CNN published a story on the Army’s quest for a new camo pattern. While I have never been overly impressed with main stream media coverage of our industry, this article is factual and offers an interesting insight. Since virtually everyone who reads SSD has more than a passing interest, it is kind of cool to find out what “Joe Six-pack” thinks about this. Since those folks are taxpayers it would probably be a good idea for the guys behind the Army’s latest camo conquest to go over and take a gander at the comments. They are quite enlightening. Generally, they run to the, “waste of taxpayer dollars” side of the equation. But, at this point, since industry has already submitted their proposals, if this thing dies on the vine, taxpayer money won’t be the only funds wasted.
good piece, but the “waste of money” point that everybody SHOULD be making is about the billions that have been wasted fielding the epic failure of a camo pattern know as UCP.
Strike-Hold,
Amen brother. What were they thinking?
@ Strike-Hold! and Martin –
The same could be said about the ACU as a uniform in general. The UCP is only one of the many problems with the ACU. I personally have never liked the Velcro, and I think it comes in second as problems with the ACU goes (some of this has recently been fixed, but not all). Short from the pockets on my ACU I want my BDUs back.
The gov. should have gone with multicam from the start. If you want an allterrain pattern( Which I don’t believe in) All the testing showed the UCP was not the best pattern. If I recall the old Vietnam tiger stripe pattern outperformed UCP in many tests. Is that why many specialized units purchased multicam on their own and the Airforce went with the ABU in tigerstripe with UCP colors and digital design?
You hit the nail right on the head with that Bobby,Plus if it had to be a change in camo why didnt Big Army just some up the best highly qualified lawyers in the country and challenge the Marine Corps so called “Legal” grips on MARPAT,Because the whole branches looking different thing is beginning to look so retarded that its no longer funny.
I agree with you Greg about the differing styles of camos within every branch. Although the Marine Corps has always had to take “Big Armys” handmedowns, the one time they field a camo that actually performs the Army gets jealous and wants it.
The question we should be asking the Army is; Why the solicitation for a new family at all? There are 2 govt patterns going into the down select. They have to have it open for bid. They’ve already made their decision. Now that sounds like a waste of taxpayer money.
I get it,but if i was a marine or ranger i would care very less about my camo uniform looking differet or the same like everyone elses,The BDU issue was brought up for one specific reason only with every branch in the military to be given the same uniform,It originaly ivolved divisions of Marine Corps as well as the Armys 82nd and 173rd Airborne and mabey one or two of its divisions,So it wasnt just soley Marines saying”c’mon give me give me” or Army being a bunch of greedy bastards it was simply the idea of screw different uniforms it cost to damn much lets just put everyone in the same uniform mentality,It was a smart idea and it worked and the looking different thing was already takin care of (Marines) Roll sleeves above elbow (Army) Turn sleeves inside out fold over and repeat then flip cuff over,(Marines) the nice looking 8 point sided patrol cap (Army) just your regular cap (Marines) stencile USMC and EGA on left breast pocket and pin on gold or silver jump wings (Army) Decorate the living shit out of it with airborne branch patches division unit insignias ect ect,I was thinking how more different do you want to look plus i think atleast the marines where willing to share at a some expense they couldn’t be that cold and stiff especially toawrds thier army bros since they have let other countrys use MARPAT or something similar by looks,I know i probably sounded like im bashing the marines and all but im not i like them too i was glad as hell to see them come up with a camo that worked better but it probably would have been smarter to be a joint solution rather than just a one branch one deal thing from the start,i mean it was just so clearly obvious the corps should have forseen this big train comming,The army and all the others to come kocking at the door its comon sense if you got somthing good and you show it off sooner or later everybody is going to want it,if it had been that way from the start we would all not be worrying about cost,different patterns,looking seperate from others,more and more of our tax money for a “Family of Patterns” conversations and all other B.S. nonsence about these kind of things wouldn’t be taking place im sorry if this was so long or if i sounded harsh but someone needed to make some sense on these FOP issues and say it the way it needed to be said.
The most important thing is that regardless of politics and whatever else is that our soldiers and Marines need to have the most effective camouflage available. Marpat, UCP, AOR, Multicam, etc. are antiquated technologies and unless the Army or any other service is willing to take the step to use it then were just going to end up with another substandard camo.
Your right,Its just that there so much different looking camo out there mixed in with our rediculous “i wan’t to look seperate policies and traditions” will drive anyone nuts,Its kind of funny I mean come on no disrespect but dose the Air Force realy need to feel special about themselves too with the shit stripe camo they have on,I think not XD