Army finally made the right choice in uniforms

[Phoneguy]

Dungarees in the Navy back in the day. They now have this blue camo that's nicknamed aquaflage. If you are a surface sailor and fall overboard, there's no way in hell they will be able to see you in the water.

 

[majormadmax]

To be fair, unless they're wearing bright orange, there's always going to be problems spotting someone who goes overboard!

And don't forget the other USN camouflage uniform, which I call "seaweed"...

 

[claymore504]

Never was in the Army, but we used those little bungee cord things. Never tried just tucking them in. How well does that hold up when you're active? At home we were always in the field. Seems like they would just come untucked crawling around stuff.

Never had an issue tucking BDU, DCU and now ACU pants into the top of my boots and most of my career has been Infantry and Airborne Infantry.Pants never come untucked.

 

[Steve_In_29]

So you're excited about a cammo pattern that has been issued since 2010? the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP, which it wasn't) was selected over Multicam in 2004, so another way of looking at this is that the Army is finally realizing its mistake eleven years later...

By the way, don't let anyone fool you, "Scorpion W2" is Multicam; the latter is simply the brand name of a commercially available pattern. It is a modified version that the Army developed with Crye (owners of Multicam) back in 2004. The only difference is that the Army refused to pay Crye royalties for its use. I suspect there will be a huge lawsuit over this once the Army fields the new uniform.

But, for now, it's time for the Air Force, Marines and Navy to adopt this one uniform instead of wasting ridiculous amounts of money on the useless designs they've come up with!

Actually (prior to the Army's current rip-off of Crye) the Marines Digi-Cam was the ONLY pattern to have successfully completed the entire DoD testing procedure that proved it worked and it has served VERY well since we phased out the Woodland pattern. A fact that may have helped lead to the Army's decision as Congress was looking at making ALL the Services convert to the Marines trademarked pattern.

 

[zincwarrior]

Dungarees in the Navy back in the day. They now have this blue camo that's nicknamed aquaflage. If you are a surface sailor and fall overboard, there's no way in hell they will be able to see you in the water.

Indeed, whats the point of that, other than looking like you are jealous of the other branches?

 

[F350-6]

Never had an issue tucking BDU, DCU and now ACU pants into the top of my boots and most of my career has been Infantry and Airborne Infantry.Pants never come untucked.

Can't believe I never tried that. Or anyone else I knew for that matter. Guess that's why we were overrun in all those hand me down bungee cord things.

But on the other hand, I should probably make a comment about how it figures the Army would look for a shortcut and try and take the easy way out on stuff.

 

[TXDARKHORSE361]

Can't believe I never tried that. Or anyone else I knew for that matter. Guess that's why we were overrun in all those hand me down bungee cord things.

But on the other hand, I should probably make a comment about how it figures the Army would look for a shortcut and try and take the easy way out on stuff.

I know your time was before mine and might not have been a big deal then but you would get your ass chewed out now if you tucked your trousers into your boots instead of using a boot band.

OP I remember first seeing the new pattern in Kyrgyzstan on my way back stateside in 2011 and thinking they made a good call with those. I did/do however believe (imho) that the Marpat were the best looking uniforms, those combined with the dress blues in comparison to the Army equivalent at the time helped steer me to the Marine recruiter.

 

[Younggun]

But on the other hand, I should probably make a comment about how it figures the Army would remove unnecessary equipment and make a more efficient fighting force.

Fify

 

[F350-6]

I know your time was before mine and might not have been a big deal then but you would get your ass chewed out now if you tucked your trousers into your boots instead of using a boot band.

I do believe that's the nicest way anyone has called me old.

Fify

Me thinks someone's been hitting the bottle a little too hard.

 

[TXDARKHORSE361]

I do believe that's the nicest way anyone has called me old.

Ha Old Corps, you got my respect brother

 

[Willy]

I went into the USAF just after they switched from Fatigues to BDUs. My first field jacket was solid green as they were still issuing their current stock before switching over.

We used the bungee thingies. We called them "blousing straps". Sometimes, I just tucked them into my boots.

 

[majormadmax]

I tried on some of the new OCP ACUs while up at Elemendorf (its a "joint" base with Ft Richardson). They are an improvement over the old digital UCP pattern; but I still like multicam 5.11 pants and rapid assault shirt better...

 

[majormadmax]

Oddly enough, it almost appears that the old UCP pattern provides better camouflage, at least in Texas!

Uniform field testing at Fort Bliss Training Center on Sept. 21, 2012

Source: http://tacticalgear.com/ocp-acus

 

[jrbfishn]

Any hunter, even a half assed one can tell that most of that camo is location specific and way out of element. The ones on either end would be better general camo.

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[majormadmax]

Agreed, but considering that most of our contingencies today are in places that look like west Texas, a lighter pattern would have made more sense.

That said, multicam comes in "regional" shades (arid, tropical, etc.) which makes a lot more sense than a "one size fits all" approach the Army adopted with the UCP and now OCP ACUs...

 

[Kick Brass]

Oddly enough, it almost appears that the old UCP pattern provides better camouflage, at least in Texas!


Uniform field testing at Fort Bliss Training Center on Sept. 21, 2012

Source: http://tacticalgear.com/ocp-acus

I don't even see multicam/scorpion in that picture though. Personally I'm very happy about the change from the ACU pattern, just sad that it will take so long for National Guard/Reserves to get the new uniforms issued.

 

[London]

in 1986 we had plain green fatigues. Us MP's had to blouse our boots with those dumb little mini bungee cords, anyone remember those?

Trouser blousers. I used them from2003-2007 in the Air Force, so they ain't THAT old school! I was one of the last to get out before the AF went with their new gay bluish camo pattern- I don't even know what they call it. I have no idea if blousers are still used.

I had to use mine off duty too as an ankle rig under my slacks for my mandatory pager (firefighter). The weight was supported by my boot. Beat the hell out of wearing it sticking off of my belt or pocket like everyone else.

 

[London]

Weird how many people tucked their pants into their boots. In the AF that was highly frowned upon and the only people who did it were either about to retire and DGAF, shitbags, and people immediately categorized as shitbags. Im not saying anyone here is a shitbag, Im just saying its one of those weird stupid military culture things that makes no sense whatsoever, like expecting everyone to press and starch their BDUs and maintain shiny boots.

 

[shortround]

In my day, we only wore the O.D. green cotton sateen "pickle suit" for field duty. It had better be starched! And your black combat boots had to be spit-shined. On top of that we had to don a steel helmet with a camouflage cover! By then, the Army replaced the white T-Shirt with an O.D. green T-shirt, adopted "subdued" patches, and replaced the brass belt buckle with a blackened version of the Marine Corps buckle. (Thank you U.S.M.C.)!

In garrison, we wore starched Khakis along with the "**** cap" (with insignia), bloused boots (no blousing rubbers, but cut down steel coffee cans), "bus-driver" green Class A's with a tan shirt and black tie when required, and dress blues on special occasions.

The "big day" was when the Army released a huge stockpile of rip-stop Viet Nam era Jungle Fatigues. We got issued three sets cost free, and did not have to turn them in when we left the unit. The supply was so plentiful, we could DX (direct exchange) them with no questions asked.

Best field uniform I ever wore. Lightweight, quick to dry, and sturdy. After a month in the Florida swamps, I never had a pocket or seat seam rip out. Could wash them in a stream, hang up to dry for 30 minutes, and they were good to go. Did not have to get them starched (which saved big bucks on limited funds).

Fast forward to 1983 with the introduction of the original BDU. That was a "Woodlands Camouflage" suit made of a heavy cotton-synthetic blend with huge "Elvis" collars, big pockets on the blouse and trousers, and we had to sew velcro into the pocket flaps to prevent loading up those spacious pockets.

That was a long time ago... Not long ago I saw a female Army Major in a uniform I had never seen before.

She wore a dark blue skirt, and a white top, along with her shoulder boards and insignia/decorations.

New Uniform? I asked.

She said she hated it. Made her look like a member of the band in a Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Be well.

 

[majormadmax]

The new Army service uniforms do suck.