Navy Allows Sailors To Put Their Hands In Pockets, Huge For Those Who Never Know What To Do With Their Hands

The United States Navy has revealed some policy changes and one of the biggest is that sailors are now allowed to put their hands in their pockets.

Anyone who never has an idea of what to do with their hands is aware of how big this is.

According to Military.com, the Navy previously banned the casual — and frankly cool-looking — act of putting one's hands in their pockets. This was enforced especially for boot camps and training schools and was often mocked online in meme-form.

Although, what isn't mocked by memes these days?

On Wednesday, the Navy announced some new uniform changes and also announced that the "no hands in your pockets" rule was gone… kind of.

"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," a memo read.

That seems more than fair. If you're supposed to be helping with sailor-ly duties, maybe that's not the time to morph into the Fonz with your hands in your pockets. But if you're just standing around? 

Pop those mitts in your pockets.

Some of history's greatest thinkers and doers have kept their hands in their pockets. (Getty Images)

Some Of Us Simply Default To Having Our Hands In Our Pockets, And It's Great To Hear That Now Sailors Can Too

I'm not in the Navy. I know that may come as a shock. It's not that I don't think I could cut it on the open ocean, it's just that I've always been under the impression that anything even remotely nautical involves a lot of knot-tying. 

I can tie shoes and skates, that's it. Anything else, go find a Boy Scout who can help you.

However, I am a big hands-in-the-pocket guy. It's not because I think it makes me look cooler — trust me, I don't need help looking cool (fine you got me, it's already a lost cause) — I just hate not knowing what to do with my hands.

Do I go crossed arms? Hands-on hips? Straight down at the sides like Napoleon Dynamite? I never have any idea.

And so, I normally resort to hands in my pockets. That's because it looks casual, and it also keeps my paws contained (although I do occasionally like to keep my thumbs out). 

In fact, I'd say that at this point, it's my default position.

That's how I like it: one hand in my pocket, but unlike Alanis Morissette, the other one's not making a peace sign, it's wrist-deep in the other pocket of my chinos.

Sure, some would argue that you should have your hands available should the need arise to defend yourself, but they're in the pockets of my Levi's. I'm not locked in stocks in some colonial village. They can get out of my pockets at a moment's notice if need be.

It's not a hindrance whatsoever.

So, congratulations to the brave men and women of the US Navy who can pop their dukes in their pockets if they want to.

They've got a lot they need to be thinking about, so it's great to hear that where to put their hands is no longer on their plate.