New Threads for Our Birthday

Army Announces New Uniform

Published on June 15, 2004 By pseudosoldier In Current Events

Link

The BDUs are going out, and the ACUs (Army Combat Uniform) is incoming.

Head nod to Smash Link , and thanks for the birthday greetings.

Personally... I don't really like it, although that may be the whole resistance-to-change feelings. I didn't (and still don't, to an extent) like the "new" PT gear, either. Addressing some of the comments already made on Smash's blog, however, and some of my own observations: I don't think the velcro and zippers will hold up as well as some may hope. They'll have to be pretty sturdy to survive continual use in field conditions; I haven't seen any reports from the testing, however. Not a big fan of the collar, but glad it can be worn down. The insignia (rank, name, so-forth) needs to be a different color, although this seems just to be a prototype layout, as the text of the article says that the rank will be above the right chest pocket. Again, I don't really like the velcro, and I'm thinking all the Korean-owned tailors around here won't either ("Soldiers will eventually reap gains in money and time by not having to take uniforms to the cleaners " == lots of cleaners/alteration shops closing down).
Additionally, it's more expensive than the current BDU, and there will be some not unsignificant impact while trying to change over. It'll be a lot like the PT gear change over, just much more obvious and painful. New recruits will get these in Basic, but the old hands will have to pay out of pocket for them... there will probably be a deadline to get them by, and then the PX/Military Clothing stores will run out the month before the deadline.

All in all... I'm apathetic. How surprising.

Comments

dharmagrl

on Jun 15, 2004

Yikes! Those are almost as ugly as the new AF blue tiger-striped deals.

The AF tried the velcro route a few years ago...they had those leather 'pilot' patches over the left breast pocket with the individual's name, rank squadron etc on it. Those lasted oh, I guess less than 5 years before they went back to the stripes on the sleeve , etc.

When are these supposed to be mandatory?

pseudosoldier

on Jun 15, 2004

I read briefly about the alternate rank insignia in the Air Force, but never saw it in person. We do have something similar for our flight crews in the Army; I'm very used to seeing our Warrant Officers around in their flight suits, so it gets a little disconcerting spying a Specialist or PFC in them and almost saluting.

These are nowhere near as ugly as the blue tiger-stripes.

And there is no immediate indication on when these will go into service. There has been solid rumors of a new "BDU" for over a year now... It took at least a year to implement the new PT gear after they were ready to be issued to soldiers. They have to give existing soldiers a window to get them (or enough time to complete their service requirements and get out).

Estrogen Lass

on Jun 16, 2004

I have seen pics of the new ACUs and they are absolutely atrocious. Very very ugly. In addition to the new and not-so-improved BDUS, they are nixing the black combat boots as well. They are supposed to issue us the tan ones, but I thought they were issuing the new BDUs so I might have been misinformed on that.
Soldiers deploying will receive the new BDUs and that begins next April.

dharmagrl

on Jun 16, 2004

they are nixing the black combat boots as well.

Yes, I saw that the AF is going to do that as well. They're bringing in either brown or gray ones. They look like tennis shoes, dammit!

The ACU's look like something Orwellian, like what a costume designer from the 60's imagined a futuristic uniform would be.

pseudosoldier

on Jun 16, 2004

Lass - thanks for the comment, and glad to see you found your password. No need to give Greywar extra posts by masquerading as him. Besides, his clothes are too baggy on you... Interesting to see that next April is the sort-of-start-date for this. But you have a good track record for being very right with this info.

dharmagrl - The AF is switching to brown or gray boots with the blue tiger stripes? Eww! Call the fashion SPs. I've seen the ACUs compared to just about every B-movie military uniform, now... the collar, the beret, the very amateur looking patches (oh, please ghod, let them be prototypes), all of it lends itself to "low budget" feel.

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