“I don’t care if they have to gold plate everything: if we need it and maybe our lives depend on it, fork it over.”
I like your attitude! You must work in the defense industry too ;D
But seriously, last time I asked a soldier they hated swapping uniforms all the time. If this uniform makes them 1% harder to see? Great! I am all for it. If this is just a feather in a cap for some bean counter’s next promotion? Boo!
Every Soldier I have had a conversation with over the last several years - when uniforms come up, they generally express frustration. Yes, many have “preferred” camo patterns (much like us hunters who have our favorites). But overall - they express irritation at the changes and have yet to have something nice to say about all the changes.
My last comment reflects on my own experience in Vietnam. We had 1950s utilities and black leather boots and 1942-issue web gear and 1942-lot C-Rations. The cotton utilities rotted off our bodies and the boots came apart almost as fast. We had a pretty decent rifle, the M-14 but the idiots in the rear sent M-16s which had not been sufficiently developed and lots of good people died when their rifle didn't work.
My attitude then and now was that we were worth more than that. We were the few who were at grave risk of death and dismemberment when most of the rest of our generation was having a wonderful time back home. When the new Jungle Boots started showing, they issued me and others used boots that came off the dead. We have to do better than that.
The current army uniform is ridiculous (thank you Natick "Soldier Systems Center") and needed to be replaced.
It just hacks me off to hear alleged conservatives complaining about how much it costs to defend our country. I can tell you how much it costs when we meet at the Wall.