Today's Military Uniforms of the U.S. Armed Forces

The U.S. Armed Forces is composed of many branches of the Military. As a result, there are a number of different military uniforms to support each branch, namely the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Crops.

In this post, we highlight three common military uniforms worn by today's military personnel. Two of these military uniforms (the ACU and Mutlicam) are worn by the U.S. Army, while the other (ABU) is worn by the member of the U.S. Air Force.

ACU (Army Combat Uniform)

The ACU is the latest design of U.S. Military uniform succeeding the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) and the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). The Army Combat Uniform features several changes in design including a camouflage pattern change from the BDU and DCU.

As one the most cutting edge U.S. Military-issue uniforms, ACU's are designed as a set comprising a pair of ACU Trousers, Headgears, T-shirt, Army Combat Boots and an ACU Jacket. The headgear comprises an advanced combat helmet, fleece caps for warmth, a boonie hat and patrol caps.

The ACU Universal Digital Camouflage is the standard color pattern for the U.S. Army and includes other digital patterns like; the digital desert which is now officially worn by all officers in undertaking desert combats like the Middle East missions including Afghanistan.

The ACU Digital Camouflage pattern is made from synthetic cotton blended to avoid shrinking and treated with Dupont Teflon to resist stain and water. The Army combat uniform is also currently available in two other important versions: Insect resistant and Flame resistant versions.

ABU (Airman Battle Uniform)

The second newly introduced Army gear for the U.S. Forces is the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) which was adopted by the entire United States Air Force. This transition saw a complete replacement of the Battle Dress Uniform.

The ABU is similar to the ACU in color although it includes a blue color scheme in contrast to the ACU Universal color scheme. The Airman Battle Uniform also incorporates the NIR (near-infra red), which is a similar property with the ACU. However, the hook and loop attachment points and slant pockets are not included in the ABU.

The Tiger Stripe Camouflage based on the Vietnam War is the distinctive pattern in the Airman Battle Uniform. Originally, Tiger Stripe Camouflage was designed for close-range use in thick jungles during the Jungle Warfare of Vietnam. French and American forces used the Tiger Stripe Camo which derives its name from the resemblance it has to a tiger’s stripes.

The first Tiger Stripe camo pattern had 64 stripes but it is unclear who developed this initial design. With over 19 different patterns, the Tiger Stripe mainly features crossing stripes similar to brush strokes which interlock instead of overlapping as is with the regular combat patterns. The patterns are mainly small brown and green stripes interlocked with a larger black brush-stroke to display the effective Tiger Stripe Camouflage.

MultiCam Uniform

MultiCam uniform is a camouflage effort by the United States Army to replace Universal Camouflage patterns which had failed to be effective in the desert sand. This particular Uniform Pattern is proving to be very effective in the Afghanistan War providing a much better camouflage in the desert compared to Universal Camouflage patterns.

The Universal Camouflage pattern was believed to be more effective in all sorts of terrain but the MultiCam pattern proved to be best suited especially in the Afghanistan topography. Multicam is common in many articles of clothing, as well as combat gear, such as MultiCam boots and footwear, backpacks, and other textiles.

Advanced camouflage patterns are aimed at utilizing the digital capabilities of creating shapes that are in close resemblance to the natural objects providing a complete optimum disappearance of the human image at different distances in different locations.

The Purpose & Importance of Infrared (IR) Military Patches

Infrared (IR) patches hold an important function for the U.S. Military. IR patches help signify fellow soldiers in field, thus protecting them from friendly fire. In addition, infrared patches provide crucial information to battlefield medics and hospital staff, such as blood type.

A soldier's IR patch is an indispensable uniform accessory. During the daytime, IR patches can be seen without a visible reflective glow. However during the night, infrared patches become illuminated while being observed through night vision technology.

Purpose & Types of Military Infrared Patches

There are a number of military IR patches for different components of the military-issue uniform. The most common types are IR flags, Army unit patches, and blood type patches.

Infrared flags, or IR flag patches, serve as a type of combat identification used by soldiers. During the night, IR flags help units distinguish soldiers amidst the battlefield.

Holding a similar purpose as IR flags, infrared Army unit patches are designed to help soldiers to distinguish those who are apart of particular Army unit or division. Some examples may include the 1st Army Division IR patch or the 172nd Stryker Brigade IR patch (as shown in the image) which indicate various levels of certification training and military experience.

The final IR patch carries a very important purpose. That is the blood type IR patch. As its name denotes, the blood type IR patch tells medics the specific blood type of a fallen soldier during the dark. As one of the most critical military uniform patches in the field, the blood type IR patch holds great importance to provide adequate medical attention accordingly.

Current Events & Restrictions of IR Patches

During the initial production of IR patches, they were made available for both the military and civilians. This resulted in terrorist regimes such as the Taliban and Al-qaeda acquiring infrared patches for their own use.

Because the coalition attack aircraft were restricted from firing upon anyone wear infrared patches, these terrorist groups were able to avoid attacks from opposing forces.

As a result of this issue, the United States State Department has restricted the exportation of IR patches. Although similar versions of the IR patch have been produced and sold overseas, they are not infrared receptive through night vision gear.

Only select military surplus stores offer IR patches for sale. You can find many different military-issue IR patches to serve many different functions.

This post was contributed by Tyler Tafelsky.

The Intelligence Behind The American Soldier’s Clothing And Gear

Gearing up the American soldier for the challenges he encounters in the field of combat is no simple feat. So much thought is put into each item, ensuring that the soldier's concentration is solely focused on the task at hand and not on worrying over his gear.

At Natick, improving what the American soldier wears is a constant challenge. A team of experts that includes scientists, engineers, textile technologists, clothing designers, retired military equipment specialists and experts in other fields, work towards three common goals; and that is to improve functionality, durability and comfort.

The dedication and passion that each expert in the team has is as awesome as their expertise. Assisting in the design of helmets, body armor, boots, gloves, uniforms and flame resistant gear, they never stop improving on these items to ensure that the American soldier has the equipment to survive and at the same time, be comfortable while wearing it. This incessant pursuit of excellence stems from the fact that the experts at Natick want these soldiers to have the best equipment and gear they could possibly provide. Jay Connors, division leader, Warrior Equipment and Systems Division at Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC said, "They are dedicated in this vein because they want to do the right thing by our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines”.

A former Marine Reservist, Connors has travelled to Afghanistan thrice and has been outfitted in the same uniform and gear that the soldiers use. He said he was completely confident because the gear was the best stuff out there and he knows it. The NSRDEC supports the Program Executive Office Soldier by providing them with engineers, clothing designers, textile technologists and chemists for developing soldier gear and clothing. Ben Cooper, a colleague of Connors, is the footwear project engineer in the Footwear Performance Laboratory or FPL. The scientific analyses, which his department does, have a direct influence in the development of the footwear that will eventually be used by soldiers, special operators, Marines and sailors.

The FPL ensures performance by testing stiffness, heat insulation, impact pressure, flexibility and slip resistance until they are fully satisfied with it. Cooper compares the American soldier to a high-performance athlete and that’s what they keep in mind when working on the soldier’s footgear. The FPL has developed waterproof boots, hot weather boots, cold weather boots and blast protective boots. Soldiers in Afghanistan have been equipped with combat boots that provide better ankle stability and more secure lacing systems. These improvements were realized because of the feedback they get from the field. They can only develop the most ideal footgear for soldiers when they have a complete idea of what they want and what they need. Recent data has shown that the improvements made significantly decreased the number of soldiers’ lower leg injuries.

Next up for the FPL is the Modular Boot System which is expected to maximize efficiency without sacrificing comfort or safety.  This footgear will come with three components consisting of two removable liners, an insulated garter and base boot which will be a hot weather, flame resistant boot. The people at FPL are currently working hard to get this boot into circulation as this will considerably cut down the number of boots that have to be lugged around by the soldier. Suitable for dry, wet, extremely hot and cold temperatures, field tests are expected to commence by fiscal year 2013.

Team leader for the Design, Pattern and Prototype Team; Annette LaFleur and her tailors work just as hard as the FPL. The physical environment of Iraq and Afghanistan provides challenges that are more than what the average person would expect in a dry climate. Extreme cold, heat, sand and wind should be considered and according to Lafleur, “to design with the focus on durability and repair-ability is key”. She adds that the soldier’s clothing must work as a system and that means integration is a crucial part of the design. Focusing on designing soldier’s clothing that maximizes ability to accomplish their mission, enhances quality of life, protection and survival ability, Lafleur states that the place and the mission make the clothes. Currently, the focus is on more protective fire-resistant fabrics, the use of breathable fabrics, blast and ballistic protection and always using light fabrics to ensure comfort.

Connors says that the NSRDEC is all about collaboration, resulting to better knowledge, better data collection and the ability to make better decisions. He wants soldiers to know that the division will keep on working to make sure that those in the field have the right stuff to meet their mission requirements.

Army Combat Gear & Uniform Changes Set for 2012

Though the official announcement has yet to be made, Colonel William Cole, program manager of Soldier Protection and Individual Protection said that new hot weather combat boots and stronger ACU pants will be released in 2012. Along with the new boots and pants, a new and better combat glove will also be released.Specific information about these changes are limited, however, it is known that the Twill combat pants will be made of "significantly" stronger fabrics and will come with knee pads. These pants will be using the Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern, better known as the OCP. It is noted that the OCP ACUs will likewise have stronger fabrics that offer about a 50% improvement.

The ACU digital uniform will be
made with a stronger material next year.

This improved fabric will most likely necessitate importation of materials and as required by the Berry Amendment, the U.S. Armed Forces should use American made textile. Using foreign made materials for this purpose would have to pass through Congress and necessitates a congressional waiver to be pushed through. The Defender M material consists of 65% flame-resistant rayon and the fibers used in them are from the Austrian based company, Lenzing. Only the fibers are bought from Lenzing, the weaving and all other processing it undergoes thereafter are done in the U.S.

U.S. based manufacturers argue that viable domestic alternatives to rayon are available. Because of this, there are rumors that these manufacturers are seeking to get the congressional waiver cancelled. Alternatives do exist and the Armed Forces are well aware of this fact. In 2008, the Air Force chose the Abrams V fabric for use in flame resistant ground combat equipment, a blend of nylon, cotton and Nomex and 100% U.S. produced. Nomex, however, is more expensive and needs a longer time to produce. Furthermore, rayon is more comfortable, moisture absorbent and can be easily dyed.

The new hot weather boots is expected to provide better ankle and foot support but will most likely be stiffer when worn. In February 2011, the U.S. chose the Belleville 950 Combat Mountain Hiker, which will be issued in addition to the current combat boots. Featuring a Vibram Bifida outsole, it boasts of better support, grip, fit and durability as ut is 20% thicker than what most combat boots have.

Col. Cole's office also revealed that selection is ongoing for the new ACU camouflage pattern, in which 20 submissions are being reviewed. It will be followed by wear and field tests and if all goes according to schedule, production of the new ACUs will commence in October of 2012.

Summary of The U.S. Army 2012 Modernization Plan

The US Army's Modernization Plan for fiscal year 2012 focuses to support budget requests by the President for Army Research, Development and Acquisition of equipment, likewise known as RDA funds.

The Army's 2012 Modernization Plan proposes means to carry out the established goals of the U.S. Army for this specific year. Within the plan, the US Army has prioritized select equipment and essentials for meeting current and future objectives. In part, the emphasis is to enable better preparation for any complex and unpredictable events that may occur.

The Plan takes into consideration the lessons appreciated in wars and conflicts that the United States has had recent involvement. Likewise, it enumerates details and necessities to come up with workable solutions to provide the Army with the equipment and other items to succeed in their operations.

For more information on the 2012 Army Modernization Plan, visit Army.mil.

The U.S. Army: A New Candidate for QR Codes

With cutting edge technology growing more prominently in the Nation’s safety, it is no wonder why the U.S. Army is among the most powerful armed forces organizations in the world. Some people prefer to cling to the old ways but with the tide turning towards technological progress, the U.S. Military cannot afford to be left behind.

Recently, the U.S. Army has tapped the use of QR codes. The Army.mil website recently featured this new technology which opens up a lot of new possibilities for the military as well as civilians. These codes, which stand for Quick Response Code look like little boxes that are stacked on top of one another. Scanned with a Blackberry, Android or iPhone, QR codes can hold a great amount of information.

In order to gain access to the information these QR codes hold, one has to download an application that will enable the Blackberry, Android or iPhone device to read them. Several scanning applications are available and you get them for free. Scanlife, ShopSavvy, Redlaser and JumpScan are some that provide these apps. After downloading them, you can just scan a QR code to unlock its contents. You can also use these apps to scan standard bar codes which you can see in practically everything you buy.

So, how can the Army use QR codes? Currently, Army Career Centers in the Sacramento Recruiting Battalion are creating QR codes to streamline recruiting efforts. These QR codes will be placed on the facility’s windows so that in the event that an applicant comes in with no one to provide him with the information he needs, it will be a simple matter of scanning the QR code to find information about the particular Army Career Center they are interested in. Such QR codes may even allow an applicant to be directed to the Facebook page of the Army Career Center.

If you think about it, the possibilities of QR codes are virtually limitless. A few areas where the use of QR codes has been tested are in trail markers for hiking, business cards, nutrition information, and retail. This is just the tip of the iceberg as people continuously find ways of using QR codes.