Border Patrol uniform gets first makeover since the 1950s




Associated Press - August 16, 2007 4:34 PM ET

SAN DIEGO (AP) - The Border Patrol uniform is getting its first makeover since the 1950s. The new uniforms look more like military fatigues and less like a police officer's duty garb.

Leather belts with brass buckles are out; nylon belts with quick-release plastic buckles are in. Slacks are out; lightweight cargo pants are in. Shiny badges and nameplates are out; cloth patches are in.

The new uniform was introduced nationwide this week. It is designed to reflect how illegal border crossings have changed in the last decade. As enforcement heightened, routes moved from the streets of San Diego and other border cities to unforgiving, often remote mountains and deserts along the U.S.-Mexico border.

That means rigorous exercise in extreme heat for migrants - and for the agents who pursue them.

Agents at this morning's roll call in the San Diego sector's Chula Vista station gave generally favorable reviews.

One agent who spends his shifts walking through mountain brush said the old uniforms were known to rip on first-time outings, and the pants lacked pocket space. Another said the new uniforms looks more military, "like you mean business."

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