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Mess dress uniform

Mess dress uniform is the most formal (or semi-formal, depending on the country) type of evening-wear uniform used by military personnel, police personnel, and other uniformed services members. It frequently consists of a mess jacket, trousers, white dress shirt and a black bow tie, along with orders and medals insignia. Design may depend on regiment or service branch, e.g. army, navy, air force, marines, etc. In modern Western dress codes, mess dress uniform is the supplementary alternative equivalent to the civilian black tie for evening wear. Mess dress uniforms are typically less formal than full dress uniform, but more formal than service dress uniform.

Prior to World War II, this style of military uniform was largely restricted to the British and United States Armed Forces, although the French, German, Swedish and other navies had adopted their own versions of mess dress during the late 19th century, influenced by the British Royal Navy.

While mess dress uniform is predominantly worn at occasions by commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers, it may also be worn as an optional uniform by some senior enlisted personnel. It is also sometimes worn by members of royal courts or certain civilian uniformed services.

Name
Mess dress uniform is also known as mess uniform and, more informally, as mess kit.

Australia
The Australian Army has separate mess kits for summer and winter. The summer mess kit is a white jacket, almost identical between different branches of the army. The winter mess kit is made of thicker material, with jackets in the colour (scarlet or dark blue) of the wearers' corps. The winter mess dress includes a waistcoat. Both kits have the same barrathea blue trousers, but trousers vary in the colour and width of leg stripe denoting corps. Women's mess attire is the same, except that women may wear a skirt instead of trousers. Both versions are worn with a bow tie and white shirt; Marcella for winter and plain for summer.

The Royal Australian Air Force has different mess uniforms for summer and winter. The summer mess kit is marked out by a white jacket while the winter jacket is dark blue.

Belgium
The official name of the Belgian Armed Forces mess dress is "Tenue 1C" or "Spencer". It is worn only after 18:00 hours, at ceremonies in the presence of HM the King, a member of the Royal Family or a foreign Head of State. It can also be worn when civilians are in white or black tie.

It consists of a dark-blue jacket with two golden buttons linked by a chain closure, dark-blue trousers and a low-cut marcella waistcoat. The waistcoat is of the regimental or corps colour. Regimental colours also figure on the edge of the shoulder straps. This is matched by a white dress shirt and a black bow tie. The ranks are embroidered onto the peak lapels of the jacket, except for the Navy where the rank curls are placed at the bottom of the sleeves.

The spencer dress is allowed for all ranks. Generals and cavalry, horse artillery or logistical officers may wear spurs. Women wear the same dress, with a long dark blue skirt and black lace instead of the bow tie.

It should not be confused with 1A Dress (Groot Galatenue/Grande Tenue de Gala) or 1B Dress (Galatenue/Tenue de Gala), which resembles the British Army N°1 Blue Dress. These orders are worn for weddings, military ceremonies and repas de corps.

An oversea version with a white jacket is available to Navy personnel (Tenue 5H1).

Canada
Mess dress is worn as formal evening attire for mess dinners. Uniforms range from full mess dress (with dinner jackets, cummerbunds or waistcoats) to service dress worn with a bow tie for individuals not required to own mess dress (non-commissioned members and members of the Reserve Force). Mess dress is not provided at public expense. However, all commissioned officers of the Regular Force are required to own mess dress within six months of being commissioned. The winter mess dress (No. 2) for the Royal Canadian Navy consists of a navy blue jacket with gold laced rank insignia worn on the sleeve, gold-laced navy blue trousers worn by all commissioned officers (unlike in the Royal Navy they are not restricted to captains and flag officers) white shirt with soft or wing collar and a white waistcoat. Officers of the rank of Captain(N) and above wear a tailcoat instead of the standard jacket. NCMs trousers are the same pattern, but without gold lace down the seam. Miniatures of medals earned are worn on the left lapel; regular size qualification badges earned are worn on the left sleeve, above the rank insignia (as they are worn in the Royal Navy for naval aviators). Summer mess dress (No. 2A) is similar except that a white jacket with rank insignia on navy blue shoulder boards (gold covered for flag officers) is worn, and either the waistcoat or cummerbund is worn.

The winter standard pattern mess dress (No. 2) for the Canadian Army consists of a scarlet jacket with rank insignia worn on soft shoulder loops, scarlet-laced dark blue (almost black) trousers, white shirt with soft or wing collar and dark blue waistcoat. The details of regimental distinctions vary by regiments and are defined in detail in the Canadian Forces Dress Instructions. Miniature medals are worn on the left breast below miniatures of qualification badges earned. The summer standard pattern mess dress is similar except that a white jacket with rank insignia worn on black shoulder boards, and cummerbund, is worn. Army reserve regiments are authorized to wear mess dress that is distinctive to the regiment and which can consist of jackets of different cuts (for example high collar) and colours, rather than the standard pattern mess dress. Authorized summer dress (No. 2A), consisting of the white jacket in lieu of scarlet, varies from regiment to regiment, but typically is not authorized for NCMs below the rank of Warrant Officer. The winter mess dress of the Royal Canadian Air Force consists of a midnight blue jacket with gold rank insignia worn on the sleeve, black-laced midnight blue trousers, white shirt with soft collar, and a cummerbund in the colours of the Royal Canadian Air Force tartan. Miniature medals are worn on the left breast above miniatures of qualification badges earned. The summer mess dress (No. 2A) is similar except that a white jacket with rank insignia worn on midnight blue shoulder boards is worn, and is authorized as an optional order for RCAF officers only.

No. 2B is authorized as an alternative for Regular Force officers who have not yet purchased mess uniform, and for Reserve Force officers and all NCMs as they are not required to purchase mess uniform. It applies to all three elements and consists of the standard service dress uniform appropriate to the element (rifle green for the Army, navy blue for the RCN and light blue for the RCAF), a white long-sleeved shirt (as issued to navy personnel) and a black bow tie. Undress ribbons and nametag are worn.

No. 2C is a relaxed, ship-board only order of mess uniform, worn by members of all elements when dining formally onboard HMC Ships at sea. It consists of the service short sleeve shirt and service dress trousers appropriate to the element, and a cummerbund in black or authorized regimental colours. Name tag, medals/ribbons are not worn.

No. 2D is the CF standard pattern mess dress, now superseded, which was authorized for wear prior to the reversion to separate environmental uniforms for Army, Navy and Air Force. It is identical to Air Force No. 2 dress except that buttons and other accoutrements reflect the unified CF uniform prevalent from 1968 to circa 1987. It is authorized for wear by personnel who had joined '"and acquired their mess uniform'" prior to the re-establishment of distinctive environmental uniforms.

France

Until World War II officers of the French Army wore their full dress (grande tenue) uniforms for evening as well as daytime formal and ceremonial occasions. Naval officers however had a special mess uniform similar in style to that of the Royal Navy.

Since the 1950s, officers of all service branches of the French Armed Forces, including joint services such as the Health Service, have a mess dress known as Tenue 1A.

It consists of a night blue jacket with ornamented shoulder straps with rank insignia, night blue trousers, a white shirt, a black bow tie, a night blue cummerbund, black polished shoes and black socks.

Women wear a similar uniform, with a night blue long skirt, a white satiny shirt and a white satiny bow tie. Headdress, a night blue cloak and white gloves may be worn outside only.

Fourragères and aiguillettes are not worn, with the exception of the aiguillette obtained for individual merits. Miniature medals are worn for most decorations, only the recipients of national orders above the rank of Commandeur may wear the collar and sash.

An overseas version with a white jacket is available.

Germany
Mess uniforms were worn by officers of the Imperial German Navy, though not by army officers. During the 1930s in Nazi Germany, officers of the Schutzstaffel (SS) had the option of purchasing mess dress uniforms. SS mess dress resembled a double-breasted dinner jacket, with collar tabs and white piping.

In modern Germany, mess dress is a permitted uniform for officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) of the Bundeswehr attending white or black tie festive social occasions. Female soldiers wear a long dark-blue skirt and a white blouse with the Bundesadler ("Federal Eagle" coat of arms) on the right collar. This is combined with a long scarf across the chest and a dark blue short velvet jacket. A variant with a short white silk jacket combined with a blue blouse is also permitted. Purses and other accessories may be carried.

The basic mess dress (Grundform) for men consists of a jacket with a chain closure, trousers with black silk trim strips, and either a cummerbund (army, air force, navy) or a Torerobund (a torero-style waist sash, for the army and air force). These sashes or cummerbunds are of black fabric for the army and dark blue for the air force and navy. The chain is gold for the navy and for army and air force generals; others wear a silver chain. This is matched by a white dress shirt (with a concealed placket; no stand-up collars, ruffles, or embroidery) and a black bow tie and black or black patent leather shoes.

As a variation, a black smoking jacket with black silk collar and black silk-covered passant (Army, Air Force) may be worn instead. The ranks are embroidered onto the epaulettes. The jacket is worn without cuff titles, collar patches, or any other coloured insignia. In the navy, rank insignia is placed on the sleeves. Activity, proficiency, or specialist badges are often included in the embroidered portion. Miniature versions of any orders and decorations are worn from ribbons.

Greece
The mess dress of the Hellenic Armed Forces, adopted in 1953, resembles the "rolled collar" jacket, waistcoat and trousers pattern of the British Army as described in this article. It is classed as no. 4 dress. Colours are those of the historic full dress uniform of the particular branch or service (e.g. medium green with crimson facings for armored cavalry officers, dark blue with red facings for infantry officers). A white version is authorized for summer wear.

Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) version of the mess dress uniform is categorized in the "PDU" (Pakaian Dinas Upacara) or "full dress uniform" type "II" / PDU No. 2. It is only worn by officers, and is worn when attending state-level banquets and official receptions in or outside the country.

Israel
In keeping with the Israel Defense Forces' doctrine of a People's Army, mess uniform is not worn inside Israel. It takes the form of a khaki service uniform rather than the special evening dress as worn by many other nations. It is only worn abroad, either by military attachés or by senior officers on official state visits. These rules also apply to the IDF dress uniform. Because of the small number of uniforms required they are bespoke tailored for the specific officer. The mess uniforms are the only Israeli army order of dress to include a tie, and have a summer version and a winter version.

Jamaica
Both senior non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers of the Jamaica Defence Force may wear (No. 5 Dress) mess kit.

New Zealand
The Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army, and Royal New Zealand Air Force have mess uniforms of similar style to those worn by the equivalent British and Australian services.

New Zealand Army mess uniforms authorised for officers were simplified about 2000 in that the distinctive corps and regimental colours previously worn were replaced by a universal scarlet and blue pattern with only insignia distinguishing one branch or unit from another.

Royal New Zealand Air Force mess dress consists of grey/blue jackets, trousers and waistcoats with white shirts and black bow ties. Any medals are displayed above the left breast pocket. Individual flying squadron colours appear on mess dress belts worn by officers. Senior NCOs (sergeants, flight sergeants, and warrant officers) also wear mess dress for various special functions.

Norway
The Norwegian Army has no specific mess uniform, but uses its parade uniform or service uniform as appropriate.

The Royal Norwegian Navy uses a navy blue hooded jacket and waistcoat. As in the Royal Norwegian Air Force, the mess jacket is used with a white waistcoat for gala events.

Pakistan
In the Pakistan Armed Forces, mess uniform may be worn for formal/official evening events e.g. mess dinner/guest nights. The Pakistani Army mess dress may be in khaki drill or rifle green, and largely resembles the daytime No.1 dress of the British Army rather than the special evening dress described in the United Kingdom section of this article. Mess uniform is authorized for all commissioned officers of the Pakistan Army, Air Force and Navy. This order of uniform is obligatory for military officers posted abroad, either as military attachés (air attaché, naval attaché, defence attaché) or by high-ranking officers on official state visits. All military officers are required to wear mess dress on appropriate occasions during such visits or while attending state inaugurations. All mess uniforms are bespoke tailored for specific officers according to their regiment/corps, assignments and ranks.

Russia and the former USSR

While officially the Soviet and post-Soviet military forces do not wear mess uniform, a version of it was introduced in July 1969 for senior generals only (парадно-выходная форма), who wore light-grey tunics on special occasions (mostly reception of state awards). This uniform was abandoned in the 1990s but reintroduced under President Putin, again for senior generals only. The grey tunic uniform should be distinguished from the blue or dark green full-dress parade uniform regularly worn on holidays and ceremonies (парадная форма).

Full mess dress
Swedish full mess dress (known as stor mässdräkt) is formal wear to be worn on occasions when a civilian would wear white tie or a morning dress. The Swedish Army code for full mess dress is m/86, the navy is m/1878, and the air force m/1938. The numbers represent the year in which the style was introduced. The full mess dress is thus the equivalent of full dress uniform for units which don't have their unit-specific full dress uniform traditions.

The uniforms consist of:
 * dark blue mess jacket
 * white waistcoat; a white waist sash for female personnel
 * dark blue long trousers with piping; dark blue long skirt for female personnel
 * dress coat; female personnel wear a white spread-collared, ruffle front blouse
 * black bow tie
 * dark blue cap (with certain variations between the branches)
 * black socks
 * black plain-toe, lace-up shoes (patent leather is an option); female personnel wears black ladies' shoes (again with variations)
 * white gloves

Additional clothing includes a cloak (akin to the boat coat), galoshes, and a scarf, as well as any medals. With the full mess dress one may also wear braces or a waistcoat in one's branch colours.

Lesser mess dress
The "lesser" (liten) and "full" (stor) mess dress are two uniforms of the Swedish Armed Forces uniform subgroup of "social uniforms" (sällskapsuniformer). Aside from mess dress, this group also includes "formal wear" and "society wear". The Swedish lesser mess dress is the equivalent of the civilian black tie. It is the same as the British mess undress or the American mess dress blues.

It differs from the full mess dress in a number of ways:
 * the waistcoat/waist sash is dark blue; white is permitted if the gathering includes civilians
 * there is no piping on the trousers
 * black gloves
 * shorter skirts are permitted, in combination with brown nylon stockings
 * turnover collars are acceptable

Army officers and cadets may replace the blue vest and sash or the lining of a cloak with traditional regimental or branch-specific colours. A sabre may be carried, but is not obligatory.

 * Dark red – Artillery and Paratroopers
 * Black – Engineer Troops
 * Yellow – Infantry and Infantry foot guards
 * Royal blue – Cavalry and the Life Guards
 * Light red – Anti-aircraft troops
 * Black with yellow piping – Armoured Troops
 * Green – Signal Troops
 * Light blue – Service Troops

Mess dress is a permitted uniform, in that it is allowed to be worn on defined occasions, but possession is not obligatory. There is always a corresponding form of obligatory uniform that may be worn as an alternative (army: m/87 A, navy: m/48, air force: m/87). Full mess dress is thus matched by högtidsdräkt (formal wear) and the lesser mess dress by sällskapsdräkt (society wear). Formal wear is the same as parade dress, when worn at the equivalent of a white tie occasion. "Society wear" is the service dress uniform, when worn to a black-tie occasion. Formal and society wear (rather than mess dress) are the mandatory uniform types for any military event, funeral, parade, state visit, or any other non-festive occasion.

The Royal Household
The officers of some ceremonial military corps, such as the Yeomen of the Guard and Gentlemen at Arms, are authorised to wear the evening dress of the Royal Household court uniform as a mess dress.

Royal Navy
The Royal Navy distinguishes between mess dress, which is now the equivalent of civilian white tie, and mess undress, which is the equivalent of black tie.

Before 1939, there were three forms of evening dress:

 * Ball dress (No. 2) – undress tailcoat, gold epaulettes, gold-laced trousers, white waistcoat, black bow tie, cocked hat
 * Mess dress (No. 7) – mess jacket, gold-laced trousers, blue waistcoat, black bow tie, peaked cap.
 * Mess undress (No. 8) – mess jacket, plain trousers, blue waistcoat, black bow tie, peaked cap.

Today, there are only two forms of evening dress:

 * Mess dress (No. 2A) – mess jacket, plain navy blue mess trousers, white waistcoat, black bow tie, peaked cap.
 * Mess undress (No. 2B) – mess jacket, plain navy blue mess trousers, blue waistcoat or black cummerbund, black bow tie, peaked cap.

Officers of the rank of captain and above wear gold-laced trousers (the gold lace stripes are nicknamed "lightning conductors"), and may wear the undress tailcoat (without epaulettes), with either mess dress or mess undress. The undress tailcoat is so named to distinguish it from the full dress tailcoat that was worn during the day with full dress (No. 1), which is worn in a modified form by admirals today as ceremonial day dress. Both the undress tailcoat and the mess jacket are double-breasted, with peaked lapels and six gilt buttons, but cut to be worn single-breasted and fastened at the front with two linked gilt buttons. The undress tailcoat is fitted with scallop-flapped hip pockets with three gilt buttons on each pocket. Rank is indicated on the undress tailcoat and mess jacket by gold lace on the sleeves. When tropical rig is ordered, a white, double breasted mess jacket with a shawl collar is worn instead of the blue, with shoulder boards to indicate rank. The peaked cap can (optionally) be worn with both mess undress and mess dress.

Senior rates-Warrant Officers (of both grades), Chief Petty Officers and Petty Officer- may either wear their Number 1 Dress uniform with a bow tie and medal ribbons, or they may optionally wear a navy blue mess jacket with shawl collar that is worn with the black cummerbund and a white Marcella shirt and navy blue mess trousers. The relevant cuff buttons indicating rate are worn by Petty Officers and Chief Petty Officers, and miniature rate badges are worn on the upper left arm of the mess jacket by petty officers, and on the sleeve by both grades of Warrant officers. Miniature medals are also worn. Trade badges are not worn in this rig. In tropical climates, either a white bush jacket (as in number 1 rig) is worn with medal ribbons, or optionally; a white mess jacket similar to that worn by officers is optionally worn, only without shoulderboards.

Mess dress and mess undress are today worn with a soft marcella-fronted shirt with a soft collar. Stiff marcella-fronted shirts and stiff wing collars were previously worn with all forms of evening dress, but were abolished first for mess undress, and finally in the mid-1990s for mess dress. Rear admirals and above may continue to wear the stiff shirt and collar with mess dress. Cummerbunds, which may be worn with mess undress instead of the blue waistcoat and with Red Sea rig (No. 2C), are frequently decorated with badges or colours proper to the ship or establishment in which the officer serves. For example, HMS Glasgow – Black Watch tartan; HMS Illustrious – green with the ship's logo (three crossed trumpets) in gold; Royal Naval Engineering College (RNEC) – engineers' purple with the RNEC lettering in gold. Traditionally, half-Wellington boots were worn with mess dress and mess undress, but today shoes are more common. The optional outer garment worn with evening dress is the boat cloak, which is a knee-length navy blue cloak lined with white silk, with four gilt buttons, and fastened at the neck with two gilt lions' heads joined with a chain. Miniature medals are worn with both mess dress and mess undress, though previously medal ribbons only were worn with mess undress on routine occasions, such as by the officer of the day. Officers who are members of orders of chivalry wear their stars and ribbons as appropriate.

The Elder Brethren of Trinity House are authorised to wear a mess dress based upon that of a Royal Navy captain.

British Army
Mess uniforms first appeared in the British Army in about 1845, initially utilizing the short "shell jacket" worn since 1831. This working jacket was worn open over a regimental waistcoat for evening dress. The original purpose was to provide a relatively comfortable and inexpensive alternative to the stiff and elaborate full-dress uniforms then worn by officers for evening social functions such as regimental dinners or balls. With the general disappearance of full dress uniforms after World War I, mess dress became the most colourful and traditional uniform to be retained by most officers in British and Commonwealth armies. Immediately after World War II the cheaper "blue patrols" were worn for several years as mess dress, but by 1956 the traditional uniforms had been readopted.

The formal designation of the most commonly worn mess uniform in the British Army is "No. 10 (Temperate) Mess Dress". The form varies according to regiment or corps, but generally a short mess jacket is worn, which either fastens at the neck (being cut away to show the waistcoat, this being traditionally the style worn by cavalry regiments and other mounted corps), or is worn with a white shirt and black bow tie (traditionally the usual style for unmounted regiments, corps, and services). Since regimental amalgamations, the "cut away" or cavalry-style jacket has been adopted by some British Army infantry regiments such as the Royal Regiment of Wales, the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and corps such as the Adjutant General's Corps and the Royal Logistic Corps. Officers of the Foot Guards, Royal Engineers, the Parachute Regiment, the Royal Army Medical Corps, and the Royal Regiment of Scotland amongst others still wear the infantry style of jacket.

The colours of mess jackets and trousers reflect those of the traditional full dress uniforms of the regiments in question, as worn until at least 1914. Jackets are, therefore, usually scarlet, dark blue, or rifle green, with collars, cuffs, waistcoats, or lapels in the former facing colours of the regiments in question. In the case of those regiments which have undergone amalgamation, features of the former uniforms are often combined. Waistcoats are often richly embroidered, though with modern modifications, such as a core of cotton for gold cording instead of the thick gold cord which made these items very expensive prior to World War II. Non-commissioned officers' mess dress is usually simpler in design, but in the same colours as officers of their regiment.

Most British Army regiments' mess dress incorporates high-waisted, very tight trousers known as overalls, the bottoms of which buckle under leather Wellington or George boots. Ornamental spurs are usually worn by cavalry regiments and corps that traditionally were mounted; some other regiments and corps prescribe spurs for field officers, since in former times these officers would have been mounted. The Rifles do not wear spurs at any rank, following Light Infantry traditions since historically no Light Infantry officer rode on horseback. Scottish regiments wear kilts or tartan trews, and some wear tartan waistcoats as well.

In "No. 11 Warm Weather Mess Dress", a white drill hip-length jacket is worn with either a waistcoat in the same material or a cummerbund of regimental pattern. Blue and various shades of red or green are the most common colours for the cummerbund. Trousers or overalls are the same as in No. 10 Dress.

Female officers and soldiers wear mess jackets in a pattern similar to those of their male counterparts over dark-coloured ankle-length evening dresses. Black hand bags may be carried, and black evening shoes are worn.

Royal Air Force
No. 5 Mess dress in the Royal Air Force is similar to that in the Royal Navy, except that the jacket and trousers are in mid-blue. For the most formal white tie occasions, such as state dinners, court balls and royal evening receptions, a white bow tie is worn with a white waistcoat (No. 5A). For all other evening events, a black bow tie with a mid-blue waistcoat (No. 5B) or a slate grey cummerbund (No. 5) is worn. Cummerbunds of a particular squadron or unit design may also be worn. Among Scottish-based units, a kilt of grey Clan Douglas tartan was initially authorised, but the recently approved official RAF tartan is now authorised. The tartan, designed in 1988, was officially recognised by the Ministry of Defence in 2001. A variation of No. 1 Service Dress (SD) is also permitted; the usual blue shirt and black tie are replaced with a white shirt and black bow tie. This dress is referred to as No. 4 Mess Dress. In warm weather regions, a lightweight white jacket is substituted for the No. 5 mid-blue jacket. This uniform is designated No. 8 mess dress..

For women, mess dress currently consists of the same style high-waisted blue-grey single-breasted jacket and white marcella shirt as men, a small bow tie and cummerbund, and a straight ankle-length blue-gray skirt, worn with patent-leather court shoes and barely-black tights or stockings. Unlike the gentlemen officers' jacket, which has a pointed lapel, the ladies' jacket features a shawl collar. From the 1970s and prior to the introduction of current women's mess dress in 1996, female officers wore a royal blue Empire line dress made of crimplene material with a loose mandarin neck, long sleeves, and an ankle length hem. Rank was indicated on a small enamelled brooch worn near the neck.

British police
Police officers may wear mess dress to formal dinners if appropriate, but is it most typically worn by officers who have achieved the rank of superintendent or above. The mess dress of the Metropolitan Police is dark blue with black cuffs and a black 'roll' collar having an embroidered badge (Brunswick star) on each lapel. That of the commissioner includes a two-inch oak leaf lace strip on the trousers and a set of aiguillettes. A matching black waistcoat is worn and badges of rank are displayed on the epaulettes.

United States
The use of mess dress in the United States Uniformed Services started in the early 20th century.

U.S. Army
In 1902, when the U.S. Army adopted its last standing collar blue uniform for full dress, a modified form of civilian tail coat was also introduced for evening dress, worn with a white tie and vest. This was known as the special uniform for evening wear. At the same time, a mess uniform resembling the British pattern was authorized for less formal evening occasions. The short mess jacket was either dark blue or white, according to climate. After 1911 the blue jacket included lapels in branch color (yellow for cavalry, red for artillery, light blue for infantry, and so on). The individual officer could wear full dress or either of the evening dress alternatives for social functions. In view of the expense involved, it was usually senior officers who appeared in mess or evening dress uniforms. While the blue full dress was worn from 1902 to 1917 by all ranks for ceremonial parades within the continental United States, the two optional evening uniforms were authorized only for officers.

The various blue uniforms ceased to be worn after 1917. However, the white mess uniform for commissioned and warrant officers was authorized again in 1921. In 1928, wearing of the full range of blue dress uniforms was authorized for all ranks, but only when off duty, and at the expense of the individual. In practice, this meant that only the pre-1917 mess uniform, and to a lesser extent the special evening wear, reappeared in significant numbers.

After World War II, the evening dress and mess dress uniforms were reintroduced, with the tail coat having a single Austrian knot (trefoil) over the branch-of-service color (general officers had stars over an oak leaf braid), with the rank placed in the bottom opening of the knot. The mess jacket, intended for black-tie occasions, used an Austrian knot rank system with the branch insignia at the bottom. The number of knots indicated the officer's rank: five for colonel, four for lieutenant colonel, three for major, two for captain, one for first lieutenant, and none for second lieutenant. This complicated system, which required that the braid be altered with a change of rank, was replaced with the evening coat style in 1972, using a single knot and the rank placed above the branch-of-service color. A white mess jacket for summertime wear was introduced in the 1950s. The "special evening dress" (tails) was finally abolished in 1969, although officers already in possession of this uniform could continue to wear it until 1975. It was replaced by the Army blue mess uniform, which in its modern form closely resembles that of 1911. It is common for soldiers to wear suspenders in their branch color with the army dress uniform trousers, although they are concealed under the coat. The uniform has two variations, the Army blue mess uniform and Army blue evening mess uniform.

The Army blue mess uniform is considered equivalent to black tie, and consists of the mess jacket, trousers, white semiformal dress shirt with a turndown collar, black bow tie, and black cummerbund. The Army blue evening mess uniform is considered equivalent to white tie/tails, and consists of the same jacket and trousers, but with a white formal dress shirt with a wing collar, white single-breasted vest, and white bow tie.

Miniature medals are suspended on ribbons one half the width of their normal counterparts, and are worn on the left lapel. Exceptions to the miniature medals are the Medal of Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom (although the PMF also includes an optional miniature version), and authorized foreign neck-borne decorations (e.g., Knight Commander of Order of the Bath, Commander of the Order of Military Merit, et al.) Individual and unit awards that consist of ribbons only are not worn on the mess uniform. Miniature versions of combat and special skill badges are worn above the miniature medals, along with miniature versions of Ranger and Special Forces shoulder tabs, made of enameled metal. Marksmanship and driver/mechanic badges are not worn on the mess uniform. Regimental distinctive insignia is worn on the right lapel. Identification badges worn on service uniform pockets, such as the Drill Sergeant Identification Badge, Presidential Service Badge, Recruiter Badge, Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge, et al., are worn between the top and middle buttons on the applicable side of the mess uniform.

The lapels of enlisted mess uniforms are uniformly dark blue, rather than utilizing a branch color. Enlisted rank insignia is worn on the sleeve in the same manner as on the service uniform tunic. Below, on both sleeves, are long service stripes in place of the shorter stripes used on the service uniform. The same longer service stripes were worn on both sleeves of the blue dress uniform tunic until the blue dress uniform was reconfigured to be the Army's service uniform and replace the green service uniform.

U.S. Air Force
In the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Air Force formal uniform consisted of a civilian black tailcoat with added military sleeve braid and rank insignia. It could be worn as either a black tie or white tie combination. Due to the tails, it was not considered a mess dress uniform.

The original U.S. Air Force mess dress consisted of a short black jacket with black trousers, with a white jacket for summer wear. The jackets had satin lapels with matching satin sleeve braid. It entered service in the 1960s and was phased out in the 1980s. It is still sometimes worn by retired officers. The current mess dress is similar in cut and tailoring, but in a dark blue color for year-round wear. The current pattern was introduced in 1981 and is also similar to the Royal Air Force design, except that the coat and trousers are dark blue. Dark blue bow ties and dark blue cummerbunds are used for black-tie affairs, and white bow ties with white waistcoats for white-tie affairs. Silver-trimmed shoulder boards and silver sleeve braid are worn rather than rank braids (enlisted members wear sleeve rank insignia instead of shoulder boards, and no silver sleeve braid), along with silver buttons. No hat is worn. General officers have solid silver shoulder boards and wider silver sleeve braid. Enlisted members also have the option to wear the semi-formal uniform, essentially an issued service dress with a white shirt substituted for the blue shirt, but many non-commissioned officers elect to purchase a mess dress. Women's mess dress uniforms have a long skirt replacing the trousers and delete the button chain clasp for the coat. As of August 2020, females have the option to wear mess dress trousers.

Members of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary, may wear the U.S. Air Force mess dress uniform with distinctive Civil Air Patrol insignia and trim. The Civil Air Patrol mess dress uniform is identical to the U.S. Air Force mess dress uniform, except that the silver braid on the jacket and officer rank insignia (shoulder boards) of the U.S. Air Force mess dress uniform is replaced with dark blue braid, and a Civil Air Patrol seal device 3" in size (either embroidered in bullion or finished in enamel) is worn in place of the middle button on the right side of the jacket. Members of the Civil Air Patrol NCO corps wear distinctive Civil Air Patrol NCO rank insignia in lieu of U.S. Air Force NCO rank insignia.

Civil Air Patrol cadets do not wear the U.S. Air Force mess dress uniform, but may wear the semi-formal uniform described above for U.S. Air Force enlisted members, or a modified semi-formal dress uniform consisting of the old-style U.S. Air Force service uniform (with the four button jacket with patch-type pockets) with the name-tag removed and with Civil Air Patrol distinctive insignia, a white dress shirt, and a bow-tie (either black or U.S. Air Force satin blue). Civil Air Patrol senior members do not wear these semi-formal uniforms, but instead may wear a civilian equivalent consisting of a blue jacket, grey trousers, white dress shirt with a black bow-tie, and distinctive Civil Air Patrol insignia.

Military courtesy and etiquette requirements for these Civil Air Patrol uniform combinations are similar to those of the U.S. Air Force.

U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps mess dress uniforms date from the late 19th century. Mess dress-style uniforms in the USMC are reserved for officers, and staff noncommissioned officers (SNCOs) of grade E6 and above (staff sergeant to sergeant major/master gunnery sergeant); NCOs and junior enlisted members wear dress blues or Service "A" (also known as "Alphas") as their most formal uniform.

The uniform coat of commissioned and warrant officers is fastened at the neck, similar to that of the dress blue uniform, but is cut away, "cavalry-style", to expose the white dress shirt and scarlet cummerbund (general officers have a scarlet vest with small gold buttons). This version is known as evening dress "B," and is equivalent to formal "black tie" civilian attire. It is worn to formal dances, balls, dinners, and events such as the annual USMC Birthday Ball. Officers (all ranks) may wear, in lieu of the scarlet cummerbund or vest, a white vest for white tie events (known as the evening dress "A" uniform, and equivalent to "white tie" civilian attire for the most formal occasions such as a State Dinner or Presidential Inauguration Ball).

Officer rank, in gold or silver wire, is embroidered directly on the shoulder epaulettes, which are bordered with gold wire and scarlet piping. The collar and cuffs are also bordered in gold wire and scarlet, bearing a quatrefoil for warrant officers and company-grade officers, a single row of oak leaves for field officers, and a double row of oak leaves for general officers. The uniform is completed with midnight blue trousers with gold and red stripes. The individual also has the option to wear the boat cloak of dark blue broadcloth material lined with scarlet wool (for male officers and SNCOs) or an optional dress cape of dark blue polyester-wool tropical material lined with scarlet satin rayon cloth (for female officers and SNCOs).

Staff noncommissioned officers wear a double-breasted evening dress uniform similar to that of navy officers, with high waist dress blue trousers with blood stripe, scarlet cummerbund, and black bow tie. The jacket is cut so as to have no overlap, but with the sides clasped together. The grade chevrons are in the style of the 1890s, larger than other USMC enlisted grade chevrons, worn on each sleeve of the jacket. A white cummerbund with a white bow tie is authorized (for white tie events) for SNCO's.

A summer white mess dress (see link for pictures of the obsolete uniforms), similar in design to U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard uniforms, but with shoulder epaulettes instead of rank boards, was worn until the mid-1990s when it was phased out.

U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine and others
Officers and chief petty officers of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, NOAA Corps, and Merchant Marine use the same mess uniform, referred to as "dinner dress". There are three styles of this uniform—dinner dress, dinner dress jacket, and tropical dinner dress.

Dinner dress uniforms, blue and white, are modifications of service dress blue or service dress white uniforms, with the service ribbons and breast insignia replaced by miniature medals and miniature breast insignia. Additionally, officers and chief petty officers wear an evening shirt and black bow tie with dinner dress blue.

Dinner dress blue jacket and dinner dress white jacket consist of a black waist-length jacket with gold buttons (officer) or silver buttons (petty officer first class and below). The jacket is double-breasted, but does not overlap, and is held with a clasp. (This, in contrast to double-breasted civilian evening jackets, which are worn fully open, or double-breasted smoking jackets which are worn fully overlapped and buttoned). Bullion or imitation bullion rank stripes are worn on the sleeves of the officers' blue jacket, and a rating badge and service stripes are worn by enlisted personnel. On the officers' dinner dress white jacket, hard shoulder boards are worn. A gold cummerbund is worn by officers and chief petty officers, and a black one by petty officers first class and below. Shirt studs and cuff links are gold for officers and chiefs and silver for petty officers first class and below. A hat or cap is not required with dinner dress jacket uniforms, but may be worn. For both genders, it must be worn with an outer garment, which is traditionally the boat cloak for males and cape for females. Females do not need to remove headgear indoors when wearing the tiara. The boat cloak, tiara, and cape, all being optional items, are very rarely seen.

Tropical dinner dress blue incorporates dinner dress blue trousers, summer white (short sleeve) shirt, an appropriate cummerbund, and miniature medals and breast insignia.

An additional uniform, formal dress (white tie), is optional for all commissioned officers, but may be prescribed for captains and above. This uniform is worn as an equivalent to civilian white tie dress. It is almost identical to the dinner dress blue jacket, except a wing collar shirt, white waistcoat, and white tie are worn. A formal blue tailcoat may also be prescribed.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary wear the same dinner dress uniforms as the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, but with a silver cummerbund and silver Coast Guard Auxiliary officer insignia in place of the gold insignia. Petty officers and below may, at their option, wear this same uniform, but with a black cummerbund and silver buttons.

International organizations
Various international organizations and civilian groups also use a form of mess dress. Several national first aid organization under the St John Ambulance umbrella use mess uniforms as a part of the national uniform dress. Each mess uniform varies from nation to nation; however, it generally reflects the colours of St John, being Black, silver (white or grey) and red. The organization's cut and style, as well as accoutrements generally follow British military style.

title: Mess dress uniform


text: User talk:194.203.108.1

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: User talk:194.203.108.1


text:
Category:American scientists

These are Scientists that are recognized as being from the United States of America. For other scientists from other nations in the continents of North and South America, see the Scientists by nationality and select the appropriate nation sub-category.

title: Category:American scientists


text: Category:American diplomats

title: Category:American diplomats


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Mess kit

A mess kit is a collection of silverware and cookware designed for use by military personnel for food and military rations. They may also be used during camping and backpacking. There are many varieties of mess kits that militaries issue to their personnel that later become available to consumers.

Mess tin
A mess tin is an item in a mess kit, designed to be used over portable cooking apparatus. A mess tin can be thought of as a portable version of a saucepan, intended primarily for boiling but also useful for frying. Mess tins were originally a military design, but are also popular among civilian campers.

Mess tins are generally rectangular with rounded off edges - the rounded edges are easier to clean inside than a sharp corner. Most mess tins are supplied as a set, with one slightly larger than the other, allowing them to nestle together for easy packing. This arrangement is also useful when using the tins for boiling, as the smaller tin can be used to hold the liquid, with the larger tin placed on top to act as a lid. In order to save weight, some designs stick with a single mess tin with a lid, with the lid often having a secondary role as a frying pan.

Military

While functionally similar to a one-man civilian mess kit, military mess kits are designed to be even more compact, using their space as efficiently as possible. Thus lids will almost always be used for preparing, cooking, and/or eating, and usually come in two or three pieces. As such, it may sacrifice certain features, or use other features to complement it.

When in a large camp, it is common for soldiers to use either normal dining ware, or a multi-compartment mess tray similar to a TV dinner tray, but much larger.

United States
Prior to World War II, two factors influenced the design of the US Army's M-1926, M-1932, and M-1942 mess kits. First, unlike most other armies of the day, the US mess kit was designed to serve men queuing in feeding lines and served in unit formations from large garrison-type field kitchens when not on daily combat operations. Secondly, US soldiers in the field were never expected to forage or to completely cook their rations, even in daily combat or front line service. Instead, when not used as a serving tray for company-size or larger units, the mess kit was used to re-heat pre-measured servings of the canned Reserve Ration. After 1938, it was used for the new C-ration, a canned combat ration with several menu precooked or dried food items. Today, though canned and dried combat rations have further evolved into the MRE, these can now be self-heated, and thus only a containment tray is required for most units.

The US Army's flat ovoid M-1932 wartime-issue mess kit was made of galvanized steel (stainless steel in the later M-1942), and was a divided pan-and-body system. When opened, the mess kit consisted of two halves: the deeper half forms a shallow, flat-bottom, ovoid "Meat can, body", designed to receive the "meat ration", the meat portion of the pre-war canned Reserve Ration. The "Meat can, body", with its folding handle extended, can double as a crude skillet. The "Mess kit, plate" (lid) is even shallower, and is pressed to form two compartments, with a center divide wide enough to accommodate the folding handle. The plate also has a very secure ring that is held in place by friction.

When stored, the "Mess kit, plate" is placed on top of the ovoid "Meat can, body", while the stamped folding handle is folded over the inverse side of the plate's center divider, and latched onto the edge of the body. It is further secured folding the lid's ring toward the center of the mess kit, which locks onto another latch. In use, each piece may be used individually, or as a unitary three-compartment mess tray, accomplished by sliding the lid-plate's center divider onto the folding handle, and securing it to the handle by the ring-and-latch mechanisms. When latched, the kit can be held in a ready position by the user in one hand to receive US Army's 'A' or 'B' field kitchen rations. As the soldier passed along the mess line, food service personnel would dole out hot items first, often meat followed by vegetables, potatoes, and other side dishes, ostensibly separated by the tray dividers. While a soldier could use the handled "Meat can, body" from his kit to cook raw food, it is really too shallow and thin to serve as an effective skillet, and was usually restricted to heating the canned meat ration. After 1938, the "Meat can, body" was used to heat the meat and vegetable component of the C-ration, or to reconstitute breakfast items such as C-ration powdered eggs.

To complement the mess kit, soldiers used a stamped cup especially molded to fit over the bottom of the US Army's standard one-quart (950 ml) canteen. This cup could be used to boil water for coffee, or for heating or reconstituting soup or other foods. During World War II, units preparing heated combat rations in the "Meat can, body" or canteen cup mainly used locally procured combustible materials or Sterno fuel units of jellied alcohol. The latter could be stored within an issued folding stove for deployment when heating food, soup, or coffee in the field.

After World War II, a specially-designed Esbit stove was issued to fit over the cup-and-canteen unit, similar to designs used in other armies.

German and Japanese

During World War II, the German and Japanese Imperial Army used mess kits that were similar in several ways. In storage, their dimensions were similar to US mess kits, but were split widthwise instead of lengthwise, around two-thirds of the body, creating a pot with handle and a cup.

The German mess kit (Essgeschirr) was designed in 1908, a modification of a Swiss design from 1882. Originally, the base held two litres, marked into 1/4 sections, and the lid holding another 1/4. This model replaced the 1850 Kochgeschirr. The new 1908 Essgeschirr was made of aluminium and not designed for cooking; only to contain food distributed from field kitchens. The early models of the 1908 were painted in a distinct matte black. In 1910, the aluminum handle was replaced with one of galvanised iron, as aluminum often got hot in the soldiers' hands. The 1908 model was in production until 1940. In 1931, a model later called Kochgeschirr 31 (Cooking pot model 31) was developed. It was capable of cooking, and held 1.7 liters. With only very minor changes, this model remained in service with the German military (both East and West) as well as with the German disaster relief services (THW), which were painted grey.

They were mainly used in conjunction with a folding Esbit stove, which, when folded, could store Esbit pellets and occupy a very small area. The German mess kit was usually held together with a leather strap, which was used to fasten the mess kit to the soldier's bread bag in combat order or assault pack of the webbing equipment in marching order.

The Japanese Army enlisted men's mess kit, or (rice container), differed from other armies' mess kits in several respects. No attempt was made to conform the hangō to the Japanese one-liter M-94 oval water bottle, which was larger than that issued to the armies of some other nations. The hangō consisted of a brown kidney-shaped, oval-bottomed, heavy-gauge aluminum rice cooker pot with lid, and an insert tray stored inside the pot. The lid and tray were also used as serving plates. A simplified model, the Ro, was introduced later in the war, which lacked the pot insert.

The men cooked with hangōs over open fires or cans of jellied alcohol. In addition to its usefulness as a cooking vessel, the hangō was useful for carrying the cooked rice. During the Second World War, it was occasionally adopted by members of the United States Army and Chinese Army which had captured Japanese equipment, and later by the Viet Minh.

Finnish

The Finnish Defence Forces mess kit (kenttäkeittoastia or kenttäpakki) is almost identical to the German M31 mess kit design, but, unlike the latter, a lusikkahaarukka (a type of folding spoon-fork utensil) is included with a Finnish mess kit instead of a separate fork and spoon set. A lusikkahaarukka therefore cannot be stored inside a Finnish mess tin as it would cause excessive noise in the mess tin.

Soviet/Russian
During the Second World War the Soviet Army mess kit was a two-piece design similar to that used by the Wehrmacht forces that consisted of a large main canteen part, and a smaller saucepan component that also doubled as the mess tin lid. The kit also had a wire handle which many soldiers used to hang the mess kit from their web equipment or backpack. This design was supplemented in the mid-1980s with a second design that featured a metal water bottle held in the middle. The next layer of the set was a large canteen/cooking pot with a wire handle, then a smaller saucepan-type component with a folding metal handle. This last component fitted over the base of the larger cooking pot, the handle was then folded up and clipped over the cooking pot and the lip of the water bottle. This variant was often called "VDV type". The mess set was sometimes issued with a pouch, although this was by no means certain and many soldiers simply hung it onto their equipment from the wire handle. Officers were often issued a satchel-type bag for their mess kits in keeping with their smart image. This latest design of mess kit continues to be used today in the armies of many former Soviet republics, but in recent years the military of the Russian Federation has stopped issuing mess kits to soldiers due to the lack of adequate supply owing to the size of newly formed combat units, lack of adequate domestic production, poor storage of existing units and the sale of Soviet-era stockpiles to civilians and third-party buyers.

Swedish
The Swedish Armed Forces Kokkärl m/1940 mess kit is a complete package, similar in design to a German mess kit, but larger and oval-shaped. It breaks down into two parts, the first part being a steel stand/windshield/wood-burning stove (with a Svea alcohol burner unit), whilst the other part consists of two pots (usually aluminium). The larger pot has a wire handle, or bail, for suspending over a fire; the smaller has hinged handle. The two pots nest together and stow inside the windshield. The set is completed by a small plastic fuel bottle. It is recommended that the fuel bottle and burner unit be stored separately, outside the pots (since alcohol may otherwise seep out). A Swedish army plastic mug can also be fitted inside the pots.

The stove uses small sticks, wood chips, or pine cones as fuel. When using the alcohol burner, the Svea burner unit may advantageously be replaced with a Trangia replacement burner, which appears to be more efficient.

Swiss

The Swiss mess kit (French gamelle) was originally introduced in 1875. This Runde Gamelle 1875 was a pot made of tin-plated sheet steel with a lid and handle. It was however later deemed unsuitable and so in 1882 a revised design Einzelkochgeschirr Ord. 1882 was introduced. This model is a canteen-cup system: a tall, one liter canteen, and a lid; the lid serves as a cup which can be fit inside the canteen, better heating its contents. The 1882 design later formed the basis of the modern German mess kit design as mentioned above. All models since 1882 were officially designated Einzelkochgeschirr, but soldiers kept calling them gamelle.

1908 Pattern Mess Tin
In the First World War, the British Army used a metal, two-piece, kidney shaped mess tin.

The 1874-model was made of tinplated steel and had a "D" plan view with rounded corners. The tray or cup piece had a folding handle that opened to the side. The tray also functioned as a deep lid for the pan. This change from the 1854-model allowed the use of the narrow and tighter curved side of the cup rim for drinking. It also permitted the tray to briefly be held over a fire. The corners of the square shaped bail were also more rounded. The geometry of the older British mess tins was substantially different. The 1854-model was D-shaped in plan view and was made of tinplated iron. It was fabricated from front and back panels of sheet metal. The tray or cup nested inside the pan. The handle of the tray or cup folded inside but was on the flat "back side" forcing the user to drink from the broadly curved front. The lid was intermediate in depth, could be used as a plate, and set down securely on the pan. The bail was square shaped and the corners were tight curves. The 1810 (1813 – 14)-model is semicircular or C-shaped in plan view and is made of tinplated iron. The tray of the 1810-model had no handle but nested inside the pan or lower section. The lid covered the pan and had a pull ring for easy removal, but apparently had no other intended use. The bail was curved.

1937 Pattern Mess Tin
A new pattern of mess tin was developed for the Web Equipment 1937 Pattern, which was a nested, two-piece rectangular mess tin with long, folding handles. An enamelled tin mug was used for drinking hot liquids. The water bottle of the 1908 Pattern Web Equipment was unchanged, though the web carrier was changed to incorporate the 1-inch-wide brace ends of the 1937 gear.

Contemporary
The British Armed Forces generally use mess tins for cooking in the field, although with the British Armed Forces primarily using Boil in the Bag rations, many soldiers prefer a single large metal mug, as one item can be used to cook food and to make and consume hot drinks, thereby cutting down on equipment weight. As such cups fit beneath the standard water bottle, they also take up less space in the soldiers' equipment. The mess tin or cup is usually used with the standard issue FireDragon folding burner & fuel.

Historical
Canadian mess equipment was similar to that used by the British in the first half of the 20th century, i.e., that issued with 1908 and 1937 Pattern Web Equipment. Canada issued its own 1951 Pattern Web Equipment, 1964 Pattern Web Equipment, and 1982 Pattern Web Equipment.

Contemporary
The use of aluminium in mess equipment has been identified as a health hazard, and plastics and disposables have become more common. In particular, the use of Individual Meal Packs (IMP) have become common, with chemical cooking bags. Messing from hayboxes/fresh rations in the field is often accomplished with disposable mess gear (i.e. paper plates).

Camping
A civilian mess kit, which may serve from one person to a family of eight, is a collection of common kitchen wares designed to be lightweight and easy to store. Such kits are typically constructed from aluminium, though enameled steel is also common, and some items (such as cutlery or plates) may be made of more expensive materials, such as titanium, to further save weight, or of plastic. A civilian mess kit usually contains at least a skillet, a kettle (which may also serve as a coffee pot), a plate, a cup (typically a Sierra cup), and cutlery. Utensils usually consist of forks, knives, and spoons, as at home, but may be replaced by specialty items like sporks or folding chopsticks. Kits usually come with either folding handles or a detachable handle which can be used with other cookware. Items are stored compactly by nesting them in other components; the whole kit may be placed in a stuff sack.

title: Mess kit


text: Category:Diplomats by nationality

title: Category:Diplomats by nationality


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Adrenocortical carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive cancer originating in the cortex (steroid hormone-producing tissue) of the adrenal gland.

Adrenocortical carcinoma is remarkable for the many hormonal syndromes that can occur in patients with steroid hormone-producing ("functional") tumors, including Cushing's syndrome, Conn syndrome, virilization, and feminization. Adrenocortical carcinoma has often invaded nearby tissues or metastasized to distant organs at the time of diagnosis, and the overall 5-year survival rate is about 50%.

Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare tumor, with incidence of one to two per million population annually. It has a bimodal distribution by age, with cases clustering in children under 5 and in adults 30–40 years old. The widely used angiotensin-II-responsive steroid-producing cell line H295R was originally isolated from a tumor diagnosed as adrenocortical carcinoma.

Signs and symptoms
Adrenocortical carcinoma may present differently in children and adults. Most tumors in children are functional, and virilization is by far the most common presenting symptom(s), followed by Cushing's syndrome and precocious puberty. Among adults presenting with hormonal syndromes, Cushing's syndrome alone is most common, followed by mixed Cushing's and virilization (glucocorticoid and androgen overproduction). Feminization and Conn syndrome (mineralocorticoid excess) occur in less than 10% of cases. Rarely, pheochromocytoma-like hypersecretion of catecholamines has been reported in adrenocortical cancers. Nonfunctional tumors (about 40%, authorities vary) usually present with abdominal or flank pain, varicocele, and renal vein thrombosis or they may be asymptomatic and detected incidentally.

All patients with suspected ACC should be carefully evaluated for signs and symptoms of hormonal syndromes. For Cushing's syndrome (glucocorticoid excess), these include weight gain, muscle wasting, purple lines on the abdomen, a fatty "buffalo hump" on the neck, a "moon-like" face, and thinning, fragile skin. Virilism (androgen excess) is most obvious in women, and may produce excess facial and body hair, acne, enlargement of the clitoris, deepening of the voice, coarsening of facial features, cessation of menstruation. Conn syndrome (mineralcorticoid excess) is marked by high blood pressure, which can result in headache and hypokalemia (low serum potassium, which can in turn produce muscle weakness, confusion, and palpitations), low plasma renin activity, and high serum aldosterone. Feminization (estrogen excess) is most readily noted in men, and includes breast enlargement, decreased libido, and impotence.

Pathophysiology
The main etiologic factor of ACC is unknown, although families with Li–Fraumeni syndrome, caused by an inherited inactivation mutation in TP53, have increased risk. Several genes have been shown to be recurrently mutated, including TP53, CTNNB1, MEN1, PRKAR1A, RPL22, and DAXX. The telomerase gene TERT is often amplified while ZNRF3 and CDKN2A are often homozygously deleted. The genes h19, insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II), and p57kip2 are important for fetal growth and development. They are located on chromosome 11p. Expression of the h19 gene is markedly reduced in both nonfunctioning and functioning adrenal cortical carcinomas, especially in tumors producing cortisol and aldosterone. Also, a loss occurs of activity of the p57 kip2  gene product in virilizing adenomas and adrenal cortical carcinomas. In contrast, IGF-II gene expression has been shown to be high in adrenal cortical carcinomas. Finally, c-myc gene expression is relatively high in neoplasms, and it is often linked to poor prognosis.

Bilateral adrenocortical tumors are less common than unilateral. The majority of bilateral tumours can be distinguished according to size and aspect of the nodules: primary pigmented nodular adrenocortical disease, which can be sporadic or part of Carney complex, and primary bilateral macro nodular adrenal hyperplasia.Metastasis is most commonly to the liver and lung.

Laboratory findings
Hormonal syndromes should be confirmed with laboratory testing. Laboratory findings in Cushing syndrome include increased serum glucose (blood sugar) and increased urine cortisol. Adrenal virilism is confirmed by the finding of an excess of serum androstenedione and dehydroepiandrosterone. Findings in Conn syndrome include low serum potassium, low plasma renin activity, and high serum aldosterone. Feminization is confirmed with the finding of excess serum estrogen.

Imaging
Radiological studies of the abdomen, such as CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging are useful for identifying the site of the tumor, differentiating it from other diseases, such as adrenocortical adenoma, and determining the extent of invasion of the tumor into surrounding organs and tissues. On CT, it shows heterogeneous appearance due to necrosis, calcifications, and haemorrhage. After contrast injection, it shows peripheral enhancement. Invasion of adjacent structures such as kidney, vena cava, liver, and retroperitoneal lymph nodes are also common.

On MRI, it shows low intensity on T1-weighted images, and high T2 signal with strong heterogeneous contrast enhancement and slow washout. Haemorrhagic areas may show high T1-signal.

Pathology
Adrenal tumors are often not biopsied prior to surgery, so diagnosis is confirmed on examination of the surgical specimen by a pathologist. Grossly, ACCs are often large, with a tan-yellow cut surface, and areas of hemorrhage and necrosis. On microscopic examination, the tumor usually displays sheets of atypical cells with some resemblance to the cells of the normal adrenal cortex. The presence of invasion and mitotic activity help differentiate small cancers from adrenocortical adenomas. Several relatively rare variants of ACC include:
 * Oncocytic adrenal cortical carcinoma
 * Myxoid adrenal cortical carcinoma
 * Carcinosarcoma
 * Adenosquamous adrenocortical carcinoma
 * Clear cell adrenal cortical carcinoma

Differential diagnosis
Differential diagnosis includes:
 * Adrenocortical adenoma
 * Renal cell carcinoma
 * Pheochromocytoma
 * Hepatocellular carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinomas are most commonly distinguished from adrenocortical adenomas (their benign counterparts) by the Weiss system, as follows: Total score indicates:
 * 0-2: Adrenocortical adenoma
 * 3: Undetermined
 * 4-9: Adrenocortical carcinoma

Treatment
The only curative treatment is complete surgical excision of the tumor, which can be performed even in the case of invasion into large blood vessels, such as the renal vein or inferior vena cava. The 5-year survival rate after successful surgery is 50–60%, but unfortunately, many patients are not surgical candidates. A 2018 systematic review suggests that laparoscopic retroperotenial adrenalectomy appears to reduce late morbidity, time to oral fluid or food intake and time to ambulation when compared to laparoscopic transperitoneal adrenalectomy, however there is uncertainty about these effects due to very low-quality evidence. For outcomes such as all-cause mortality, early morbidity, socioeconomic effects, and operative and postoperative parameter, the evidence is uncertain about the effects of either interventions over the other.

Radiation therapy and radiofrequency ablation may be used for palliation in patients who are not surgical candidates. Minimally invasive surgical techniques remain controversial due to the absence of long-term data, with a particular concern for rates of recurrence and peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Chemotherapy regimens typically include the drug mitotane, an inhibitor of steroid synthesis, which is toxic to cells of the adrenal cortex, as well as standard cytotoxic drugs. A retrospective analysis showed a survival benefit for mitotane in addition to surgery when compared to surgery alone.

The two most common regimens are cisplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide (EDP) + mitotane, and streptozotocin + mitotane. The FIRM-ACT trial demonstrated higher rates of response and longer progression-free survival with EDP + mitotane than with streptozotocin + mitotane.

Prognosis
ACC, generally, carries a positive  prognosis, with an overall 5-year survival rate of about 50%. Five-year disease-free survival for a complete resection of a stage I–III ACC is about 30%. The most important prognostic factors are age of the patient and stage of the tumor. Poor prognostic factors include mitotic activity, venous invasion, weight of 50 g or more, diameter of 6.5 cm or more, Ki-67/MIB1 labeling index of 4% or more, and p53 positive.

In its malignancy, adrenocortical carcinoma is unlike most tumours of the adrenal cortex, which are benign (adenomas) and only occasionally cause Cushing's syndrome.

title: Adrenocortical carcinoma


text:
Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Chronology of the Watchmen

Chronology of the Watchmen
The page is an apparently arbitrary listing of a few of the events that occur within the Watchmen series. Since an entry already exists for the Watchmen and since this chronology is to the best of my knowledge entirely arbitrary and doesn't add anything to the main article, i've put this up for deletion rather than merge it into the main piece. Hulleye 14:05, 20 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Delete and/or merge --Improv 20:23, 20 Oct 2004 (UTC)
 * Why didn't you just replace it with a redirect to Watchmen? Gdr 22:23, 2004 Oct 20 (UTC)


text: Category:1564 births

title: Category:1564 births


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User:Neitram

 * User:Neitram/common.js

title: User:Neitram


text: Category:Columbia County, New York

title: Category:Columbia County, New York


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J. K. Simmons

Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor. Considered one of the most eminent male character actors of his generation, his career spans over five decades of screen and stage. Simmons is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award for his supporting role in Damien Chazelle's independent film Whiplash (2014).

Simmons is known for his role as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy (2002–2007). He reprised his role as Jameson in various Marvel media unrelated to the Raimi trilogy, including multiple animated titles and the Marvel Cinematic Universe films. He has appeared in numerous supporting roles in films such as The Cider House Rules (1999), Thank You for Smoking (2005), Juno (2007), Burn After Reading (2008), Up in the Air (2009), Jennifer's Body (2009), La La Land (2016), Justice League (2017), and Palm Springs (2020). He portrayed William Frawley in Being the Ricardos (2021), for which he received another nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

On television he is known for playing white supremacist prisoner Vernon Schillinger on the HBO series Oz (1997–2003), the recurring role of Dr. Emil Skoda on the NBC series Law & Order (1997–2010), Assistant Police Chief Will Pope on the TNT series The Closer (2005–2012), and Howard Silk in the Starz series Counterpart (2017–2019). He also appeared in commercials for Farmers Insurance.

On the Broadway stage Simmons played Captain Hook in the 1991 revival of Peter Pan and Benny Southstreet in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls.

As a voice actor he is known for portraying the Yellow M&M in commercials since 1996, Cave Johnson in the video game Portal 2 (2011), White Knight in Generator Rex (2010-2013), Tenzin in The Legend of Korra (2012–2014), Stanford "Ford" Pines in Gravity Falls (2015–2016), Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3 (2016), Mayor Leodore Lionheart in Zootopia (2016), the titular character in Klaus (2019), Nolan Grayson / Omni-Man in Invincible (2021–present), and General Ketheric Thorm in the video game Baldur's Gate 3 (2023).

Early life and education
Simmons was born on January 9, 1955, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, the son of Patricia (née Kimble), an administrator, and Donald William Simmons, a music teacher at Parcells Middle School. One of three children, Simmons attended Ferry Elementary School in Grosse Pointe Woods. In 1965, when he was 10 years old, his family moved to Worthington, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. From 1970 to 1972, he attended Worthington High School, where he participated in drama, football and choir. In 1973, when he was 18, they moved to Missoula, Montana, where his father became director of the School of Music at the University of Montana. The younger Simmons graduated from the University of Montana in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music. During college, he became a member of the music-oriented fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Simmons appeared at the Bigfork Summer Playhouse in Bigfork, Montana, in various roles from 1977 to 1982. Later, he moved to Seattle and became a member of the Seattle Repertory Theatre, where he met his best friend Michael Smith. Simmons eventually landed his first role on Broadway in 1992.

Stage
On Broadway, Simmons played Benny Southstreet in the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls. In 1994, he sang multiple roles in the Wagner opera satire Das Barbecü. He also played the role of Jigger in a revival of Carousel with the Houston Grand Opera and starred in the 1987 Off-Broadway musical Birds of Paradise. During his time on Broadway, Simmons also played Captain Hook in Peter Pan (1991–1992).

Film and television roles
Simmons made his first appearance in a live-action television role in the show Popeye Doyle, appearing as a patrol officer. The next year, Simmons appeared on All My Children, as an RCMP sergeant. Among his more notable roles are Dr. Emil Skoda, a police psychiatrist whom Simmons played on three of the four incarnations of Law & Order and New York Undercover, and sadistic neo-Nazi inmate Vernon Schillinger on the prison drama Oz.

He appeared as Ralph Earnhardt, the father of race-car driver Dale Earnhardt, in 3: The Dale Earnhardt Story, and also made appearances as Will Pope, Assistant Chief of the LAPD, in the series The Closer. In the show Raising Hope, he plays Burt Chance's brother Bruce Chance. In a precursor to joining the Law & Order cast as Skoda, Simmons appeared in Homicide: Life on the Street, portraying a criminal in a Law & Order cross-over episode. Other roles include an army general in the television sitcom Arrested Development, and Dan the Barber in the surreal Nickelodeon series The Adventures of Pete & Pete in 1995.

He played B.R. in the film Thank You for Smoking (2005) and has been praised for his performance in Juno (2007) as "Mac" McGuff, the title character's father. Simmons played J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Daily Bugle, in all three of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films, as well as in the expanded video game adaptation of Spider-Man 3. In 2008, he played a CIA superior in Burn After Reading and appeared in Postal as Candidate Welles. He also appeared in I Love You, Man as the father of Paul Rudd's character.

Throughout 2011 to 2018, Simmons was a prime time voice actor for the Adult Swim stop-motion series Robot Chicken. Simmons performed various voices for several characters over the last couple of years. For example, one of the characters that he played was Vernon Schillinger (in 2011) for a singular episode. In 2011 and 2014, he also voiced Master Chief for various scenes throughout two episodes. Lastly in 2018, he voiced the widely known J. Jonah Jameson for an episode. Simmons starred in several films produced or directed by his friend Jason Reitman, including Thank You for Smoking, Juno, Up in the Air, and Jennifer's Body. In 2013, he had a small role as Mr. Jervis in Reitman's film Labor Day. He voices Tenzin, an Airbending master and the son of Aang and Katara, in the 2012 Nickelodeon series The Legend of Korra, the sequel series to the 2005 Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender. He starred as blind lawyer "Mel Fisher" in Growing Up Fisher. From 2015 to 2016, he voiced the scientist Stanford Pines on the Disney XD cartoon series Gravity Falls for the second season.

In the 2014 drama film Whiplash, Simmons played Terence Fletcher, an intensely demanding and abusive bandleader at the fictional Shaffer Conservatory of Music, who bullies and cajoles his student, Andrew Neiman (Miles Teller). The wide acclaim for Simmons's performance included winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Rolling Stone said "Beat the drums for an Oscar for Simmons." Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times said "Simmons delivers one of the most memorable performances of the year." Entertainment Weekly summed up the reaction by saying Simmons's performance "has been universally praised" and that he was "a leading contender for Best Supporting Actor." On January 11, 2015, Simmons won the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture, and he went on to win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on February 22, 2015.

In January 2015, Simmons was cast in a leading role in the film Kong: Skull Island, though he and Michael Keaton later exited the film. Simmons performed a substantial number of voice-over roles alongside his live action work. Several of these have arisen from his J. Jonah Jameson character in Raimi's Spider-Man films, including voices of two newspaper editors in episodes of the eighteenth season of The Simpsons. While unnamed, these characters are clearly meant to emulate Jameson (one, bearing Jameson's appearance, demands "pictures of Spider-Man," then once reminded he works at a poetry journal, demands "poems about Spider-Man"). Likewise, Simmons voiced an editor-in-chief of a newspaper (with Jameson's appearance and mannerisms) for a 2013 episode of The Hub's Pound Puppies. In 2015, he appeared as the German expatriate Sebastian in the Greek drama film Worlds Apart. In 2016, Simmons lent his voice to two animated films, voicing the antagonist Kai in Kung Fu Panda 3 and Mayor Lionheart in Zootopia.

Simmons reprised his role as the voice of J. Jonah Jameson in the animated series The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Ultimate Spider-Man, Avengers Assemble, and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. In friend Reitman's film Young Adult, he voiced the protagonist's boss, via a series of voicemails. He also provided the voice of General Wade Eiling in Justice League Unlimited. He recorded an audiobook for Tom Clancy's Net Force: Point of Impact.

In 2016, Simmons portrayed Watertown Police Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese in the film Patriots Day.

He starred in the science fiction thriller Counterpart from 2017 to 2019, playing dual roles as Howard Silk and Howard Silk Prime.

In 2017, Simmons portrayed Commissioner James Gordon in Joss Whedon's film Justice League, part of the DC Extended Universe. He reappeared in archive footage for Zack Snyder's Justice League, the 2021 director's cut. Simmons filmed scenes reprising the role in the completed Batgirl film before its 2022 release was cancelled. He voiced himself in an episode of SuperMansion.

In the field of television commercials, Simmons is widely known for being the voice of the yellow M&M, a role he has played since 1996, replacing John Goodman. He has also done voice-over work for Philips Norelco razors. In live-action, he is featured as Professor Nathaniel Burke of the University of Farmers in ads for Farmers Insurance Group, since 2010.

In 2017, Simmons had a small cameo for a role in SpongeBob SquarePants of Conductor Maestro Mackerel for the episode "Snooze You Lose" in season 10.

In 2019, Simmons reprised his role of J. Jonah Jameson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Spider-Man: Far From Home, as a cameo in the mid-credits scene. He is the second actor to portray the same character in both a non-MCU and MCU film, following Lou Ferrigno as the voice of the Hulk. He returns in the role in the 2019 Web series The Daily Bugle and the films Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Spider-Man: No Way Home, both released in 2021, as well as the 2022 film Morbius, in a scene cut from the theatrical release.

In 2020, he had a guest spot as Frank Dillman on the police sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He also narrated the Netflix limited series documentary Coronavirus, Explained and co-starred in the critically acclaimed sci-fi/comedy Palm Springs, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January and on Hulu in July.

From 2014 to 2020, Simmons voiced Lenny Turteltaub in the animated show BoJack Horseman.

In 2021, Simmons provided the voice for Omni-Man in the animated show Invincible, played the role of George Zax, CEO of a family-owned and operated pharmaceutical company on the fourth season of Goliath, and also appeared in the military science-fiction film The Tomorrow War.

In 2021, Simmons was the voice of Tusk Johnson, Mountain Man in the animated show The Great North.

In 2021, Simmons portrayed William Frawley in the Amazon movie Being the Ricardos, for which he received his second Academy Award nomination.

Video games
In 2005, Simmons also reprised his role of J. Jonah Jameson, as a voice actor, for the PSP version of Spider-Man 2: The Video Game. Later in 2007, he also voiced the same character of Jameson in the next game of the series: Spider-Man 3: The Video Game. Simmons, also in 2007, decided to voice Jameson one last time in Stern Pinball: Spider-Man.

Simmons appears as the anti-communist U.S. President Howard T. Ackerman in the video game Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 and for a series of promotional advertisements parodying the 2008 presidential elections. In these advertisements, he offers himself (as Ackerman) as an alternative to other, unnamed presidential candidates and uses the slogan "Vote for me, if you want to live". In the 2008 United States Presidential election, 43 people voted for Simmons (as Ackerman) as a write-in candidate.

In 2011, Simmons also appeared in Generator Rex: Agent of Providence, as White Knight.

In April 2011, he appeared in Portal 2 as the voice of Aperture Science founder Cave Johnson, a performance that was lauded as the "surprise star turn" of the game. He reprised his role as Cave Johnson in the 2015 video game Lego Dimensions, the 2022 video game Aperture Desk Job, and was introduced to be a part of the Dota 2 2022 Battle Pass: Part II in an Announcer and Mega Kills Packs.

Simmons provided the voice-over for the M&M's "spokescandy", Yellow in M&M's: Shell Shocked and M&M's: The Lost Formulas.

Simmons also appeared as General Ketheric Thorm in the 2023 video game Baldur's Gate 3.

In September 2023, Simmons reprised his role as Omni-Man in the video game Mortal Kombat 1.

Personal life
Simmons married film director Michelle Schumacher in 1996. They have two children; their daughter Olivia has appeared in two films, The Only Good Indian (2009) and I'm Not Here (2017), while their son Joe has also made occasional appearances in low-budget films. Simmons admits in an interview that he encouraged their interest in acting.

Simmons is an avid fan of the Detroit Tigers. He threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Tigers on April 6, 2015 for Opening Day, and played the Tigers' manager in For Love of the Game (1999). He is also a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, having spent his formative years in Ohio.

He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the men's music fraternity, and was initiated in 1975 at the University of Montana.

During Mardi Gras 2018, he was appointed King of Bacchus by the Krewe of Bacchus.

title: J. K. Simmons


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