PHILADELPHIA –
After years of planning, the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support is now providing Army green service uniform items to recruits, and soon soldiers shopping at Army & Air Force Exchange Service stores.
While the Army initially fielded the Army green service uniforms in 2020, the Troop Support Clothing and Textiles supply chain’s planning efforts with the Army dates to 2017, said Cheryl Reynolds, C&T chief of the Plans & Integrations’ Recruit Clothing Division.
“Planning, both materiel and demand, plays an integral part in each and every new item introduction,” Reynolds said. “For the AGSU program, our discussions with the Army started over four years ago and they have been conducted regularly ever since.”
Within the last two years, C&T has been working to transition AGSU support from Army contracts to DLA-provided contract support. This included converting existing DLA Army service uniform contracts or creating new acquisitions for fabrics and end-items, Reynolds said. The team then closely monitored vendor production, shipments, and stock levels ahead of customer roll-out timelines.
The AGSU ensemble is tailored by gender and includes 17 end-items, two fabrics and 270 insignia, Reynolds said. Uniform items include short- and long-sleeve shirts or blouses, trousers or slacks, coats, gloves, dress shoes, socks, belts, and neckties.
Troop Support provided nearly 8,000 AGSU sets in total to recruit training centers at Forts Benning, Leonard Wood, Sill and Jackson this month. In April, Troop Support will begin fielding to AAFES stores worldwide.
C&T collaborated with internal finance, contracting, planning, technical and customer support teams, and personnel from the Army Program Executive Office Soldier and Tank-automotive and Armaments Command to successfully field the uniforms.
“Our team’s successful roll-out of the AGSU at the four Army RTCs reflects a significant achievement between multiple agencies within the DLA enterprise and the Army,” said C&T Director Air Force Col. Matthew Harnly.
Reynolds described the process as a ‘massive undertaking’ due to the extensive network of coordination required, number of items and various sizes.
“With close to 1,000 sizes overall, it was crucial that we were buying the quantities per size,” Reynolds said. “Time-phased inventory plans were developed for each of the items to ensure that adequate safety levels would be received when DLA took over support of the program which is necessary for a successful roll-out.”
Army recruit training center team Supervisor Timothy Schmidt noted a nuanced challenge in planning quantities by size, based on physique differences between new recruits and seasoned soldiers.
“The challenge is going to be determining what the size tariff needs to be going forward under the DLA contract versus what the Army is buying because we incorporate AAFES support, which is a different targeted demographic than the RTC audience,” Schmidt said.
“Recruits at the RTCs are, generally speaking, an 18–24-year-old demographic,” he continued. “So, [physically], they tend to be different than for instance matured soldiers who are going to AAFES and buying their uniforms at their installations.”
C&T also overcame industry challenges and found opportunity in using new vendors to produce end-items, said Ashley Liddle, chief of the dress uniform integrated support team.
“We have a limited industrial base and adding a new uniform, the normal contractors that we work with were at capacity, so we were able to find new contractors that have never done business with us,” Liddle said. “So, the majority of contractors making the items are new to us.”
Learn more about the C&T supply chain, including customer and vendor support here.
By Mikia Muhammad, DLA Troop Support Public Affairs
The Army has solved a problem created by the Army.
AAMS for everyone.
Ike jacket?
Currently undergoing wear testing. Soon to be an optional item
We’re supposed to believe that this Department of Defense agency is somehow going to deliver uniforms better/faster/more efficiently/better “tailored”, than Department of the Army contracts with private industry can? Well, I guess I shouldn’t be so cynical – they must have it wired tight, because as they say they they’ve been planning it since “over four years ago”. Which is longer than official US participation in WWII…
Let’s not pretend that government contractors and “private indusutry” are the same.
I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.
It’s the same contractors, just a different agency managing them.
If only we fleet purchased tactical vehicles like we change uniforms, we would be driving 2020 Pickups instead of a HMMWV from 1981.
The uniform that fills the void left by the Class As the got ditched in favor of the ASU/Blues which was done as a cost saving measure brings back a version of a WW2 era uniform. Its a waste of money period.
Ton E,
“It’s a waste of money period.” You’ve said that before, but you are simply wrong on the basic math. Soldiers have always been issued just ONE (1) Dress Uniform. It used to be the “Class A” uniform, then it was the ASU – a variation on the classic Dress Blues. Now it is the Service Green Uniform. One uniform for one soldier. In other words, no change in net costs as far as the Service is concerned.
Dress Blues are still issued to ceremonial units like the Old Guard, as they always were. Only Officers accrued any additional cost by now having to maintain two dress uniforms (Green and Blues) instead of just the ASUs. Just like we did for many decades before ASUs. And the “financial hardship” for that cohort was deferred for years.
If you want to bitch about the style/colorway of the new uniforms – have at it. If you want to argue that a dress uniform is somehow “unnecessary” for an Armed Service, you are sadly mistaken – but go for it if you feel the need. However, in terms of costs or “waste” as you call it, the numbers just don’t support your position.
TLB
Any chance mention was made, as to fielding to Compo’s 2&3? We were supposed to start being issued it in Q3 of FY21…. Nearly 9 months ago.