quote:

The 2010 House Defense Authorization Bill" Requirements for Standard Ground Combat Uniform This section would require the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Defense Logistics Agency, to require that future ground combat uniforms be standardized in order to ensure increased interoperability of ground combat forces and reduce tactical risks encountered when military personnel wear a different uniform from their counterparts in the other military services in a combat area.

Full article: Congress Proposes Common Ground Combat Uniform

This makea way too much sense. A single type uniform aquisition? Think of all the bureaucrats and their cronies this will cut out of the loop. Someone will find a way to duck it if it gets passed.

It seemed to work for what, 20+ years with BDUs; every service wearing those. Deserts and Woodland...made sense to me.

My vote is for a an ACU/MARPAT design using Multicam

Annoying as it would be to have to buy a new set of uniforms again (or worse: buying more boots), I'm actually glad to see this. Not only does it play into the interoperability issue (if I wanted to be distinctive, I wouldn't be wearing camouflage), but it also can reduce the stockpiles of replacement units that need to be on hand because everybody's using the same stuff.

Also, since the purpose of camouflage is to hide us, don't we all deserve the best camouflage the govt's willing to spend money on, irrespective of service?

I hope we go to the ACU Its alot lighter lol and more thought out...

why not back to BDU/DCU, they already have 100% cotton varients as well as the super high speed slant pocket and shoulder pockets Why change what isnt broken? It would seem with all things uniform such as opinions/wear testing they search for the yes men/women in each service that will do anything to please their masters. "Jeez sir these ABU's are the best thing since sliced bread, and very tactical sir!" The uniform board must have mind control powers or something like a jedi mind trick.

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Originally posted by PowerProRanger01:
why not back to BDU/DCU...Why change what isnt broken?

I think the reason is that, when the first changes were proposed, it wasn't because the BDU/DCU system was broken, but because we wanted to see if we could do better. That, IMHO, was a worthy endeavor.

If modern technology, or even just a new re-assessment, can design a better pattern, it's worth pursuing. But then you have to face the question: are we changing because it's an actual improvement, or is it because we want a new toy? I think we wound up taking the second route, where any effort to improve the camouflage was hindered by every service wanting their own version just to have their own, new look.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: zerstorer335,

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Originally posted by Stonewall_11:
It seemed to work for what, 20+ years with BDUs; every service wearing those. Deserts and Woodland...made sense to me.

My vote is for a an ACU/MARPAT design using Multicam

Great Point!!

Army times this week has a two page article on the Service looking toward multicam patterns.

Also, a friend of mine attended a recent Reserve Officer Association (ROA) conference and listened to a representative from the Defense Secretary's office, where she said that the push will be on in the next fiscal budget to get the Services back into one uniform series (instead of each service having it's own).

I agree with this Idea! I have been having convos with others here at work a lot about this topic and didn't know anyone else knew what multicam was! Thats a fine idea my friend!

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Originally posted by Stonewall_11:
It seemed to work for what, 20+ years with BDUs; every service wearing those. Deserts and Woodland...made sense to me.

My vote is for a an ACU/MARPAT design using Multicam

I really hope this happens, and soon! i absolutly HATE my ABU's! They are worthless!

And i hope we go with a MARPAT version of Multicam. that would actually blend in with something, and the material is SOO comfortable( my buddy has a set of multicam that he bought for hunting)

Somewhere in the Pentagon, an AF generals' head just exploded from exposure to dangerous levels of rational thought. About time we got rid of the ABU...too bad I only get to wear my cotton ripstop set for one drill though, I guess they'll make great pajamas.

Hopefully they do standardize the uniform out of both common sense, and the desire to save the tax payers millions. Then again, even if they save millions, they'll just find something else to spend it on.

I don't care for ABU's, but they are no more useless than BDU's were. At least now I don't go home every night and soak my uniform with a can of starch and polish my boots. I wash them, I hang them dry, and I wear them. The more wrinkles the better.

If it ain't broke don't fix it... so why did they "try" to fix it? BDU's and the desert variant (DCU's) proved functional. Now a 'wash and wear' type of BDU/DCU would be the best.

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Originally posted by agentl074:
If it ain't broke don't fix it... so why did they "try" to fix it? BDU's and the desert variant (DCU's) proved functional. Now a 'wash and wear' type of BDU/DCU would be the best.

Why would that particular uniform prove best?

This is the best camo I have seen I own a pair and it really does blend everywhere except the snow

http://strikehold.wordpress.co...m-bulldog-equipment/

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Originally posted by K9Jake:

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Originally posted by agentl074:
If it ain't broke don't fix it... so why did they "try" to fix it? BDU's and the desert variant (DCU's) proved functional. Now a 'wash and wear' type of BDU/DCU would be the best.

Why would that particular uniform prove best?

because alot of folks like the whole non-ironed non spit shined look.....well it is what it is and I doubt the ABU is going to go away anytime soon,maybe down the road but right now too many folks up top are hard headed and dont listen to folks at the bottom or they just listen to the folks that tell them what they want to hear. I think right now that most folks roll in either Humvees or MRAPS which tend to stick out like a sore thumb anyways.... so the need to blend in is pointless unless your mission dictates the need to do some throat slitting, or the like which I doubt any of us on these forums are participating in Right now the best camo would be to wear what the local folks are wearing and I'm sure our SpecOps/OGA folks are doing well in that area. The rest of us just need to look pretty in our various uniforms and dream of the day of a common uni.....

I read your reply Powerpro, but again I ask, out of all the camo we have out right now amongst all the services, why would a wash and wear BDU/DCU be superior to anything and everything? Also were we ever meant to put 1/2 bottle of starch on BDU's in the first place?

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Originally posted by K9Jake:
I read your reply Powerpro, but again I ask, out of all the camo we have out right now amongst all the services, why would a wash and wear BDU/DCU be superior to anything and everything? Also were we ever meant to put 1/2 bottle of starch on BDU's in the first place?

People dont want to change after 20 some years...no as the manufacturer tag says No Starch. I'm not a fan of the ole arm fins....little starch just to make it neat but why look like walking cardboard? LOL Really though what is superior camo? Is it the pocket config? Is it flame retardant? or just the overall pattern? Like I said above there really is no superior camo except perhaps a Gilly suit or local atire. Everything else is well just a uniform to put stuff on and critique

The old BDU's were never meant to be starched—look how well that went over However, they did work for what they were designed to do. I personally liked the BDU's—with the exception of starching them ofcourse.