Over the weekend we saw a few photos of Soldiers proudly wearing their new OCP ACUs. Who braved the lines and purchased a set? How many are wearing OEF-OCP (MultiCam) FR ACUs from an RFI issue or went out and purchased some commercial ACUs in MultiCam?
Although Scorpion name tapes, rank and skill badges aren’t available yet, many had sewn on MultiCam versions and you couldn’t tell the difference. As for unit patches, many stateside units don’t have MultiCam variants so the yellow sharpie trick seems to be working so far. What did you do?
Tags: OCP
im in no hurry to buy, I retire prior to the wear out date for ACU’s
I will be wearing my OEF-CP A2CUs once my leave is up. Packed up all of my UCP and am waiting on word for turn-in procedures for that crap!
OEF FRACUs.
As a California-based Reservist I rely on TDY travel first and foremost to source uniform items, then friends posted near Active Duty posts, then AAFES online, then commercial vendors then last and least Travis AFB.
I’m headed to Carson later in the summer–hopefully the Active Duty community will have gotten all they need and I can slide in for my size without feeling like I’m screwing someone who needs uniforms for wear 5+ days a week.
My current and FWS commands had plenty of patches (I was in Afghanistan coloring UCP patches with Skilcraft highlighters, though)–up until 1 July, that is. Luckily I got mine before the rush.
MUCH happier to be waiting on a uniform than a policy change…
I managed to get a couple pairs of pants, two PCs, shirts and boots. No tops in my size yet.
I’ve been wearing RFI OEFCP thus far.
I went to clothing sales to see the carnage on the 1st. Among the piles of new uniforms sat a box of Medium Regular tops and one of bottoms. Score for me. I am rocking multicam name tapes.
The top has some changes with the pockets and the velcro is mostly gone
I went and got 2 sets of the new OCP on the 1st.
Showed up to work in UCP – currently the Household6 budget does not include purchasing full sets of OCP uniforms.
What I find funny about the whole thing is that when July 1 came, the main people who all showed up for work and that I saw around the base that day in MC/OCP were the support people and everyone else was still wearing the old stuff. Par for course.
Don’t know where you are, my unit (light infantry) is awash with guys specialist and up wearing RFI Multicam, the medics and FO’s are following suite.
Only guys who seem to be behind the power curve are the forward support company POG’s and fresh joes in the infantry company’s.
I went to work and saw before in RFI uniforms and was like huh? Then I remember it was July 1st. The next day more people showed up and now a good number of us are wearing the RFI uniforms
People* darn you autocorrect
Drill this weekend. Will be wearing OEF CP FRACUs.
HH6 has us stationed at Ft. Lost in the Woods- tier 3, not getting new stuff for a while yet. I did some split-training this week helping out with a unit event and wore OEFCP FRACUs I purchased. Don’t look at me like that- I volunteered to deploy and they sent me to Kosovo; not my fault. I’ve only seen two other folks wearing anything other than UCP- one random NCO at the PX and my wife wore hers for about an hour before her BC made her change to UCP so she wouldn’t confuse the BCT Privates.
Oh- I also snagged some BDU patches to serve as my unit patch as the Guard unit I’m with doesn’t have an OCP version yet. It looks about right as it is.
I’m wearing my OEF-CP. All I had to do was the yellow marker trick to my current unit patch. I showed up to work on the first wearing it. I’ll buy the new uniform when it comes available on the aafes website as I am far from a clothing sales.
I got two full sets (small regulars at that! Unicorns do exist….). I got there ~1030 and there was a huge amount of stock left. The mcss here stocked shelves as well as left the boxes themselves out for people to rummage through. I noticed good participation from all ranks pvt-Col actually. I think the huge line I saw at embroidery was mostly new guys with no multicam tapes.my store also only got a few odd skill badges in, none of the popular ones like airborne and air assault. I think that may be why there’s not as many people wearing ocp here yet. For the patches, I noticed them almost totally sold out the first day, and totally fully stocked the next so no issues with the correct patches
Wait, some people had the tan 498 boots at their mcss?
Fort Carson had some of the tan 498 boots made by Belleville but they sold out quick
My RFI/ADO uniforms from the last deployment…Multicam whateveryoucallems. The conundrum at my installation was the lack of unit patches available and not projected by AAFES for some time. Luckily all I had to go in to work for was to final outprocess, and the unit I’m going to had the proper ones.
I LOVE how much adapt-and-overcome is being applied to this – really shows just how desperately soldiers want out of the ACUs.
Hell yeah
I’m just here waiting for another answerless bookend inquiry.
Jon, OPT
I’m not the guy to ask. It’s up to the Army to make that decision.
I’m still wearing ABUs, USAF wake up!!!
Me too. Unfortunately.
We are getting our Scorpion OCPs issued next month….sorry dudes.
Still have plenty of OEF FRACUS, but bought one set of the OCP for when I need a nice garrison uniform. Took the multitude of UCP ACUS and FRACUS and used them in a bonfire for the 4th.(still have couple pair because I’m sure at some point I’ll be mandated to wear UCP for something dumb)
If I was a soldier, I would have had the overwhelming urge to organize a mass UCP burning as well.
I am curious if such an urge exists in anywhere but my imagination.
Before 1 July, I put all of my UCP garbage into a big pile for disposal, and busted out the OEF-CP A2CUs. I was really looking forward to reducing the number of items on my CIF record by turning in as much UCP gear as possible. I come in on 1 July and find out that the CSM put out that everyone will keep wearing UCP until October, no OCP or OEF-CP, ALARACT be damned.
Mind you, we are constantly in and out the door supporting Atlantic Resolve events, where OEF-CP is the required uniform. Encouraging us to wear any of the three patterns in accordance with the ALARACT would really simplify things. I’d switch to OEF-CP and discard/turn-in as much UCP crap as possible.
Just burn your UCP’s and say they were stolen. Start wearing OCP.
Really, what’s going to happen to you?
I’ve considered it… I feel I had much more “room” to play those games when I was an NCO. I said “no” to a silly MOLLE/IBA uniformity directive in my BN back in ’04/’05, and found myself face-to-face with the BDE CSM and had a frank conversation about gear. We ended up coming up with the “Falcon Chest Harness.” Fast forward two years and a new BDE CSM banned them. LOL.
However, the world I am in now is much more political. As a junior warrant, I dont have nearly as much sway as I had in a former life. I’m just a pissed-off observer at this point and wondering why the people that have a voice with the smaj (1SGs, CO CDRs, etc) haven’t pushed back, or at least offered some tactful advice. Nope, they’re content to do as they’re told… Which leads me to my long-held belief that if for some reason a mindless directive was published which mandated the individual wear of a 12′ rubber phallus on the forehead (at at 45-degree angle, relative to the marching surface, of course), you’d have a certain type of “leader” out there, with his 12′ floppy phallus on HIS head, spot checking everyone else, checking angle of the dangle, etc. Not just mindless, but willful obedience to dumb shit. One of the reasons the NCO corps is its own worst enemy.
I mean, a 12 foot floppy phallus would be a sight to behold.
Does a unit level CSM have the ability to countermand an ALARACT?
No.
Ultimately no Commander on earth will be able to successfully implement UCMJ for following an Army Policy, especially when the unit policy that the Soldier was breaking violates published Army policy.
Any attempts at “unofficial” punishment are grounds for an IG complaint that will stick, since a) its clearly an incorrect order, and b) the order violates an ALARACT, which is an order that supersedes it.
As a senior NCO, it gives me heartburn to watch guys that love to thump their chest and pontificate about “the Standard” decide to break the rules and go rogue due to personal preference or disagreeing with orders. If my CSM did this, I would burn all of my UCP and wear OCP just to prove a point. As many have said, this will be a moot point in 90 days when the first pups show up in OCP.
ALARACT 086/2015 says “COMMANDERS WILL NOT REQUIRE SOLDIERS TO PURCHASE SPECIFIC UNIFORM ITEMS PRIOR TO THE MANDATORY POSSESSION DATE”. Units can’t make SPC Snuffy buy OCP gear until 2019…but they can darn sure make SPC Snuffy keep wearing UCP.
Except that DA already authorized them for wear. DA outranks subordinate commands.
I agree with wearing UCP until october, but jeez, you are absolutely correct. Your justification is perfectly logical.
Its amazing how senior leadership gets to pick and choose so long as nobody calls them out on it…
My OEF-CP FRACUs are all set, brought home two brand new sets.
My buddy got ripped up by his BN CSM who insisted they were not authorized until 1 August.
He was asked by the afformentioned CSM “who told you that you could wear that?”
apparently “the Sergeant Major of the Army” is not a good answer
Petty tyrants gotta have something to do…
I’m curious to know where he thought he heard 1 AUG.
82nd?
Picked up one set for whenever I need a nice uniform. Plus a couple packs of the new T-shirts. Planning on wearing FR’s for daily wear – much cooler in the summer heat anyway. Plus I don’t like that they did away with the shock cord pulls on the cargo pockets – those are pretty handy for jumping…
Our SGM said it pretty well when he pulled a guy in the new uniform up at weekend closeout. I’m paraphrasing but it was something like, “We’ve been wearing these ACU’s for about 10 years now and bitching about how much they suck for about 9 years, 364 days. Don’t take out a payday loan for new ones, but if you’ve got RFI, wear it. If not, get em when you can afford em. Lets get rid of these damn glow in the dark uniforms already.”
All that said, I’ve still got mostly UCP cold weather gear, so I’m hanging on to my UCP for this winter… for now.
Finally, someone with an anecdote about an SNCO Who Gets It. Thanks.
The SMA is buying his when he gets paid his clothing allowance.
The rights were retained by Erik Prince and have not been active for some time.
Reply to wrong thread?
Yep, that’s what happens when you comment via phone.
I was like “Dang, GG just dropped a bombshell…”
HEAR HEAR!
I hear UCP actually works pretty decently in winter-like settings.
Did ABOLC during winter at Ft. Knox in 2010. It seemed to be about as effective there as everywhere else. If you had a Battle strategically cover you in snow it worked pretty well.
I actually have in my bunker a couple pair of Multi-Cam BDUs (yes, I said BDUs – albeit Tru-Spec) from about 8-10 years ago.
OEF FRACUs and a yellow permanent marker from Target. Bring it, TRADOC.
Already on eBay.
…through a couple people selling product “oriented” to the Airsoft market (size S-XS), and a surplus store in Columbus, GA whose payment system is down.
I just spoke to an MCSS manager who said he’d be the last store in the entire system to get them. How’s THAT for “managing expectations?”
Well, are they priced appropriately or are they gougin buyers?
Assuming I wouldn’t get medium regular; I showed up at the Bragg C&S around 1400 and they had tons left. I was really surprised. I saw guys buying 3+ sets. Some were wearing them out of the store. I picked up a set and had MC badges and tapes sewn on. I still haven’t had an occasion to wear them but glad I have them.
Pulled out all of my OEFCP FRACUs and got a couple of them sewn up. I looked at the OCP ACUs to make sure I would get the right sizes when I get them issued around the end of the year or beginning of next year. (One of the perks to being on the trail when the FNGs get them.)
A/3-7?
No, still at the 101st right now, but headed to the Fort Beginning School for Wayward Boys.
Glad you Dog Faces got some new stuff. Wishing the Corps would switch to full on FROGS, fuck having combat, garrison, field, duty, service, and dress uniforms. Blues and Frogs. Fuck the rest. Oh and when can we please ditch the M-203’s, 27’s, 4’s, 16A4’s, 249’s, 12’s, and M-9’s and run Mk 32’s, 240’s, 4A1’s and G-19’s.
I retired…
So, where are the pictures?
Over here in Belgium our army is experimenting with MC-uniforms. I Guess everybody loves the MultiCam pattern.
A uniform using multicam or a multicam like pattern using current colours or pattern
My BN(NG) is saying no one wears until soldiers coming back from basic have them. Of course this pissed everyone off to no end. Some weak ass statement about, their intent was that no soldier arriving home station from basic/AIT be forced to buy UCP, and that statement in itself makes no fucking sense! How would those of us wearing OCP-A force new privates to buy UCP? That came out the same day the state CSM posted on his FB page that they would not go against the ALARACT and were giving everyone the thumbs up. Typical Guard shit!
Oklahoma?
We’ve gotten the same thing here in TX, except for it cam from our 1SG. Our BN CSM has said a word yet.
Hasn’t*
That might be the only good thing about being stationed (married to Active SM) too far away for the CDR to do anything about it…
At this point in time is anything in UCP actually still being sold on any Army base anywhere? I’d imagine that now that OCP is officially authorized most base clothing/uniform stores would be having blow out sales on their UCP stuff, trying to get rid of as much as they before the wearing OCP ACUs becomes more widespread.
I went to MCS on Ft. Leonard Wood today and they said they wouldn’t get any of the new uniforms until about Christmas. Not sure if that’s true, but i sincerely hope not. Surprisingly, UCP is alive and well on FLW…
MCSS here in Germany still had bundles of UCP ACUs. I am down to a single set of servicible ACUs and the new uniform won’t get here until wave 3, so I went by hoping for a deep discount. Full price. Of course.
Are there any good places online to buy the new boots? And any good boots in the 498 out yet? I’m going to wear tan for a while, but I’m down to just one pair in good condition.
Garmont is pretty good. They’re all over- USPatriot, OutdoorTactical, etc.
…and if you look closely you’ll see SEP-OCT ship dates for the new colorway. All I found in my (fairly common) size was a pair of Belleville minimalists. Garmont and Nike (production of their “legal leather” to Coyote) are saying SEP. Meaning OCT.
Picked up one set last week (SR top and bottom), but no PCs I my size. TDY to camp Casey att, everything is out except for really big or really small sizes and still no PCs in my size. MCSS here expects a shipment tomorrow so we’ll see.
PS: lots of guys here are rocking the OEF/MC patrol caps with the new OCP. It’s kinda noticeable since I know what to look for but doesn’t really look that bad.
Leave it to commanders to spoil the fun….after everybody went out and bought OCP….
Good Morning ALCON,
I hope everyone had a great Holiday Weekend.
I would like to address the new uniform policy so everyone is on the same sheet of music. Per COL Funck and CSM Tate guidance, 1 Oct 15 will be the uniform transition date for all assigned/attached USAG and Reception Company personnel to switch to the Operation Combat Uniform (OCP) ACU and NO time sooner than that date.
Currently, the fielding timeframe for Wave 1 Installations (see attached) is 4QFY15 in which all Fort Bragg Soldiers should be issued two (2) of the new OCP ACU pattern uniforms, patrol cap, belt and three (3) t-shirts. COL Funck and CSM Tate want to ensure that all personnel receive their issued uniforms and not have to run out and purchase them. Therefore, even though, the ALARACT message (see attached) allows the wearing of mixed uniforms, all assigned/attached USAG and Reception Company personnel will transition at the same and will remain in ACUs.
If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. Thank you for all you do and have a great week.
Very Respectfully,
HEATHER M. OEHLKE
1SG, USA
USAG / Fort Bragg Reception Company
But people WANT to wear the new uniform, that’s why they bought it instead of waiting for the initial issue!
What is the likelihood of SMA responding to this? I’m sure he’s fully aware of concerns from soldiers wanting to wear the new uniform per his memorandum? It’d probably cause some of these CSMs to spontaneously combust…
Hey Top, everyone is already in ACUs. Some are in UCP ACUs, and some are in OCP ACUs.
Was the “guidance” from on high delivered during an incontinence-inducing tantrum following first call on 6 JUL? Were any carpets ruined?
Should forward these silly decrees to the CoS and SMA so they can see how their guidance is getting shitted on by subordinate commands. I’d love to see these people put in their place.
Concur.
+1
And they outrank DA when?
Went to MCSS this morning at Bragg and they had more than enough of every size, including alternate cut for the ladies. Plenty of PCs and sewn-on skill badges (although the wings looked small) as well. About the only thing they were out of was sewn-on officer rank. Most of the folks buying OCPs were 1SGs, CSMs, and these dudes with funny colored (i.e. Green) berets. Guess it really is just support personnel switching uniforms now like the poster above said.
When I stopped in around 1100 I didn’t see anyone above the rank of SSG. They were completely out of Large/Long tops so I’ll be sticking with my FRACU for now.
Here in Korea, I was called “that guy” since I was the only one wearing OEF-CP in my unit. My unit is comprised mostly of AIT soldiers anyway, so none have the OEF FRACUS of course. A week later and I am still that guy. I am awaiting my coyote brown Bellvilles to arrive in the mail.
Someone asked me if we can purchase the Marine boots for wear and I told him no due to the EGA. But that is an interesting question. What about if you are a former Marine?
Also, I went fast with everything sewn-on and the tan 499 items, and my mountain boots. The MCSS has the new uniforms but did not have any PCs at the time. So, even if you bought it, you could not wear it.
I was up in Yongsan for the 4th of July fireworks show and a funny thing happened. An MP PFC on duty with his gunbelt on was wearing his OCP and a Sergeant in UCP approached him (obviously not in his CoC) and questioning him rudely about as to why he was wearing “that uniform”. The MP replied that it was ok to wear since the 1st of July. I thought it was funny that some Soldier will try to do an on-the-spot correction when he does not know that the MP goes through a guard mount with his leadership prior to going on patrol. So, if his leadership obviously did not have a problem with it, why would this NCO even question him about it. Also, a shame that an NCO was not tracking the OCP alaract. Too dayum funny.
Not just the ALARACT anymore; new DA PAM 670-1 effective 1 July also authorizes OCP.
The AAFES site doesn’t have uniforms (yet), but they do have a good selection of OCP rank and unit patches
I just saw the site. 82nd, 101st and 173rd patches but no airborne tab in OCP. ???
They were on there yesterday; as items sell out they seem to be moving them off the page.
The new OCP Scorpion 2 uniforms are already available from few ebay sellers. At the premium $$ that is…almost reaching Crye uniform prices.
Anyone know if the foliage fleece will fly with OCP or is it just the coyote?