When R&R was first instituted the guys were plucked out the desert dirt & grim inclued and thrown on a plane home. They are no longer allowed to fly home like that. Either they keep one set of DCU clean and unworn (hard to do when they only issue you 2 sets) or purchase new before going home. If they are lucky enough to be in Kuwait long enough waiting for a flight they can get them cleaned and pressed, but much easier to purchase new just no time to sew on patches.
My daughter left with 4 sets of DCU's.