How to Fold Clothes in the Army
The Army has established strict rules and regulations regarding all aspects of daily living while enlisted, right down to how to fold your clothes. It may seem to the outsider that this is a bit much in terms of regulations, but learning discipline and protocol is all part of being a soldier.
- Start with clean and freshly laundered clothes. Never fold up and pack away dirty clothes.
- Give your clothes a thorough ironing to remove all wrinkles and give them a more crisp appearance. As with every other aspect of the Army, your appearance is very important and the last thing you want is to be that soldier in line with wrinkled clothing. You will be called out on it.
- Lay all your clothes out and give yourself enough workspace to do the proper folds. Begin by turning your pants inside out. This helps you make straighter folds as well as keeping your pants as clean as possible. Follow the protocol for folding the pant legs into the crotch area and tucking the cuffs and waist in. You will finish with a very tightly folded square.
- Fold your shirt and undershirt next. These two pieces need to be folded independently of each other and can be done right-side out. Make sure the outer shirt is completely buttoned clear up to the collar. These two shirts will also end up being very tightly folded little squares.
- Gather your undergarments and socks to be folded next. The Army has established folding protocol for these as well. Your undergarments will be folded into another square, while your socks will be somewhat rolled.