What with Congress prompting the Army to adopt a new camouflage pattern specifically for operations in Afghanistan this is the perfect opportunity to procure equipment that is tuned for use in harsh mountainous and high desert regions.
Since it seems that they will likely end up doing something in the camo arena, we certainly hope that the Army will look at this as an opportunity to procure some innovative products and not just buy more standard issue equipment in a new color. In addition to providing the Soldier with equipment that is as appropriate to the environment as the camouflage this would also give the industry a little bit of a kick in the pants since much of the out-of-the-box thinking happens in the smaller companies who are better suited to such smaller procurements.
While the American Warrior is better protected than ever, it has come at a price. Since the beginning of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM the load for the individual Soldier has increased over ten pounds. The Army is already working towards this goal with programs such as the Releasable Plate Carrier but other products can be manufactured from lighterweight fabrics such as 500D Cordura and multi-purpose equipment should also be considered.