Topic: Army gets new uniform (Read 10758 times)

Villa64 · « **Reply #100 on:** June 16, 2004, 10:12:20 pm »

Here's a link with some more info.

http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/articles/military_photos_2004616.asp http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/articles/military_photos_2004616.asp

I saw more similarities to the ABDU, including the calf pockets and lower leg closure ties. Personally, I think zippers are a better solution than velcro. Buttons work too.

As for the color, I think the Army may be giving in to reality here. I went to the desert twice, and both times CIF couldnt get us the right uniforms in time, or in correct quantity (in '90 and '03). In '91, the rumor went around that the Rep. Guard was on the lookout for the 'elite forces' from Germany that could be identified by their 'elite green uniforms'. BS... we were wearing woodland pattern BDU's. All the remf's were wearing DBDU. I suspect the 'elite forces' rumor was started by someone up at division who was trying to cover their ass for not being able to get us desert uniforms. Ironsides, baby!

Regards
Villa

(I dont get the URL function, I hope the link shows up!)

J. Carney · « **Reply #101 on:** June 16, 2004, 10:26:47 pm »

LOL...

Yeah, I heard the Desert Storm stories about the 'elite troops' in their green uniforms- like my National Guard MP unit.

We almost went in greens this time.

Now all we have to do is get our fearless leaders to re-adopt full-size rank on the sleeves like in the old days so as you can tell the difference between a First Sergent and a Command Sergent Major after dark at a distance greater than a foot up your butt.

Edit: I also noticed the spaces for intrigal elbow and knee pads, for the soldier's comfort when the Army makes him 'assume the position."

BOHICA!

manitoba · « **Reply #102 on:** June 16, 2004, 11:43:31 pm »

dont they still have uniform allowences, they did when i was in.

J. Carney · « **Reply #103 on:** June 16, 2004, 11:56:32 pm »

I think it's just the old-timers got their brains fried from all that unauthorized drug testing that the military got by with during their tours.

So far as I'm aware, active duty are allowed a pair of boots and 2 suits each of summer and winter BDU's to replace worn or damaged uniforms. In the Guard I would get half that allowance, the boots and one of each type of uniform, though my unit only orders summer-weight BDU's; you don't wear out the cold-weather ones in Alabama... you just get too fat for them.

That is all IIRC, I'll have to ask to be sure.

Hilton · « **Reply #104 on:** June 17, 2004, 09:15:42 am »

Here is the new "test" Air Force utility uniform

Notice the grey "no polish" boot? Don't know if I like it. I'll wait to see it in person.
Hilton

J. Carney · « **Reply #105 on:** June 17, 2004, 12:51:49 pm »

I thought this was the new boot approved for the Air Force's BDU's

I actually like the gray boot better than the tan ones we are getting. I'd wear it... I just wish that we'd wise up and return to putting the full-size rank on our sleeves like ya'll do instead of the 'little black micro-rank' (tm) that the Army isin love with.

Hilton · « **Reply #106 on:** June 17, 2004, 02:00:09 pm »

Har. Har. But you know what, it might look good on some female airmen.

Maybe with some BDU's cut off real high. Maybe I could require my future assistant to wear them! LOL!

What micro-rank are you talking about???

J. Carney · « **Reply #107 on:** June 17, 2004, 02:19:20 pm »

Army rank for BDU's are placed on the collar, are black and are about the size of a single award ribbon (and that's for E-6 and above, my E-4 rank is about 1/2" tall!). If you are walking around a post where you don't know all the people, it's pretty easy to misidentify someone- particularly those of a higher rank.

Basically, our rank on BDU's is as small as the slip-on rank you guys put on the tabs of your Gor-Tex. In bad lighting, you have to rely more on lines on the face than stripes on the collar to tell a person's rank.

And sorry about the boot thing... I like the idea behind an individualistic uniform for all branches, but I saw a Brigadeer in one of the new blue uniforms and had to hurt myself badly niot to laugh as I marvled at their ability to blend in with the folage in Alabama. In Colorado's spruce forrests, they ould work great, but not in pines.

Stormbringer · « **Reply #108 on:** June 17, 2004, 04:31:16 pm »

Last one I recieved was S380.00 I think.

Tremok · « **Reply #109 on:** June 17, 2004, 05:56:45 pm »

Quote:

I got a couple of looks at the ABDUs in Iraq (never saw anyon a cute female, so I didn't look too hard, I'll admit) but I think that it's a pretty good design. I too take issue on the velcro on the pockets... buttons don't make noise. Velcro is great for guys driving a desk but not for troops in the field.

Didn't the Brits come up with noiseless velcro a while back?

So, let's take a good look at this uniform:

Hmm. Is the army trying to make it's soliders as unintimidating as possible? Is the goal to get the enemy to busy laughing at them to shoot at them? To make the enemy believe no one in such a silly uniform could possibly be a threat? Nice camel excrete colored boats, by the way. I note how much better the vest blends in.

So the Army, the Air Force, and the Marines are working on or have new uniforms. The Navy is next in line for new threads, I suppose. Or are they perfectly happy with their spiffy whites?

Stormbringer · « **Reply #110 on:** June 17, 2004, 06:09:38 pm »

Beleive it or not the random digitized pattern actually fools the eye a lot better than the old ones when in the environment they are intended for. If the soldier was in the woods you would play hades trying to spot him. I've seen this stuff demonstrated forthe marimes when they fielded thier version of it. It looks funny in the open. In the woods its not quite so funny anymore particularly forthe enemy.

J. Carney · « **Reply #111 on:** June 17, 2004, 06:14:00 pm »

Never saw said noisless velcro on thier uniforms... only buttons. And I could look at the Brit uniforms in detail, cause though their girls were ugly as sin, the Highlanders and Royal Irish had a couple of hotties around

.

The gray will blend in better in the woods- or desert, for that matter- than it does in that picture. Remember, you don't try to hide in an open field! I'm not happy about the color and would haveprefered a little more green in it, but gray hides pretty well. I hunt in gray coveralls and hve sat quietly in a thicket while my friends walked by several times... and we are all hunters and most of us are in the Guard. Gray works, but I think a greener shade would work better.

The boots I do take issue with- the gray onesHilton showed above look like they would work infinately better, both practicaly and with the uniform.

Dash Jones · « **Reply #112 on:** June 17, 2004, 06:50:41 pm »

I don't know, the not having to polish the boot sounds like a good idea to me. I'm certain the military holds up the polish on their boots higher than my dad. My dad used to offer me some money for polishing his boots, and he nigh wanted to see a reflection in them...didn't take me long to realize the effort wasn't worth the money, and he was better suited to going to others for polishing his boots and shoes.

If I had to keep that type of shine up on BDUs, I think it would stink to wear such things. Plus, what practicality would having polished boots be in the field?

Kind of voids the purpose of a BDU...plus...isn't shoe polish flammable?

Stormbringer · « **Reply #113 on:** June 17, 2004, 06:59:32 pm »

In the garrison environment it is a discipline marker. In the field it keeps them from rotting and keeps then resistant to water . but in the fieldthey aren't required to be spit shinned just kiwied and brushed. The reg actually says evenly shined. Tradition has the standard much higherthan the regulation requires.

J. Carney · « **Reply #114 on:** June 17, 2004, 07:28:30 pm »

Yeah, Dash... Kiwi is flamable; but it is also waterproof, which is why you really polish the boots, it keeps trhe leather supple, prevents cracking and keeps it waterproof.

And Storm is on the money when he says that the high-polish shines are more a matter of pride than regulations. In fact, for the first 8 weeks of MP training, you are forbiden from spit-shining boots because you are not a soldier yet and you are not allowed to do anything that makes you look any better than the ate-up, rag-bag, [bleep]ed-up as a soup-sandwich civilian in training that you are.

That's just one of the ways soldiers in a garrison enviroment say "I'm a pro." I know when my unit is in garrison for our summer camp (which is rare) everyone going out in patrol cars brings an extra starched pair of BDU's an polished boots with them in the trunk 'for emergencies'. That way, if they get into a scuffle, or even if the humidity just kills the starch job on their uniforms, they can still look as fresh and crisp for a call at the end of thier shift as one at the begining.

Though it is tough on the washing machine... and the iron.

Byzantine · « **Reply #115 on:** June 18, 2004, 12:22:14 am »

Starch in clothing:
1. the invention of a sadisitc mastermind?
or
2. divine punishment for the sins of the human race?

you tell me.

J. Carney · « **Reply #116 on:** June 18, 2004, 12:28:35 am »

I vote the invention of a sadistic mastermind...

punishment for sins is just that, punishment... something that teaches a lesson.

Requiring people to starch is just pure outright meanness!

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