Back in the early 1980s the Army adopted the BDU, or the Battle Dress uniform. I was issued my first sets back in late 1981 along with the old green permanent press fatigues. The old fatigues were phased out in 1985 and I wore mine up to the last day. The were comfortable, you could starch the hell out of them to the point that you would “break starch” to get into them in the morning. The BDUs initially were pretty sorry looking. You were not even allowed to iron them and the material never came out of the wash unwrinkled. Eventually ironing but no starch was allowed. Rebellion broke out in the ranks. A general showed up in a badly wrinkled uniform for a speech and angered a lot of soldiers. He looked terrible. People who couldn’t stand to look like dirt bags started with sizing and then graduated to starch. Eventually realizing that no one was obeying the order anyway the Army modified the design and allowed soldiers to starch the uniform. The other services adopted this uniform in the 1980s and 1990s along with its desert counterpart, the DCU. Pressed and starched with spit shined boots the BDU finally looked pretty good.
These were the standard uniforms until about 2000 when the Marines decided that they were tired of being mistaken for soldiers due to the BDU. It was in 2000 that the Marine Pattern (MARPAT) Digital Camouflage uniform test and evaluation designs were introduced. I was with 3rd Battalion 8th Marines in Okinawa when they were field tested. Several variations were tried and eventually the current Desert and Woodland uniforms were introduced. To keep the Army from simply appropriating the design the Marines put little Eagle Globe and Anchor insignia in the digital pattern. The uniform is well designed and functional and the suede boots made life easy. The Marines also kept their tradition of pin on rank insignia that could be taken off in field environments if needed. It became the envy of the rest of the US services and the military services of other nations soon went to variations of digital camouflage. As a Navy Chaplain assigned with the Fleet Marine Forces I found it to be a great improvement over the old BDUs.
The Army was the next service to make the change. Thus was born the ACU, or Army Combat Uniform, not that anyone else would have it, but the Army made it their own. The ACU is kind of an off green or light green and nearly puke colored uniform that was designed to be worn in either the desert or the woodlands. In the desert it stands out, it is simply too dark and the wrong color. Likewise I don’t think that it blends in that well in the woods havinf seen soldiers walking through the woods in them. The Army did a couple of things that broke tradition big time on this uniform. First they changed the location of the insignia from the collar to a tab on the chest. The placement of it on the chest and the subdued color make them hard to see. Soldeirs have to gaze at the chest of the other soldier to see if they need to salute. I’m sure many male soldiers have used this excuse to scope out female officers. “Sorry ma’am, couldn’t see your rank.” They changed the manner in which insignia were applied from sewing to Velcro. There is Velcro all over this uniform. Children have been known to have their hair get stuck in the Velcro and pulled down hallways and driveways. Soldiers have bumped into each other and become stuck like Siamese twins while marching. Pranksters find the placement of “hit me” or “kick me” stickers much easier. The front pockets are angled so oddly that it looks unnatural. The collar is not symmetrical, supposedly so it more easily can be buttoned around the neck. I wonder when the Army will modify this uniform to make it look better I admit that looks aren’t everything, but the Army at one time had some pretty great looking uniforms. Frankly we have to do better. I saw my first pair in about 2004 when visiting a Marine in an Army Medical Center. Seeing me in my Marine uniform an officer remarked about his ACUs: “Yes they do look as bad in person as they do on TV.”
So the Air Force came next and fielded their Airman Battle Uniform or ABU. It was the product of several failed attempts to get an acceptable design. It has a “tiger stripe” pattern similar to a pattern worn in Vietnam It is is a combination of light green, tan, gray and Air Force Blue. In my humble opinion it is better looking than the Army uniform. The Air Force at least did keep to their tradition in placement of insignia and name tapes for both officer and enlisted personnel.
The Navy was the last to join the parade. It began testing the Navy Working Uniform (NWU) a few years back. Two patterns were tested a Blue,, gray, gray green and black; and a gray and black pattern. Sailors allowed to vote for their favorite. The gray and black uniform was in my opinion a better color scheme. That design could be worn on ships and shore stations and if need be could have been used in the field. We would have looked like the Wehrmacht but who worries about that. The Blue pattern was voted in by the sailors and it is now in the process of being fielded throughout the fleet. It is not a field uniform. It is a work uniform and will replace a number of other work uniforms found throughout the Navy. The Navy will field woodland and desert versions as well for units like the Expeditionary Forces, Riverine, EOD, SEABEES and SEALS. The camouflage includes a Navy Eagle and USN in the digital pattern similar to the Marine design. It is a similar fabric to Marine woodlands, permanent press and wash and wear. It has smooth leather boots for sea platforms and optional suede boots for shore commands. I got the suede because I got spoiled by the Marines. The Navy has kept tradition in some parts of this uniform. The lettering for the name tapes is silver for enlisted and gold for officers and Chief Petty Officers. Officer and enlisted qualification devices are the appropriate color. We have kept the traditional 8 point cover (hat to non-sailors). It is actually a nice looking uniform, a little strange at first but decent looking. I sometimes joke and call the NWU the New Weird Uniform, but after my first day I confess that I like it. However, if you fall overboard in this uniform you will blend in to the vast expanse of the ocean and never be seen again. The blue camouflage may not be that great on land, but hopefully sharks will have a harder time picking you out while you wait to be rescued.
So we now all have our own pattern, at least no one will confuse us for the Army. In good fun,
Peace, Steve+
The Inglorius Padre Steve's World 