Friday, April 06, 2007
The New Army ACU Uniform
Badger 6 says it sucks.
I think the new pattern is simply useless in the woods, as soldiers stick out like glowsticks. Haven't seen it with my own eyes in an urban setting, like in Iraq.
The velcro I thought was freaking retarded from the start. There's no way a velcro fastener can hold up to the strain of keeping an extra couple of mags of 5.56 in the cargo pocket for a year in country. And how often does a soldier have to change the U.S. Army or the name tapes?
Pin on Airborne badges and CIBs/EIBs were already authorized.
I like the sleeve pockets. It's amazing how fast soldiers were modifying their own uniforms as soon as they hit the ground in Iraq and could get away with it.
So far, it seems fairly comfortable, though I haven't worn it on duty yet (I bought a couple, but the AAFES retards sent the wrong patches.)
Still, the uniform is better than the universal issue of berets, imposed upon us by the sainted General Shinseki.
Splash, out
Jason
Velcro was a good idea, but the execution was simply lacking. This material is just not ready for combat. Putting anything of size or weight in the pant's cargo pocket will often cause the closure to fail if your Velcro has any wear and tear - which in Iraq, it does. Soldiers risk losing belongings and being chewed out by the nearest NCO for an unsightly appearance.
The addition of Velcro on the sleeves to attach patches was intended to keep a Soldier from spending money modifying uniforms with new patches and skill badges. But this savings has been lost in a couple of ways.
First, patches are much more likely to be lost now that they can be easily removed. And, more obviously, Velcro repair kits are beginning to appear in the exchange shops - a tacit admission the Velcro does not last. Instead of shelling out cash to put new patches on the blouse, Soldiers now have to buy new Velcro to replace the material that failed.
The uniform is also poorly constructed. In more than 10 years of active and reserve service, I never once had a uniform "malfunction." Twice in my tour in Iraq I have had the crotch on my pants rip out. Embarrassment was the least of my worries. Had I not been near the end of a patrol it would have been a serious problem if my vehicle had gone down.
And I am not alone. I've talked to many Soldiers that have had this happen. The data is anecdotal at best, but it sure appears to be a problem.
The material itself is a problem as well. The 50/50 blend of cotton and nylon does not appear to have the staying power or the protection of the old 100% cotton or the Nomex of today's flight suits. In fact, Soldiers and Marines that spend a great deal of time in vehicles in Iraq are being issued tan Nomex flight suits to protect them from the possibility of flash fires in their vehicles. The cotton/nylon blend burns very quickly and can add to the injuries sustained in a burning vehicle by melting to the Soldiers skin.
I think the new pattern is simply useless in the woods, as soldiers stick out like glowsticks. Haven't seen it with my own eyes in an urban setting, like in Iraq.
The velcro I thought was freaking retarded from the start. There's no way a velcro fastener can hold up to the strain of keeping an extra couple of mags of 5.56 in the cargo pocket for a year in country. And how often does a soldier have to change the U.S. Army or the name tapes?
Pin on Airborne badges and CIBs/EIBs were already authorized.
I like the sleeve pockets. It's amazing how fast soldiers were modifying their own uniforms as soon as they hit the ground in Iraq and could get away with it.
So far, it seems fairly comfortable, though I haven't worn it on duty yet (I bought a couple, but the AAFES retards sent the wrong patches.)
Still, the uniform is better than the universal issue of berets, imposed upon us by the sainted General Shinseki.
Splash, out
Jason
Comments:
Is the frigging thing made in China, is that the problem? Or in the USA by the lowest bidder?
# posted by 
: 1:42 AM
: 1:42 AM
Yea, it is no secret, but nobody is going to do anything about it now. Just be glad that you can get a replacemnt (or I hope you can).
The real shame is that all of the failings and problems with this "uniform" were reported and documented before it was adopted. In other words, it was bad news and they did it anyway.
What does that tell you?
Many things and none of them good. But at least this mistake is not in the catagory of the snafu that the Stryker and the Osprey.
Those cost billions and the lives of many of our troops.
What can I tell you, this part of the system has been broken for many years.
Politics and Pork.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
The real shame is that all of the failings and problems with this "uniform" were reported and documented before it was adopted. In other words, it was bad news and they did it anyway.
What does that tell you?
Many things and none of them good. But at least this mistake is not in the catagory of the snafu that the Stryker and the Osprey.
Those cost billions and the lives of many of our troops.
What can I tell you, this part of the system has been broken for many years.
Politics and Pork.
Papa Ray
West Texas
USA
I could never understand the velcro idea. Nothing could be less useful to a combat uniform than having to make a RRRRRIIIIIP! sound when you need to get in your pockets.
The Name and Army tapes are also becoming a problem.
Soldiers are wearing their uniforms for a few days, up to a week, and then sending the uniform to the laundry.
They get out a fresh uniform and put the same Name and Army tapes on it.
After 3 or 4 weeks, the Name and Army tapes are absolutely filthy, nearly yellow, against the clean gray/tan of the laundered ACU.
Soldiers are wearing their uniforms for a few days, up to a week, and then sending the uniform to the laundry.
They get out a fresh uniform and put the same Name and Army tapes on it.
After 3 or 4 weeks, the Name and Army tapes are absolutely filthy, nearly yellow, against the clean gray/tan of the laundered ACU.
OVerall, I thought the ACU is not a bad uniform.
My ACU's lasted thru 14 months of deployment, and except for the terribly inadequate Velcro on the ACU Trouser Cargo pockets, the pockets themselves are two small for a leader book or a few mags or much of anything else. If one is combat, the slight ripping noise of Velcro is not a distraction. I see what you mean, but other than being in a hide site, how often does it really become a showstopper?
If your Supply SGT is worth a damn, every Soldier can reorder all ACU items, to include name tapes, free of charge, throughout the deployment, effectively giving each Soldier replacement ACU's as necessary.
I guarantee you if Amazon.Com sold name tapes, your Soldiers would have them, the local Iraqi/Filipino sewing shop probably makes them, and unit patches as well.
God Forbid that someone should wear ACU panels that cover the whole velcro area for the unit patch, though.
Why is it that CSM's, who have a lot of authority and power, choose to focuus on minor uniform infractions instead of sometrhing important, like food, mail, or housing?
My ACU's lasted thru 14 months of deployment, and except for the terribly inadequate Velcro on the ACU Trouser Cargo pockets, the pockets themselves are two small for a leader book or a few mags or much of anything else. If one is combat, the slight ripping noise of Velcro is not a distraction. I see what you mean, but other than being in a hide site, how often does it really become a showstopper?
If your Supply SGT is worth a damn, every Soldier can reorder all ACU items, to include name tapes, free of charge, throughout the deployment, effectively giving each Soldier replacement ACU's as necessary.
I guarantee you if Amazon.Com sold name tapes, your Soldiers would have them, the local Iraqi/Filipino sewing shop probably makes them, and unit patches as well.
God Forbid that someone should wear ACU panels that cover the whole velcro area for the unit patch, though.
Why is it that CSM's, who have a lot of authority and power, choose to focuus on minor uniform infractions instead of sometrhing important, like food, mail, or housing?
# posted by : 3:45 PM
: 3:45 PM
Not a user myself, but Defense Tech has an article appropriate to the topic, "The ACU Blues".
JohnS
JohnS
# posted by : 5:02 PM
: 5:02 PM
ea, it is no secret, but nobody is going to do anything about it now. Just be glad that you can get a replacemnt (or I hope you can). The real shame is that all of the failings and problems with this "uniform" were reported and documented before it was adopted. In other words, it was bad news and they did it anyway.
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