The Service Dress Khaki Uniform (SDK) was a mainstay in the seabags of Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) from World War II up until 1975, when it was discontinued in an effort to reduce what was seen as excessive uniform requirements for deployed Sailors. In 2006, it was reintroduced on a test basis, and in 2008 was authorized for Chief Petty Officers and Officers as a Summer and Tropical uniform alternative to the Summer Dress Whites—but just four years it was dropped from the list of prescribable uniforms.
Our CPO SDK Uniform is identical in construction to the version worn by Officers, manufactured with a premium Mil-Spec 75/25 polywool blend that provides both comfort and durability. The only differences between the CPO and Officer version involve display of rate/rank: CPOs wear sew-on rating badges and service stripes and CPO-specific headgear ornamentation and devices, while Officers display their rank on hard shoulder boards and with headgear ornamentation corresponding to their Officer class.
Use the CPO SDK Uniform Builder to assemble an entire SDK from scratch or choose only those items you need to make your current SDK complete. Choose your rate and rating in the drop-down selection boxes and the Builder will automatically select the appropriate rating badge, collar devices, cap rank, and tie tack or clasp (we do encourage you to review these choices before adding the items to your shopping cart, however). To find out more about an SDK Uniform component, click on its image to open a new informational browser window.