The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa just awarded Campbellsville Apparel Co., LLC, Campbellsville, Kentucky, a total set-aside contract for US Navy men’s undershirts worth a maximum $5,760,000. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year and this contract is exercising option year two of four one-year option periods.
Strikehold! has put together a great primer on the first generation Mirage combat uniform. Available in Breacher or Sniper configurations, Bulldog Equipment has been hard at work integrating features based on feedback from users.
Check out the article here. The entire line of Bulldog products can be found at www.bulldog-equipment.us.
We regularly field questions about the Arc’teryx naming conventions. It can be easy to get confused as there are various versions of many of the products which are essentially modifications for specific use. Once you understand the lingo, it’s easy to see what is going on.
SV: SEVERE WEATHER
Designed for use in the harshest of conditions. The SV garments are manufactured from the most durable of materials and feature hoods.
AR: ALL ROUND
These products are crafted from mid-weight materials and are designed with versatility in mind.
MX: MIXED WEATHER
Designed for mixed weather and dynamic movement The MX clothing feature durable, highly mobile stretch materials which are breathable and moisture shedding.
LT: LIGHT WEIGHT
These are made from the lightest of materials with streamlined feature sets. In the LEAF line, the new Alpha LT Jacket is a classic example of this.
SL: SUPER LIGHT
Predominantly made with lightweight Paclite® textiles this is generally the lightest weight garment in a series.
SK: SKI TOURING SPECIFIC
The SK is a winter sports-focused design with generous articulation for ski touring and alpine climbing.
To check out the entire line of Arc’teryx products visit them online.
As part of the Army’s plan to investigate options for a Afghanistan theater-specific camouflage pattern, PEO-Soldier is undertaking a photosimulation study of uniform colors and patterns, along with associated Operational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) such as body armor, helmets, and rucksacks, against a variety of backgrounds common to Afghanistan including foliage, high desert, and mountains. Specific emphasis was placed on ensuring accurate RGB values during data collection which occurred earlier this month. The information obtained during this trip has been transformed into a usable test format which will kick off soon, possibly as early as the week after next at Forts Drum, Bragg, and Campbell. Participants will have had recent combat experience in Afghanistan.
The photo, taken in Afghanistan, depicts LTC Mike Sloane, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, presiding over the reenlistment of a Soldier who took part in the camo study. COL Cole of PEO-Soldier commented that this is probably the first reenlistment in history of a Soldier in the All-Over Desert Brush pattern. Desert All Over Brush was one of the patterns used in the data collection effort and will be evaluated as part of this project.
The Arc’teryx Combat Jacket is now Berry Compliant. What’s more, it’s available in MultiCam. When introduced last year by Arc’teryx, the MultiCam variant was so popular it sold out in less than a week. Now, with Berry Compliance, restrictions on military purchases are a thing of the past.
So get out your Government Purchase Cards and be the best dressed guys on the FOB (and the most comfortable). Individual orders can be made through the LEAF website. Units can order through their preferred outfitter like Grey Group Training.
Extreme Outfitters is holding an Open house at their new store in Jacksonville, North Carolina on Saturday 14 November, 2009. Also, in conjunction with EOTAC they are giving away a Bushmaster Patrolman Carbine to celebrate Veteran’s Day. So, if you are in the area, stop in and try on some EOTAC clothing and enter for your chance to win.
(Click Image for Larger Version)
Certain Restrictions Apply
ADS is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Gen III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System. Up to now they have been hard at work fulfilling the initial push of deliveries to the Army and have been unable to service individual orders. But they have built up their stock and are now offering sales to you.
They have developed tailored packages to meet any need and at great prices. For example, the Mid-Weight Cold Weather Package would retail for about $680.00 if sold separately but can be had at over $180.00 in savings when purchased as a single unit.
The Mid-Weight Cold Weather Package is going to prove very popular so we want to give you an idea of what is being offered.
The Package Includes:
GEN III ECWCS Level V Soft Shell Cold Weather Jacket and Trousers as well as the Mid-Weight Shirt and Drawers.
The Level V Soft Shell Cold Weather Jacket and Trousers are made from a wind and water resistant soft shell material and come in UCP. The material has a certain amount of mechanical stretch. They are designed for use in moderate to cold weather conditions as a soft shell combined with other base and insulative layers.
The Level II Mid-Weight Shirt and Drawers are manufactured from Polartec® Power Dry® Grid material in Desert Sand. Intended to provide light insulation in mild climates and serve as a base layer in cold climates, they wick moisture away from the body.
You have to visit ADS Tactical’s website to find the right package for you and they have a lot of options. This offer is reserved solely for individual purchase. These packages cannot be purchased by units. For unit orders please contact ADS.
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Originally called the Army Combat Pant and for a short period referred to as the Fire Resistant Ruggedized Pant, the program has transformed into the FR ACU Trouser Product Improvement Program. Ultimately, what this means is that PEO-Soldier is working hard to transform the FR ACU into an even more combat focused garment rather than developing yet another garment.
In an interview yesterday with LTC Mike Sloane, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, his Deputy PM Mr Todd Wendt, Mr Jeff Myrhe, Assistant Product Manager w/in PM SCIE and Mr Jed Watkins, Contract Support we discussed the latest information on this exciting project.
In addition to name changes, there have been some big changes in the goal of the project. But first let’s delve into the history of the project and then find out where it is going.
PEO Soldier identified issues with the seat, crotch, and knees of the ACU trouser based on feedback from Soldiers returning from theater. Specifically, in fall 2007, elements of the 173rd Airborne Brigade presented PEO Soldier with information describing failures of the ACU trouser and they began a full court press to correct these issues. Natick Soldier Research, Development & Engineering Center and industry partners prepared several solutions.
The evaluation process for these solutions is a journey that began in FY 2008 and will be completed later this year. In April 2008, seven variants of the trouser were issued to units in Hawaii, Alaska, and Vermont for a limited user evaluation. Unfortunately, none of the seven variants completely addressed the failures, but did provide valuable information for further improvements.
Massif Mountain Gear and Crye Precision collaborated on the next step, which resulted in the Massif Army Combat Pant Version 4.0A, which employed various weights of Defender M fabric and Defender M stretch fabric to make the seat and crotch more durable. At the same time, Crye Precision’s adjustable-height, integrated hard-shell knee pad design greatly improved the durability of the knee, providing greater protection to the Soldier. This feature in particular has been the most important solution in the project. External knee pads require constant adjustment and lightweight pads slipped into the knee pad slot of the trouser result in extra abrasion and worn knees.
This trouser was evaluated in two phases. Phase I was a human factors evaluation, conducted with 38 Soldiers from the 3d Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning from 11 January to 23 February 2009. Phase II involved 222 Soldiers from the 150th Armored Recon Squadron of the West Virginia National Guard, who evaluated the pant for dismounted functionality and vehicle compatibility during pre-deployment training at the National Training Center from 4 March to 2 April 2009.
Based on lessons learned from the previous phases, a new full and open competition was recently held to allow manufacturers to submit their version of the trouser. Five companies competed. Crye Precision won that competition and is producing 7,020 pairs of combat pants. The Crye trouser is a bit of a departure from previous incarnations as they have replaced the mechanical stretch fabric with a gusset design. These will be tested during Phase III of the evaluation. Testing will be conducted beginning in the 2nd quarter of FY10 with an infantry brigade deployed to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and each Soldier will receive two pairs of the Crye trouser in addition to their normal complement of FR ACUs. This evaluation is more than a simple test and will deliver actual enhanced capability to the Soldiers involved as the enhancements are refinements of earlier solutions.
Additionally, the focus of the evaluation will no longer be to determine user acceptance of the whole garment. Instead, PEO-Soldier wants to determine which features of the garment are most effective in fixing the problem areas. The Infantry School drives requirements and will make the recommendations to the Army Uniform Board as to which improvements will be integrated into FR ACU. The Chief of Staff of the Army is the final approving authority for these modifications.
When asked if there were plans to remove the FR ACU from service and transform to an ACU for garrison use and ACP/ACS combo for combat operations, the answer was a simple “No”. However, PEO-Soldier officials caveated this statement by relating that the FR ACU will undergo a transformation in the future, making it a much different garment than we see today. In the interim, once approved by the CSA, the improvements to the FR ACU will trouser will greatly enhance the capability of our troops operating in Afghanistan and other regions around the world.
