designed for the female form rather than the boxier unisex shirts that are more suited to the male form. In both cases, this is welcome news that should have been permitted years ago. It’s also nice to hear that the Navy can observe differences between men and women.

Gary Robbins reports for the San Diego Union-Tribune:

The Navy got rid of a source of anger and online mockery Wednesday, announcing that it has lifted its ban on sailors keeping their hands in their pockets.

“Sailors are authorized to have hands in their pockets when doing so does not compromise safety nor prohibit the proper rendering of honors and courtesies,” the Navy said in a statement.

The change was largely made at the request of sailors, who saw the rule as pointless and irritating. The ban had been in place because the Navy believed that keeping your hands in your pockets detracts from a sailor’s military appearance.

Female sailors are now permitted to “optionally wear T-shirts specifically designed for female bodies with Navy uniforms,” the statement said. “The intent of this policy update is to address expressed dissatisfaction regarding the required wear of male or unisex t-shirts that are not designed to fit female bodies.”

This all may sound relatively minor to those who haven’t worn the uniform, and probably to some who have, but the ability to stand in CCS and chat with a chill engineering duty officer for a few minutes with one’s hands bepocketed before doing another round of log-taking was so much more pleasant than dealing with other types who would bark the second that a hand dipped into the fire-retarding void on the front of one’s coveralls — even if it was only a momentary thing to get a pen or rescue a can of dip. For those worried about safety at sea, I promise that the guy who stands with his hands in his pockets and can’t catch himself before eating bulkhead will be more careful in the future. Both of these measures, as well as the appearance of top enlisted (MCPON James Honea) before Congress to secure off-ship housing for all sailors, communicate that the Navy considers its enlisted to be nearing rational thought and worthy of humane treatment. Progress.

Next year, we lobby to do away with the lash and no more than twelve hours a day in the galleys manning the oars.