UCP first and third from left, Multicam is second.
Posted on 10/14/2013 4:44:41 PM PDT by haffast
In 2004, the Army decided to scrap the two traditional camouflage uniforms that had long been used by the military—one meant for woodland environments, another for the desert—and claimed to have come up with a universal pattern that could be worn anywhere and blend in with any environment. The $5 billion dollar experiment with the universal pattern is over as the Army is phasing out the uniform after less than a decade of use. But many soldiers and observers are wondering why it took this long and cost this much to replace an item that performed poorly from the start during a period when the money Pcould have been spent on other critical needs, like potentially life saving improvements to military vehicles and body armor.
Less than a decade after the so-called Universal Camouflage Pattern, or UCP, was introduced the Army is back to the drawing board, set to announce a new camouflage pattern and standard uniform to be worn by the more than million members of the active duty and reserve forces.
Evidence of the UCPs inadequacy as a combat uniform is easy to find—just look at pictures of soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan, they’re not wearing the UCP, which was deemed unsuitable for operations there, but a different uniform known as the MultiCam. In 2009, Congress responded to soldiers’ “concerns about the current combat uniform which they indicated provides ineffective camouflage given the environment in Afghanistan,” by passing a bill in the appropriations act requiring that the DOD “take immediate action to provide combat uniforms to personnel deployed to Afghanistan with a camouflage pattern that is suited to the environment of Afghanistan.” The result was the MultiCam.
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(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
Meanwhile, Obama “hasn’t got enough money” to open our national parks.
UPC looks too blue to my eye.
I can’t help but wonder if the same thing happened here as happened to the interstate signs.
They were supposed to be blue.
The guy who selected the color thought they were blue.
Yes, the US government put a color blind guy in charge of selecting the color...
The transition to digitized camo patterns was largely a waste of time and money. The Marines had a good idea when they stuck to woodland and desert themes with their patterns. The Navy and the Air Force, wtf? Digital tiger stripe, and winter weights for the first couple of years? Blue and black pixelation?
The powers that be should’ve stuck with the BDU, polished boots and pressed uniforms. Woodland or desert depending on location, if units like Security Forces or MPs really wanted to feel special in garrison, urban. But what do I know, I just fix multimillion dollar jets when a Major with a degree in zoology can’t figure out that his ground communication doesn’t work when the switch is in OFF.
The ACU (we don’t call it “UPC”) looks grey-green in actual use.
My major issue with the uniform is the Velcro pockets. The Velcro wears out, but before it does, it is impossible to open a pocket without that “shwip” sound.
LOL !
Bradley Manning (in better days) ?
One word for the Pacific Northwest: flecktarn
Flektarn: sand and green tones!
OK this may sound silly to some but I’ve got about 10 different camo patterns I use. I’ve been a bowhunter for over 50 years and camo is a must. It has to match the enviroment your in, here in West texas I use 3 different ones depending on the season and color. During the winter everything turns gray during the spring it varies and during the summer I can go to my darker greens to match the cedars. When I hunt Eas Texas I’ll swith to more of my tree bard designs, when I go to New Mexico or Colorado it requires different patterns. What I’m saying is theres no one set pattern, you match it to your enviroment as needed. Look at the background in the picture and tell me which one blends in the best.
I got a pair for hunting (free), and I agree with the velcro comment. My other issues are that the crotch is cut weird (read different enough from the BDUs that it can be felt in the fit), and the back pockets aren't deep enough. My billfold sits too high which means it puts my butt cheek to sleep when I sit on it too long.
What was wrong with BDU ?
Actually, it was working as advertised. Used to love the idjit pilot trainees that sat on the flightline in Florida heat, playing with the RADAR without cooling air.
its nothing to do with the color, the camo, the type of material, etc.....follow the money....everytime they need to pay somebody back, our military gets new uniforms, or hats, or guns, etc...somebody is reaping a big fat paycheck...
Gee whiz! All that for hunting? My last time out I wore a olive drab zippered front sweat jacket with military patches on the front and shoulders, denim jeans, brown ankle high hiking boots topped off with a baseball style cap with U.S.M.C. embroidered across the front and no face paint or veil while wearing reflective lens trifocals.
A herd of thirty elk approached me and the first five, four bulls and cow calf, stopped twenty-five yards away as I was standing in the open next to a standing limbless widow maker. I took the calf with a forty-five seventy and they were still standing there although the calf dropped. I had to raise my arms and say “Shoo!” to chase them off so I could get to my kill. Even at that they left in a direction which took them right past me within five yards.
As long as you don’t move they don’t see you.
“why it took this long and cost this much to replace an item that performed poorly from the start “
Oh, get a clue! It’s not about winning wars, or protecting the lives of our soldiers, or making the best use of the taxpayers money - its about money for the contractors, contractor contributions for the politicians, and about the careers and prestige of the brass involved in the process.
I think, Holmes, you have hit upon the answer.
The Navy - awesome choice on the blue/black pattern. Because if you fall off of a great big easy to see ship into the ocean, you definitely want to blend in with the water and drown.
For the Marine Corps - good camouflage colors - crappy material and craftsmanship.
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