New "Proposed" Army Uniform.

What do you think about the new proposal of "Digital Uniforms" In the Miliitary? CNN used to have a article, but the page is down... All I can say is :

potential problems with the new uniform (U.S. Army version):

1) There will be only one variation to replace both the current desert and woodland patterns. The color black is not used. From the limited pictures I've seen, the uniform looks more like "cook whites", faded woodland pattern BDU's. It is very possible the soldier might stand out like a sore thumb during a nice lush spring in a wooded area.

2) Velcro, as nice and convienient as it is, is loud when separated. I can picture that Ranger quietly making his way at night, when all of a sudden a tree branch snags a pocket or the shirt opening...RIIIPPPPPP!...followed soon after by: Bang! ...Buttons are very quiet.

3) A picture I saw of a SFC wearing this new uniform still had the large, very rectangular, olive drab name and U.S. Army tags (along with CIB, etc. badges)...not to mention the tabs and unit patch on the sleeve. These extras, as needed as they are, break up the randomness of the digital pattern...and possibly reduce the effectiveness of the uniform.

These are just my opinions...without actually wearing and seeing the uniforms in action (so to speak), they will remain as just my lowly opinions. For the record, I served 9 years in the Army...and all I can say is: "enjoy the Velcro!"

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I like the idea of velcro....but as you have already said, its loud when seperated. Not to mention when it gets dirty and nasty it tends to not stick together very well.

Perhaps with the name tapes they should go with something similar to the USMC MARPATs in that the tapes are the same material as the uniform.

I dont really mind having something new....but I dont like the way these look. Dont get me wrong.....I'm not saying I wont wear them, but I'm gonna silently bitch when I do!

[RR691983]

From the limited pictures I've seen, the uniform looks more like "cook whites", faded woodland pattern BDU's. It is very possible the soldier might stand out like a sore thumb during a nice lush spring in a wooded area

An what pictures have you seen??? The fact is the pattern HAS been proven to break up the outline of the soldier... I've seen just about every photo released too... I think u should check your screen resolution.

Velcro? Velcro is a long time coming. First of all, if you are close enough to the enemy for him to hear you opening a pocket flap.... You already have serious issues my friend.

While I admit I would much rather have buttons on my cargo pockets(legs) I can live with the velcro. Should I decide I have a sewing kit... I can put buttons on my field uniform :p

They have scrapped the idea of pin on badges as well.... It's not feasible, and noone will wear anything b/c its a pain in the ass. Sew on are authorised. Another key factor for velcro. It allows us to sterilize our uniforms before a combat op. We will roll out with our battle roster # and thats our identity... No way for haji to use our names.... OPSEC comes into play.

I can say this last year I've had almsot triple my clothing allowance come out of my pockets for uniforms. Alot of this cost is from sewing, alterations. Velcro makes this more cost effective for the lower ranking joes. Now we wont have to have 15000 patches, badges, and rank sewn on everytime we get promoted or get new uniforms...

This uniform was designed for the grunts, the warfighters. Not for garrison guys who live in the world of spits and starches.

[RR691983]

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 14, 2004) - The Army will be fielding a new combat uniform designed by NCOs and tested by Stryker Brigade Soldiers in Iraq since October.

On the Army's 229th birthday, senior leadership introduced the Army Combat Uniform during a Pentagon cake-cutting ceremony. Soldiers were on display, suited-up in the wrinkle-free uniform with a digitized camouflage pattern.

Three different versions of the ACU have been developed, and more than 10,000 uniforms have been produced and dragged through the sand in Iraq and at Army training centers. Even more are on American production lines to be issued by April 2005 to Soldiers in deploying units. Fielding to the total Army should be complete by December 2007, said officials from the Program Executive Office, known as PEO Soldier.

There were 20 changes made to the uniform, to include removing the color black and adapting the digital print from the Marine Corps uniform to meet the needs of the Army, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, the Clothing and Individual Equipment noncommissioned officer in charge.

Black is no longer useful on the uniform because it is not a color commonly found in nature. The drawback to black is that its color immediately catches the eye, he added.

"The color scheme in the ACU capitalizes on the environments that we operate in," Myhre said. "The current colors on the ACU are green-woodland, grey-urban environments and sand brown-desert. The pattern is not a 100-percent solution in every environment, but a good solution across the board."

"This isn't about a cosmetic redesign of the uniform," said Col. John Norwood, the project manager for Clothing and Individual Equipment. "It's a functionality change of the uniform that will improve the ability of Soldiers to execute their combat mission."

Every change was made for a reason. The bottom pockets on the jacket were removed and placed on the shoulder sleeves so Soldiers can have access to them while wearing body armor. The pockets were also tilted forward so that they are easily accessible. Buttons were replaced with zippers that open from the top and bottom to provide comfort while wearing armor.

Patches and tabs are affixed to the uniform with Velcro to give the wearer more flexibility and to save the Soldier money, Myhre said. Soldiers can take the name-tapes and patches off their uniforms before laundering, which will add to the lifecycle of the patches. Also the cost to get patches sewn on will be eliminated, he added.

The ACU will consist of a jacket, trousers, moisture wicking t-shirt and the brown combat boots. It will replace both versions of the BDU and the desert camouflage uniform. The black beret will be the normal headgear for the ACU, but there is a matching patrol cap to be worn at the commander's discretion.

At $88 per uniform, about $30 more than the BDU, Soldiers will eventually reap gains in money and time by not having to take uniforms to the cleaners or shine boots.

The life of the ACU began in January 2003 when PEO Soldier teamed with Myhre, Master Sgt. Alex Samoba and Staff Sgt. Matt Goodine - from the 1st Stryker Brigade, Fort Lewis, Wash.

The team looked at a number of uniforms and took the best part of each uniform and combined it into one. They built their first prototype and delivered 25 uniforms to Stryker squads at the National Training Center. After listening to their comments, the team went back to the lab and created prototype two.

Twenty-one uniforms were then delivered to Stryker Soldiers at the Joint Training and Readiness Center, Fort Polk, La.

"We watched them as they entered and cleared rooms, as they carried their rucksack and all of the things they had to be able to do in the uniform, and then we came up with prototype three," Myhre said.

Two issues of the third version were given to the Stryker Soldiers deploying to Iraq. Three months ago, Myhre was among a team who visited Iraq to get more feedback from Soldiers.

"We would talk to Soldiers right after they had completed a mission while the benefits of the uniform were still fresh in their minds. We wanted to know how did the uniform help the mission."

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston is one of the ACU's biggest supporters. He said major command sergeants major had a chance to see the uniform and give advice toward the final version.

"We have not made a major change to our uniforms since the BDUs (battle dress uniforms) were introduced in the early 1980s," Preston said. "This new uniform performs well in multiple environments. Its new pockets and color designs are a result of feedback from Soldiers in combat. Every modification made on the uniform was designed with a specific purpose and not just for the sake of change."

Uniform changes include:

1. Mandarin collar that can be worn up or down

2. Rank insignia centered on the front of the blouse

3. Velcro for wearing unit patch, skill tabs and recognition devices

4. Zippered front closure

5. Elbow pouch for internal elbow pad inserts

6. Knee pouch for internal knee pad inserts

7. Draw string leg cuff

8. Tilted chest pockets with Velcro closure

9. Three-slot pen pocket on bottom of sleeve

10. Velcro sleeve cuff closure

11. Shoulder pockets with Velcro

12. Forward tilted cargo pockets

13. Integrated blouse bellows for increased upper body mobility

14. Integrated Friend or Foe Identification Square on both left and right shoulder pocket flap.

15. Bellowed calf storage pocket on left and right leg

16. Moisture-wicking desert tan t-shirt

17. Patrol Cap with double thick bill and internal pocket

18. Improved hot-weather desert boot or temperate-weather desert boot

19. Two-inch, black nylon web belt

20. Moisture-wicking socks

calf pockets!

The pocket-shoulders are a result of feedback from Combat Soldiers. They replaced the bottom pockets on the blouse of the battle dress uniform. The shoulders are bellowed to allow increased movement

The ACU blouse has a zipper at the top and bottom.



The zipper is my only gripe... While not common zippers DO fail and are a bitch to fix, especially in a combat zone.

[RR691983]

Before anyone bitches about the collar... It can be worn down and looks just like our current collar.

The "mandarin" collar is designed again for us grunts... It is made for those of us taht spend months on end in the field having our necks rubbed raw by our IBA's... This is a welcome change!

I tend to agree about the velcro, best cure for that is a sterile uniform before you go on patrol. My biggest complaint is the zipper!! Two points of distraction on the zip. One, wait til it gets muddy (and it will). Two, when I loose a button in the field, no prob, I pull out my sewing kit and replace it, what happens when I loose a zipper?

[RR691983]

You rely on the velcro back up....I'll probably scrap the zippers just as I did the buttons on my DCU tops in afghanistan...

Everything was velcro for me other there....no complaints.

I'm looking forward to the collar. I'm also looking forward to not having to shine my boots and starch my BDUs. I can already see some CSM starching the hell out of these!

Along With MCJROTC I'm involved in CIvil Air patrol. This summer our encampment was at an army national guard base, and they had pictures on the wall of the uniforms and they looked nothing like that. They still had black and they looked exactly like the Marie Corps uniforms.

[RR691983]

Read the above. The pics I posted are the uniforms the Army is fielding. What you probably saw were pics of the over 20 designs the Army was considering.

Arsenic, you KNOW the pogues will still starch 'em anyways... It's their world. They have to stand out and be noticed.

[übergrunt]

I don't think the velcro will be the big deal some people are making anyways if the Tangos are close enough to hear velcro then obviously you shouldn't be fuckin around with your pockets.:

[olsarge1958]

More functional than fashionable. Thank god it includes a patrol cap. The beret makes me crazy. Never liked looking like slick willys bimbo!

Velcro and noise discipline hmmm? We've had velcro on flak jackets, and lots of our equipment for a long while. I think we can live with it.