The Navy is fully aware that their new Navy Working Uniform (NWU) isn’t suited for every environment and have from the beginning of the program promised to field a combat uniform for their ground forces who find themselves primarily in the Naval Special Warfare Command and the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command. On November 5th Navy BUPERS officials announced that they would test a minimum of two variants of woodland and desert camouflage patterned NWUs.
Rumor has long been that one variant would be based on the Marine Pattern (MARPAT) without the Eagle Globe and Anchor and that a second possible pattern for test is a pattern developed for use by SOF.
Although the Navy intends to procure both woodland and desert variants of the new pattern, they have expressed an interest in uniforms already in use by the other services in order to speed up fielding. For example, many Individual Augmentees have been using Army ACUs in the CENTCOM AOR. If this course of action were selected, the Navy would field a different style of field uniform than the Marine Combat Utility Uniform-based NWU. However, it is important to note that no matter what pattern or uniform style is selected it will not preclude Sailors from having to possess NWUs.
