Congressional agreement on common combat uniform

[x SF med]

OG107's and the lightweight BDUs... why did they change? Congress said so... No prob finding great boots for ground pounders... feet are something that need to be taken care of... but the actual combat uniform... it's got to work for combat, be tough, be comfortable, and have access to the areas you need without binding... load bearing gear should handle the brunt of heavy lifting in your kit and should be able to fit easily over the combat uniform... it's not that difficult.

eta... male and female combat/utility uniforms need to be cut differently... take a look at the mannequin designs...

 

[TLDR20]

OG107's and the lightweight BDUs... why did they change? Congress said so... No prob finding great boots for ground pounders... feet are something that need to be taken care of... but the actual combat uniform... it's got to work for combat, be tough, be comfortable, and have access to the areas you need without binding... load bearing gear should handle the brunt of heavy lifting in your kit and should be able to fit easily over the combat uniform... it's not that difficult.

eta... male and female combat/utility uniforms need to be cut differently... take a look at the mannequin designs...

Mens and women's uniforms are different I thought.

 

[AWP]

Mens and women's uniforms are different I thought.

Maybe the ACU's are, but I don't think BDU's were.

 

[104TN]

Maybe the ACU's are, but I don't think BDU's were.

IDK, I'm pretty sure I saw some fat dudes in maternity BDUs back in the day...

 

[AWP]

IDK, I'm pretty sure I saw some fat dudes in maternity BDUs back in the day...

I forgot about those, but I mean specific models for women who were without child....which probably rules out most of COSCOM at Bragg.

 

[racing_kitty]

There never was a "female cut" set of BDU's, with the exception of maternity BDU's. ACU's were phased in while I was on my second deployment, and they were of a unisex cut then, as well. Around about the 2008-09 time frame, there was discussion about possibly making a female cut, which did come to fruition in 2010 with what is called the ACU-A. That was when the ACU-A began to be issued in the clothing bag at basic training. According to this Army Times article, the ACU-A went on sale for all soldiers at clothing and sales in 2013.

 

[HE_OFFICER]

Just get me out of ACU's, they're ugly as fuck and more importantly don't blend in with shit. I'm inly a year in the army and can't stand them. One of my NCOs let me try on an old pair of bdus, and they are far superior, well worth the whole starch thing, they look 100x more professional than the space man suits. One of my other NCOs who is prior service in the Marines insisted that I try in some MARPAT unis and they are also far superior in both feel and functionality.

Hold your tongue until you've had to starch cammies for a couple years . Starching BDU's was a titanic waste of time. I even like the AF ACU's better than having to starch BDU's. If I haven't been clear, it's moronic to starch a combat uniform.

Cheers!

 

[pardus]

Hold your tongue until you've had to starch cammies for a couple years . Starching BDU's was a titanic waste of time. I even like the AF ACU's better than having to starch BDU's. If I haven't been clear, it's moronic to starch a combat uniform.

Cheers!

Absolutely correct!

That said, the 50/50 poly cotton blend must go, ripstop cotton is the way to go and fuck the ACU cammo pattern, it's as retarded as a Dwarf Giraffe.

 

[HE_OFFICER]

Absolutely correct!

That said, the 50/50 poly cotton blend must go, ripstop cotton is the way to go and fuck the ACU cammo pattern, it's as retarded as a Dwarf Giraffe.

Rip stop cotton is the way to go, but I did prefer the older heavy weight ones during cold weather. That rips stop material is like wearing nothing at all when the temps go below freezing. If you think the ACU pattern is bad you must not have seen the new Navy combat uniforms, haha, they're a hoot!

 

[pardus]

Rip stop cotton is the way to go, but I did prefer the older heavy weight ones during cold weather. That rips stop material is like wearing nothing at all when the temps go below freezing. If you think the ACU pattern is bad you must not have seen the new Navy combat uniforms, haha, they're a hoot!

The uniforms must be made for hot weather. Cold weather layers can always be added when needed. I've seen all the new uniforms, they all suck.

 

[Muppet]

Hold your tongue until you've had to starch cammies for a couple years . Starching BDU's was a titanic waste of time. I even like the AF ACU's better than having to starch BDU's. If I haven't been clear, it's moronic to starch a combat uniform.

Cheers!

Starching BDU's was the "thing to do" at Bragg in the 90's. If we did not starch them, we were considered shit birds. Hell. I went to Saudi with the 325 (Bco senior medic) and we were told to have a pair of starched DCU's along with the standard fluff and buff for everyday bullshit. I even saw some 3/4 ADA dudes (we were the security / QRF) for them on our little compound. Those cats were starching the boonie hates (brims).....Not to mention raking sand when some big wig from Bragg and some Saudi general stopped to say hi.

F.M.

 

[pardus]

Starching BDU's was the "thing to do" at Bragg in the 90's. If we did not starch them, we were considered shit birds. Hell. I went to Saudi with the 325 (Bco senior medic) and we were told to have a pair of starched DCU's along with the standard fluff and buff for everyday bullshit. I even saw some 3/4 ADA dudes (we were the security / QRF) for them on our little compound. Those cats were starching the boonie hates (brims).....Not to mention raking sand when some big wig from Bragg and some Saudi general stopped to say hi.

F.M.

That is some fucking retarded shit right there!

We never starched but we ironed and polished boots, two things I never minded as during basic training it was the only time you could be still and calm without getting your ass chewed by an NCO.
I'd still like to have an all leather pair of boots.

 

[0699]

That is some fucking retarded shit right there!

We never starched but we ironed and polished boots, two things I never minded as during basic training it was the only time you could be still and calm without getting your ass chewed by an NCO.
I'd still like to have an all leather pair of boots.

Recently, I found my old inspection ready, junk-on-the-bunk, all leather, still spit-shined, old style black boots (like the picture below...) in a footlocker in our basement. I thought I'd got rid of that stuff years ago. Believe it or not, they brought back a lot of memories... :-/

 

[LogDog0402]

Recently, I found my old inspection ready, junk-on-the-bunk, all leather, still spit-shined, old style black boots (like the picture below...) in a footlocker in our basement. I thought I'd got rid of that stuff years ago. Believe it or not, they brought back a lot of memories... :-/

View attachment 11281

I think I had that same style of boots, or something very similar. They kept a great shine and rarely needed polishing. They were so comfy that I wore them up until the day the USMC made it that we could only wear the desert tan boots.

 

[ThatGinger]

Some specialist in my troop just told me that were going to go to our dress blues as a garrison uniform. I hope to God this isn't true, just a rumor though. This of course would require us to change for the motor pool, etc. but would be for sitting at troop doing nothing until 1800, which seems to be the norm in 4/3cr.

 

[goon175]

I think GPF's should be able to modify their uniforms in the same instances that SOF can. The problem is that GPF leaders wouldn't dare relinquish control to small unit leaders like that.

 

[Brill]

I think GPF's should be able to modify their uniforms in the same instances that SOF can. The problem is that GPF leaders wouldn't dare relinquish control to small unit leaders like that.

Joe would have a field day with that...or may just walk off. Total toss up. Either way, "must promote!" Even if he's wearing Doc Martins with his ACUs or Scorpion 2s or whatever.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

Meanwhile what are the thoughts on ripping of multicam with the new pattern.


Shady as shady gets IMHO...

 

[goon175]

Joe would have a field day with that...or may just walk off. Total toss up. Either way, "must promote!" Even if he's wearing Doc Martins with his ACUs or Scorpion 2s or whatever.

Joe still is under the guise of his spec-4's and TL's. If properly empowered to do so, NCO's will enforce a strict "use common sense" rule.

By the time I left 1/75, you had a ton of leeway to make your uniform work for you and the job you were doing. The only caveat was that if someone (higher ranking) asked you why you had something a certain way, and all you had to say was, "it looks cool" - then you would more than likely be getting back in line pretty quickly. But if you tore apart and re-sewed things, or modified equipment, whatever - and you could demonstrate why what you are doing is better - you were left alone at the minimum, or told to show everyone else so they could implement it at the maximum.

I don't see why the rest of combat arms can't have the same responsibility. The guys at the platoon level and lower know what they need better than those that are instituting asinine rules at the battalion and higher levels.

I'll even take it a step farther. If a PSG knows he will be doing an extended movement through the mountains in Afghanistan, he should have the leeway to say, "hey, drop the plate carrier and helmets, we are using racks and PC's" so that his men can negotiate the terrain with out injury or unnecessary exhaustion, as well as fight and maneuver against the enemy effectively.

What I am getting at is the Army doesn't trust it's small unit leaders, and I firmly believe that lives have been lost because of it.

 

[Totentanz]

I don't see why the rest of combat arms can't have the same responsibility. The guys at the platoon level and lower know what they need better than those that are instituting asinine rules at the battalion and higher levels.

I'll even take it a step farther. If a PSG knows he will be doing an extended movement through the mountains in Afghanistan, he should have the leeway to say, "hey, drop the plate carrier and helmets, we are using racks and PC's" so that his men can negotiate the terrain with out injury or unnecessary exhaustion, as well as fight and maneuver against the enemy effectively.

Because having intelligent, empowered subordinates is perceived as a threat to certain senior personnel (i.e. "if I didn't think of it, then the idea sucks"). Seen it happen over almost the exact same issue you described (the bold part) between a PSG and a 1SG, with the suggestions coming from a PSG who had just returned from the area our BDE was deploying into, having performed the exact same mission. Insecurity and rank won the day...