John Falcon

US Army unveils new combat uniform




Tue Jun 15, 4:49 AM ET


WASHINGTON (AFP) - The US Army unveiled its first new combat uniform in more than two decades, opting for a single camouflage pattern that is supposed to blend into an urban environment as easily as desert or woodlands.


The uniform was tested in Iraq (news - web sites) by soldiers of a Stryker brigade who made a number of suggestions to make it a more practical fit for troops fighting in body armor than the army's current battle dress uniform, officials said.


It has no buttons, only zippers and velcro fastners for everything from unit patches to cuffs and Mao-style collars.


Slanted pockets on the chest allow soldiers to slip their hands more easily under armored vests. Similarly cargo pockets on the pants are positioned so that things don't fall out when they're sitting in Humvees or Stryker armored vehicles.


The uniforms have elbow pouches that can be filled with gel pads to cushion the blow of a bruising dive or crawl.


Soldiers also will be giving up their traditional black boots for tan desert or brown combat boots.


But the most controversial change is likely to be its single camouflage pattern in tan, green and gray for all environments. The army currently has separate battle dress uniforms for woodland or desert environments.


"We were trying to match three basic environments -- woodland, desert and urban combat -- and to get a uniform that worked as best it could in all three," said Brigadier General James Moran.


"Now what we came up with ... is an 80 percent solution in each of those environments," he said.


Moran said the new pattern may not be a perfect match for desert warfare, but even in Iraq the environment changes from desert to lush farmland in the Tigris and Eurphrates River valleys.


"We needed a uniform that allowed us to transition from environment to environment and environment, and not have a absolutely perfect desert uniform," he said.


"We were preparing for combat in the desert, but then we fought in the lush green area between the Tigris and the Euprates rivers," he explained.


Moran also said it was more economical to produce a uniform with a single pattern. The army issues four uniforms per soldier at a cost of 88 dollars each. Creating three variants of the combat uniform would have meant issuing a dozen uniforms per soldier, he said.


The army plans to issue four uniforms apiece to 15,000 soldiers a month beginning in March, and to complete the transition by 2007.


It also is developing a lighter new assault rifle called the XM8, which has interchangeable parts that can be configured as a carbine, a more compact assault rifle, or a longer barreled designated marksman rifle.


The new weapon, which has not yet been approved for production, can be stripped and cleaned in four minutes compared to 11 minutes for the M-16.


In tests, it has fired 15,000 rounds without cleaning or lubrication, said Colonel Michael Smith.


Moran said the army also is producing 138,000 sets of body armor by the end of the year that weighs 16 pounds compared to 25 pounds on the old vests.

In addition, it is producing 50,000 separate sets of armor by September to protect shoulders and under arms to better protect soldiers whose sides are exposed when they drive armored Humvees.

But Moran cautioned that the extra armor comes at a cost in weight and combat effectiveness. He added that even soldiers in body armor and armored Humvees are vulnerable to roadside bombs.

Speed_Gibson

Never served in the Army but that reminds of the change the Navy made when they switched to the new godawful dungarees right before I left. Never had to buy of the new design fortunately. September 2000 was the cutoff date for older better style if memory serves.

__________________
Started talking to yourself I see.
Yes, it's the only way I can be certain of an intelligent conversation.

Black Adder

ObieX

Looks kinda like what, i thought, they would transition into. I like the collar, but the patches need some work.

__________________
We Must Dissent.

John Falcon

Seems to me the patches (secured only by velcro) would rip off on doorways, brush and the ground.

KellyC

Dang! They be stylin'

I watched a discovery channel special about a group of young crecruits going to boot camp for training, and at the end of training program, they'd get a uniform and the sargeant would say "You are now the best dressed soldier in the world." I guess it holds to be true....

__________________
Him: Ok, I have to ask, what do you believe?
Me: Shit happens.

analog

seems like buttons were there for a reason... won't velcro be REALLY LOUD to get in and out of? what if they're all covert and stuff, and get hungry and grab for a snickers from their pocket...

SSSSSSSSSCHRIIIIIIIITCHHHH (velcro sound)

"Fuck, Jenkins, what the hell do you think quiet means??"

TopRamen66

Thats exactly what I thought of when I read it. Velcro has to be the dumbest idea on a combat uniform that I've heard. I bet there are going to be some pissssed snipers out there...

BigGov

Snipers make their own camo anyway though, so they can just as easily rip off all the velcro shit.

It doesn't make much sense though, what was wrong with the tried and true uniforms? While the pockets and everything sound great, the zippers and velcro sound like possible major problems.

I would not be surprised if this idea is rejected by the soldiers.

__________________
One day an Englishman, a Scotsman, and an Irishman walked into a pub together. They each bought a pint of Guinness. Just as they were about to enjoy their creamy beverage, three flies landed in each of their pints. The Englishman pushed his beer away in disgust. The Scotsman fished the fly out of his beer and continued drinking it, as if nothing had happened. The Irishman, too, picked the fly out of his drink but then held it out over the beer and yelled "SPIT IT OUT, SPIT IT OUT, YOU BASTARD!"

World's King

Looks... Um... British?

__________________
heavy is the head that wears the crown

Destrox

My exact thought.

__________________
You bore me.... next.

Fremen

Why use a beret?

__________________
Google

John Falcon

The idea of the whole U.S. Army wearing a black beret (as opposed to just the Army Rangers) was a going away present from Clinton.



http://www.army.mil/features/beret/beret.htm

jwoody

Looks to me like something out of a bad (meaning bad) sci-fi film.

__________________
.

John Falcon

But I liked Starship Troopers!

Fremen

Thanks for the info, John. I understand it better now.
I knew about Green Berets in WWII, but I didn't know the origins of their berets.
Or that the beret was used even earlier in the 20th century by the British.


I hope the soldiers have better covers for inclement weather.

__________________
Google

onetime2

That's perhaps the most god awful uniform I've ever seen. As far as the velcro goes, beyond just the noise velcro is a bitch to keep clean and if it ain't clean it ain't working. With regard to the patches, that one on the front sure makes an excellent target. Of course all the patches will be covered by flak jackets when in combat areas, but still mighty ugly.

__________________
Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

cameroncrazy822

It looks a like a hybrid German-type uniform... I'm not, nor have I ever been, in the military-- I'm wondering what some military people think of it? I'm not a real fan though. It's looks seem to me to be bad "made for TV sci-fi".

MSD

I knew I wasn't the only one who thought of Starship Troopers when I saw it

apeman

they should have gone for the aliens II look, they would get way more respect than in that thing. it may be practical, but I don't think it looks good.

__________________
pain is inevitable but misery is optional - stick a geranium in your hat and be happy

shalafi

My first thought was it looks..........british. My second thought was those patches look not only like they are going to catch on everything he walks past but they need to change the color of them to better match the uniform. I can get used to the look of the new uniform but with those patches it just looks dumb.

jwoody

Explain why you think it looks British?


'British soldiers helping old ladies cross the road.'


'A British soldier tells an iraqi civilian how much he loves him.'


'A friendly demonstration of how-not-to use cable ties.'

__________________
.

DelayedReaction

I think the patches are temporary; the contrast they offer with the rest of the uniform is going to negate the camo a lot. Human eyes work mostly on movement and contrast, and the contrast those patches offer are pretty bad.

I'm more concerned about the reaction our soldiers would have to the uniform in terms of comfort. Soldiers fight better when they're more comfortable, so if the system (including the body armor) works, then more power to them.

What kind of helmet do they have?

__________________
If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.

Paq

just gotta say, that'sa weird place for a rank insignia....

__________________
Live.

Chris

shalafi

I dunno. Maybe the beret. That was just my first impression of it.

dpratt1

All of us civilians talking about how we may not like it is good and dandy, but the guys that design snd test this stuff go through things we don't even know about. Everything that we are thinking of they have probably thought of a thousand times and have probably thought of a thousand more things that we will never think of. Everything on the uniforms is the way it is for a reason. That's how the military works; function above style. For instance, Hummer windshields are perfectly verticle. While this creates hela wind resistance, it makes the vehicles almost invisible to enemy aircraft because there is no glare. These guys know what they are doing and I have faith in any decision they make.

onetime2

First off you are assuming that everyone who replied hasn't worn a US uniform (and you'd be wrong) and second military designers screw up a hell of a lot more often than they get things exactly right.

__________________
Strive to be more curious than ignorant.

Sun Tzu

Hmmm what an invention. . .quiet velcro

I going to get to work immediately

__________________
To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.- Stephen Hawking

DelayedReaction

This is the same vehicle that leaves the machine gunner completely exposed to enemy fire, right?



And also completely lacks any kind of armor? That design?

GOOD engineers appreciate criticism of their design; faith has NOTHING to do with it.

__________________
If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.

Giant Hamburger

I would have suggested Bear costumes.

Everyone is afraid of bears.

nowthen

two words - LOWEST BIDDER

__________________

"People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them."

George Bernard Shaw

tropple

My thoughts...

The slanted pockets are a good idea. Easy access is a good thing. Ever try and dig anything out of the lower pockets when wear load-bearing gear? Forget it. They may as well be sewn shut.

I'll reserve judgement on the velcro. Buttons have come off at very inopportune times, clicked/clacked on shit, etc. Wait and see on this one. It might work.

The integral elbow pads are a great idea. It would be good to add them for the knees, too.

__________________
+++++++++++Boom!

parched_son

Paq, rank insignia has been worn like that for years. When Gortex jackets became big back in the late '80's many of us wore our rank just as you see it on the new uniform. I don't care much for the uniform, as I prefer/wore the old, but I'm not in anymore and my vote doesn't count.
Jeff

Paq

oh wow, i had no idea that they were worn in the center of the chest..seems like a bullseye target to me...

Then again, i dont' often see military uniforms

__________________
Live.

Chris

Boo

Some units require their patches be removed prior to entering an active area. AF pilots do.

IMO - They are trying to come up with a uniform that will be perceived differently. Changing the face of the invaders may provide some change of heart in the Iraqis. Either that or it is the uniform of the new world order.

__________________
Back button again, I must be getting old.

H12

Exactly what I thought of when I first saw it.

He he he...'dem darn bears are dangerous.

__________________
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit."
--Aristotle

John Falcon

Army gets new combat uniform
By Sgt. 1st Class Marcia Triggs
June 14, 2004


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

bermuDa

I guess they didn't adopt the ultra effective computer generated camoflauge:

http://www.marcorsyscom.usmc.mil/sit...ity/index.html

the new style looks like they faded the normal camo... and the beret looks..........

yeah.

__________________
I am the very model of a moderator gentleman.

Scipio

I read some stuff about this, and it's hard to judge practicality without actually trying the thing. People are assuming two things:

It's new and made by engineers, so it inevitably won't be combat-ready.

or

It's new and made by engineers, so it will ineveitably be smartly designed and well suited to its purpose.

====

Based on what I've read, there are a few practical advantages. It's wrinkle free, and easier to maintain. The collar prevents the interceptor vests from chafing the neck. The camo pattern is not ideal for any environment, but works pretty good in most places. The patches will be adapted to the new color uniform. The insignia is small and located on the chest, as it's harder for the enemy to identify at range. The new undershirt will be made of coolmax or some other wicking material, which ought to be more comfortable.

I honestly don't know about the velcro. I assume it would be the first thing to go if it was going to be a big problem. I think they're losing the buttons because they're harder to use (sometimes they just won't go in, and you have to fumble with it for a sec), and because they won't fall off.

I'm sure they'll get the kinks worked out in a year or two. Besides, it's better than the new Air Force BDUs.

__________________
"Erections lasting more than 4 hours, though rare, require immediate medical attention."

timalkin

I find it interesting that this uniform is meant to be used in almost any terrain type. I'm not sure if it works in a practical sense, but it would greatly streamline the logistical side of things.

Bill O'Rights

Yeah, I was gonna mention that. What the hell are these guys thinking?



Blue cammo?!? I mean, c'mon...really...

__________________
"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.