Well the main stream media finally caught up with us again this week. US Today published an article that the Army is going to eliminate Velcro from the cargo pockets on the ACU. This is hardly breaking news. We did a story on this last August, detailing numerous changes to the ACU. Unfortunately, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia who manages sustainment contracts for the ACU as well as the FR ACU which worn in combat, has yet to implement the improvements to any of the uniforms they are buying. PEO-Soldier on the other hand, is purchasing FR ACUs in MultiCam from a different contract so that combat troops in Afghanistan will have the advantage of the improved design.
The real irony in this, other than US Today chasing a story that is almost a year old, is that Velcro was added to the ACU based on use by Special Operations Forces. Big Army wanted what was perceived to work and they got it. Naturally and almost immediately, Soldiers began to complain. With Velcro, a little goes a long way.