The Army is wrapping up the woodland portion of the bookend camo test at Ft Polk, LA. Hopefully, we’ll see an announcement regarding the results soon.
Archive for the ‘OCP’ Category
US Army Bookend Camo Test At Ft Polk Comes To Close
Monday, October 27th, 2014OCP Flags Showing Up in Afghanistan
Friday, October 10th, 2014
New American flags in the OCP color scheme are showing up in Afghanistan. Interestingly, they are in a Green dominant colorway. Yesterday, we showed you OCP MOLLE with Green PALS webbing. Is this a trend?
US Army Conducts Bookend Camo Tests at Ft Polk
Thursday, October 9th, 2014In addition to the new Operational Camouflage Pattern, the US Army has long envisioned a family of camouflage patterns with OCP serving as a general issue, transitional pattern, and special Woodland and Arid variants, color tuned for use in those environments, to support contingency operations via limited issue.
When we originally mentioned the planned bookend camouflage test in late May, we framed it as “analog vs digital” and it appears that our information was correct. SSD has obtained photos of testing being conducted at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
The testing at Ft Polk, comprised of OCP (Scorpion W2), M81 Woodland and MARPAT Woodland, is naturally geared toward the woodland environment.
While these photos only depict the MARPAT Woodland uniforms and the Soldiers are carrying UCP MOLLE and helmets, we do know that TA-50 has also been provided in the range of test patterns. You may also notice that the Soldiers in these photos are mixing it up, wearing Sand T-shirts and USMC issue Coyote (Olive Mojave) boots complete with Eagle Globe & Anchor marking. Interestingly, one Soldier has rolled his sleeves. At first it struck us odd that he had rolled his sleeves like a Marine until it dawned on us that currently serving Soldiers wouldn’t know how they would had done it in BDUs, as the Army no longer rolls its sleeves.
While we don’t have any photos of the M81 Woodland or OCP uniforms, we did score a photo of an example of the Green PALS webbing that has been paired with the OCP MOLLE. We are still unsure what this might indicate.
So far, we do no have any information on the Desert Bookend test which is said to feature OCP, 3-color Desert and MARPAT Desert.
Unit Leaders Purchased OCP Uniforms For 2/75 Rangers
Thursday, October 9th, 2014We recently reported that Tactical Tailor and Tru-Spec worked together to provide new OCP ACUs for 2nd Bn, 75th Ranger Regiment’s uniform change on 3 October. After a little more investigation, we have found out that no government funds were used to procure the OCP uniforms worn by members of 2/75. Instead, they were purchased with private funds by leaders in the unit to ensure that their Rangers were standing tall and looking good for the Battalion’s 40th Anniversary.
It wasn’t that the Rangers didn’t have issue uniforms at their disposal. It was that they were field uniforms and 2/75 wanted to honor their and the Regiment’s anniversary in squared away ACUs.
If that isn’t awesome enough, we found out something else when we started looking into this. Turns out, Tactical Tailor sold the uniforms at cost and ate the shipping charges. How about that?
What a great story. You’ve got industry stepping up to the plate to support a unit and the leadership spending their own money to make sure that their men were properly equipped.
Tactical Tailor & Tru-Spec Partner To Leave No Ranger Behind
Tuesday, October 7th, 2014Tactical Tailor in partnership with Tru-Spec provided OCP uniforms to the Ranger Regiment for their 30th Anniversary Celebration in less than 72 hours. That’s impressive.
Tactical Tailor received a phone call from a PNW-based Ranger BN on Tuesday morning (30 SEP 14) shortly after we had run our first article stating that the 75th Ranger Regiment would be switching to OCP for garrison wear on the Regiment’s 30th (Battalion’s 40th) anniversary celebrated 3 OCT 14. The unit was in urgent need of duty uniform quality OCP’s as everything they had been issued in the past has been used as “field/deployment” uniforms.
Tactical Tailor immediately reached out to Kurt Wendling of Atlanco. Kurt determined that Tru-Spec had enough stock on hand to support the Ranger’s short fuse request.
The Tactical Tailor SOCOM sales manager and Tactical Tailor purchasing manager worked through the night of the 30th scrubbing the size manifest by name and quantity required in order to have all the pieces in place so that Kurt and his team could immediately pull and package the uniforms for shipment on 1 OCT 14.
Tru-Spec had the required uniforms on the ground and in the Rangers hands prior to 1200 PST on 2 OCT 14, leaving plenty of time to get parade ready for the 30th Anniversary celebration on 3 OCT 14. Tactical Tailor and Tru-Spec accomplished their mission. No Rangers were left behind and everyone was in the proper uniform, although apparently, not every OCP uniform worn by the Rangers on Friday was an FR ACU.
In Case You Missed It – Rangers First Unit To Adopt OCP
Sunday, October 5th, 2014I love it when people tell me I don’t know what I’m talking about. Just like we told you was going to happen early last week, the 75th Ranger Regiment was in fact, the first US Army unit to don the Operational Camouflage Uniform during their 30th Anniversary ceremony on Friday, 3 October, 2014.
Soldier Magazine photo by SFC Brehl Garza.
The transition is happening. Come hell or high water, the Army is going to make this switch. The road may be a little bumpy but I’m glad to see the Army’s leadership making some smart moves by leveraging the RFI issued clothing in OCP to be used until the new variant of the ACU is ready next Summer. I would expect to see additional implementation across the Army to begin soon. I have been told that GEN Odierno, the Chief of Staff of the US Army will make a presentation regarding the new camouflage pattern and updated ACU during AUSA, just a week away.
OCP is OCP – Confused Yet?
Friday, October 3rd, 2014Almost two months ago we posted this story under the title of “As far as the Army Is Concerned – It’s OCP.” Earlier today OCP had its coming out party as a garrison uniform when the Army authorized the 75th Ranger Regiment to don their RFI issued OCP FR ACUs during a ceremony to commemorate the unit’s 30th anniversary. This has confused many because up until just a few months ago there was only one flavor of OCP and that is Crye Precision’s MultiCam pattern. Everything that has been issued thus far is MultiCam OCP including the FAr ACUs worn by the Rangers. In the future this will change to Scorpion W2. Clothing bag items will be widely available by next Summer and TA-50 will be transitioned over the next eight years or so.
What is difficult for many to understand is that right now, it doesn’t matter which version you have. OCP is OCP. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. The Army announced adoption of OCP and convinced Congress that MultiCam and Scorpion W2 are the same thing. The contracts, labels and descriptions will all say “OCP” regardless of whether the fabric is printed with MultiCam or Scorpion W2 meaning no changes to contracts or NSNs.
Considering the Army created the situation, at the Soldier level run with it.
Those MultiCam FR ACUs you were issued by RFI? OCP
That Level 9 MultiCam uniform you were issued in Group? OCP
That MultiCam day pack your unit issued you? OCP
See how this works?
Expect an announcement from the CSA during AUSA later this month regarding OCP.
It’s as simple as OCP
If you notice in the Army’s announcement last Thursday that they plan a transition in Summer 2015 to the Operational Camouflage Pattern, they never referred to that pattern’s developmental name; Scorpion W2. Some found the announcement cryptic. But the reason is simple. As far as the Army is concerned, it’s OCP. And, OCP is OCP, which may blow the minds of some CSMs as this rolls out, considering OCP has been synonymous with MultiCam for several years. There are going to be instances in the future where your OCPs aren’t an exact match.
There are several advantages for the Army in transitioning to OCP. For one thing, they don’t have to make any drastic changes to existing contracts for OCIE. For another, it’s easier to continue to use the equipment previously purchased in OCP. In my opinion, the Army is looking at this as a supply chain solution.
Who’s Down With OCP? Yeah, you know me!
For Soldiers, this decision is a major boon. If you look at what’s available on the open market in OCP, there are currently a lot of options out there for equipment. In fact, chances are good, you’ve already got a whole bunch of kit in OCP. By the Army’s own admission, it will take years to fully field the new OCP. During the transition period, things will be very fluid. Use that to your advantage.
So, OCP, it is. Embrace it.
75th Ranger Regiment First Unit to Switch to OCP
Tuesday, September 30th, 2014On October 3rd, 2014, the 75th Ranger Regiment will celebrate its 30th anniversary. On that day, they will also officially don the Army’s recently adopted Operational Camouflage Pattern as their garrison dress. This event will mark the first time that an Army unit will be seen in OCP in garrison and they chose their most elite Infantry unit for the honor.
Members of the Regiment have long relied on OCP clothing and equipment while deployed for combat operations as well as during training. Initially, they used Crye Precision MultiCam kit procured with MFP 11 SOF dollars. When the Army adopted the commercial MultiCam pattern as Operations Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern in 2010 the Rangers began to receive Rapid Fielding Initiative equipment such as the FR ACU which was used to augment their existing gear.
Sources say the Army plans to completely outfit the Regiment’s ACUs in the new OCP variant (Scorpion W2) featuring updates such as improved upper arm pockets in November.
Hopefully, this move will usher in an across-the-board approval by the Army for all Soldiers to begin to wear their OCP clothing already issued under RFI. According to industry sources, the Army still plans to offer the new OCP ACUs for sale at Military Clothing Sales Stores beginning May, 2015.
