An Australian troop in the field as his trousers fall apart.
Posted on 09/18/2011 7:05:20 AM PDT by naturalman1975
An Australian troop in the field as his trousers fall apart.
NEW US-made camouflage pants are literally falling to pieces on some Diggers in Afghanistan.
The hi-tech MultiCam pants were tried by special forces soldiers before the Government spent $2 million for 5000 sets of the combat clothing. But infantry troops in Afghanistan are apparently much tougher on the clothing, the Herald Sun reported.
"Special forces do a different job to us," one soldier said. "We are out for days on end living in the dirt."
The Diggers are generally happy with the MultiCam clothing, which is more comfortable and better suited to mixed terrain.
But in many cases the pants, which include special stretch sections and built-in knee pads, are tearing along seams where stretch fabric meets non-stretch fabric.
Some soldiers can no longer wear them, others have patched them up, some are happy to wear shredded pants.
Some Diggers mix MultiCam tops with old pants.
"The problem is along the stitching where the fabrics meet," one said. "It seems the distance between waist and crotch is too small, especially for taller guys."
Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare, who fast-tracked the MultiCam clothing and lighter body armour, said the tearing problem must be fixed.
He said replacement uniforms and patching kits had been delivered to Afghanistan.
"The advice from special forces soldiers is that this is the best combat uniform for ... Afghanistan," his spokesman said.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...
Sounds like better fabric and the use of gussets in construction would go a long way in solving the probs.
Yep. Aircrew Style Name Tag. Stripes off. Stripes on. Unit/Wing/Group patches on. Unit/Wing/Group patches off.
I think that's around the time they said "Some, None or All" ribbons. It was definitely before the "Chrome" name tag for the service coat.
I was in a ASOC assigned as a GSU, so I didn't buy a service dress uniform for several years. I put it off for the same reason you did.
I attended a PME class shortly after the "Patches back off of the BDUs." A Chief spoke to our class and commented that the dark spots were unprofessional. One guy explained that he bought the uniform shortly after the initial change and he couldn't afford to purchase new uniforms (plus sewing!) every few months because he had a wife and five kids. She told him his priorities straight.
Six months later, she was forced to retire. She cheated on her husband (another CMSgt) with a married SSgt under her chain of command.
Oh. Was this another Obama “donor” or blunderer (er, bungler) (er, burgler) (Rather, democrat Bundler) that got fast-tracked through DOD and the WH to get contracts issued early? Uniforms are usually very, very slow to get through (thorough) testing. But this is anythong (er, anything) but a thorough White Wash (er, White House) when it comes to federal contracting.
Provided to Australian troops, but still - if it is a government contract going to union workers, who got the union buy-in money.
Especially during Afghanistan's Man-love Thursdays.
We wore OD utilities aka jungles, flght suits, an old ripstops that we personally reinforced an modified ....
Wash em 5 times. Repair an reinforce. Bottom line we kept “inspection quality BDU’s an Class A an B’s along with fly away alphabet agency clothes at work in lockers pressed an ready.....
McLame was indeed a pussy not worth his salt. He was nut huggin on the socialist rats after he retired so proves he was punk bait.
Best deal for us was grab a flight suit to throw over our PT gear an go to a meeting then go native when we got back to our compound.
Best products uncle sugar ever provided was the P38 can opener. ECWCS with synthetic insulators. M1A Rifle. Rigger Belts. .......
My opinion....:o)
Stay Safe
Damn...I feel really old....I didn’t understand a word you said....in 1968 I was issued a dress overcoat that was pure wool. They gave us ‘fatigues’ and a couple of pairs of blue pants, a blue cotton long sleeve shirt or two, a couple of pairs of 1505s, a real pair of all-leather combat boots, some Chukka boots, and a few hats, one of which was blue and called a service cap that had a very crude name for it......Oh....don’t forget the white boxers and black wool socks for that 50s porno look....ha ha...
I would be willing to bet these were made in China. Would not surprise me.
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Apparently not.
BUT
At least if they were made in China they would be shooting a manufacturer or at least his rep until the problem was solved or the complaining stopped.
Not so sure that isn’t a bad practice at least the guy getting shot won’t screw up the money trail again.
I hate when their pants fall off.
Some years ago my wife and I bought a pair of combat boots for a young man in Iraq. The boots had to go to him through us in the form of a Care Package. When they arrived here, they were repacked along with assorted other amenities.
Those US Army combat boots were made in China. I kept the original box as a reminder of the insanity that our gubmint (not our military) has become.
I was among the last to get Fatigues. In certain environments, the issued “low quarter” dress shoes could be worn with them. I never understood why anyone would; I only wore then with the blues and they tore up my feet. Later, when I had some rank and extra money, I bought a comfortable pair of coraphrams (sp?).
The “new” BDUs were more comfortable than the fatigues. The desert BDUs were cut smaller than the Jungle pattern. A friend of mine didn’t bother trying them on and just grabbed his Jungle size. He spent a month in the desert wearing skin tight clothing until the supply folks finally took pity on him.
They stopped issuing it, but I saw the 3/4 length over coat with stripes before it was phased out. It looked sharp, but I didn’t see how there would be many opportunities to wear it. All we got were the blue service uniforms (light blue shirt, the dark blue was also being phased out during my first few months), a class A uniform and fatigues.
Oh, yeah... I still have my (now way too small!) fatigue field jacket. They also used to issue the “Air Force London Fog” rain coat along with the service cap (we won’t use it’s nick name) and (phased out) bus driver/wheel cap.
Along with the old blue, wool pullover sweater, they have a “Mr Rogers” style cardigan. They’ve tried to discouraage continued wear of the pullover by requiring the blue plastic name tag. I saw one guy slice his head open on the “frog” when he put it on. Sometimes I think the democratic party controls military logistics. If you don’t want what they offer, they’ll manipulate the situation to make what you want inconvenient or unpleasant.
McPeak’s uniform debacle was an embarrassment to the USAF. Still, I don’t know if it was any worse that the recent change to the Airman’s Battle Uniform that had so many pockets that it effectively had you wearing 4 layers of heavy fabric. And, the biggest pockets were inside the blouse....you couldn’t use ‘em.
Not to disagree but to make a point....
Products made in Singapore an shipped to a factory in the USA for a final step like adding a laundry tag, size, logo or brand etc qualify as “made in USA”....
Many companies do this. Cheap labor an product from overseas shipped in an final touches applied here in the USA.
Not saying that’s the case here but its done.
Mine was pure wool! I swear it was from 1947! from the first batch of AF uniforms. It was a 38 long and it was different from everyone else's ...I also remember the low quarters...Never got anything 'jungle' or BDU, BRD, desert cammo, bird-sh!t or otherwise...uniforms are so much cooler now... I only got to look like a dork when I came home amidst the non-fanfare.... The dumpster at McGuire where I mustered out was full of uniforms...I only kept the fatigue jacket and the real wolf's fur parka I got....
Those old parkas were nice. As I was retiring, they began phasing out parkas completely. While I outprocessed, some friends in supply (among the best friends to have on base!) gave me a bunch of BDU patterned cold weather gear (parkas and parka pants). It’ll come in handy if I ever go back up north to hunt water fowl.
Now they issue thick fleece jackets and pants. As I retired, they started requiring rank insignia and name tags on the jacket. They’ve also got a hooded gortex wet weather windbreaker style coat and pants that take the place of the old poncho.
I wasn’t fond of the poncho, but the BDU Patterned poncho liner was very handy.
Yep, the Poncho Liner was/is a useful piece of gear. I have even bought several surplus liners, and keep one in every vehicle, etc. Mine even see service in my mesh hammock outdoors in the Fall when I take a siesta...
An overlap with wide cross stitching ought to solve it but that would cost a little more, though not as much as sending out patch kits.
Oh, but the supplier of “Velcro” are sure making a fortune off these new uniforms. I’m currently stuck wearing the Army Combat Uniform (ACU) which is a velcro mess and the most worthless camo ever invented.
When it comes to uniform redesign, the U.S. govt is like that delusional handyman who takes a problem, tries to fix it, and ends up making it worse!
Nothing says “stealth” like the loud ripping noise of velcro.
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