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Accoutrements are the personal/individual equipment of service people such as soldiers, sailors, police and firemen and employees of some private organizations such as security guards, other than their basic uniform and weapons.[1]
Accoutrements can be intended for field, garrison or ceremonial purposes. Most accoutrements for field use are purely practical in nature.
Ceremonial accoutrements may no longer have a practical purpose in modern operations but may be retained to maintain a tradition. Garrison accoutrements will vary in their usefulness and include both practical and ceremonial/traditional items.
Some accoutrements such as lanyards, have both a traditional/ceremonial and a practical purpose. In these cases a different item may be worn in garrison or ceremonial occasions than that used in the field. For example, in the Australian army different corps and units wear different coloured lanyards for service or ceremonial dress, but universally use drab natural fibre coloured lanyards for pistol retention in the field.
- ^ In American English, the spelling "accouterments" is often used. See The Free Dictionary - Accouterments; MacMillan Dictionary - Accouterments; and Wiktionary - accouterment. Retrieved January 18, 2016.