Multi Cam

[airjun]

Saw a picture in Army times of a 4th ID Soldier wearing all Multi cam. So whats the deal? anyone there right now? Last I heard only Rangers and 173rd was part of the trail.

[Wes]

I dunno, SF, some three letter agencies, and Batt has had it for a little while now. Contractors have been playing with it since it came out. I'll be begging for it for my next tour coming up this summer. Not sure how many AD units have it right now.

[CombatCady]

4th IBCT, 4ID (the BDE that me and jmazz belong to) is currently deployed to RC-East in Afghanistan. We were chosen to test out different "experimental" camouflage patterns. Some of the BNs got MultiCam, and mine got a different pattern, which is basically ACU with dark brown mixed in. My Squadron was also issued some plate carriers in MultiCam pattern. I can tell you that either pattern blends well with the environment we're in right now. The only problem right now, as anyone who has seen my Facebook picture can tell you, is that I wear the UCP-D (or "dirty-cams" as I call them), with my MultiCam plate carrier, which is covered in ACU pouches. When I can get everything I need issued to me in a single, effective camo pattern, I'll be happy.

jmazz ought to be able to speak better on the performance of the MultiCam uniform.

[stingray185]

I wear the UCP-D (or "dirty-cams" as I call them), with my MultiCam plate carrier, which is covered in ACU pouches. When I can get everything I need issued to me in a single, effective camo pattern, I'll be happy.



That's kinda like the 'classic' OIF look, BDU OTV over DCUs with black pouches. Or the transition period of ACUs with BDU OTV and a DCU helmet cover.

[Skull6]

I don't want to hear anyone complaining about "mixed" uniform items of different camo patterns. In Desert Storm, my tanks were painted a solid "tan,"--while all us self-loading cargo wore woodland camo unis.

Try performing a personal class 1 download in the middle of the freaking desert while wearing that stuff. "Not standing out" is NOT an option!

The best we could hope for was that the others in the unit would "avert their eyes" during your performance. :D

LTCady, you said they've added a darker brown into the mix. I wonder just how close it ends up looking like a digital version of the old "chocolate chip cookie dough" we wore as we left the desert...

[stingray185]

I don't want to hear anyone complaining about "mixed" uniform items of different camo patterns. In Desert Storm, my tanks were painted a solid "tan,"--while all us self-loading cargo wore woodland camo unis.

LTCady, you said they've added a darker brown into the mix. I wonder just how close it ends up looking like a digital version of the old "chocolate chip cookie dough" we wore as we left the desert...

hey I liked the OIF II look. Only thing is mixed cammo does give snipers a better target/make it easier to tell where your body armor isn't.
I think some of the new multi cam patterns look like ACUs washed in shit though.

[Skull6]

I just googled a couple images of it. Looks like someone accidentally dumped some grren paint into a washing machine filled with chocolate chip cookie dough unis to me...

[Un4given]

I just googled a couple images of it. Looks like someone accidentally dumped some grren paint into a washing machine filled with chocolate chip cookie dough unis to me...
You had to be hungry. lol

[TheTokenGook]

if you think any of the new uniforms look bad, just remember, it could be worse, and you could be wearing the new Navy uniforms.

[Skull6]

Assoc, that's what we called ours at the time

http://www.kshs.org/cool/graphics/coolunif.jpg

& for those who haven't seen them, here's the new Navy Working Uniform:

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/2573/z2pa6.jpg

Because they can't practice escape & evade once they fall overboard, unless they can hide in the H2O?!

[Associate289]

Assoc, that's what we called ours at the time

http://www.kshs.org/cool/graphics/coolunif.jpg

Who are you talking to? TAKE ALL THE PILLS NEXT TIME!!!!

[Skull6]

Sorry, Assoc. I keep getting you & Un4 mixed up, for some reason.

One of you's frustrated about his NG chain of command; the other's frustrated about his small male member. You can understand the confusion, can't you?

[GIJared]

I just googled a couple images of it. Looks like someone accidentally dumped some grren paint into a washing machine filled with chocolate chip cookie dough unis to me...

Its a pathetic attempt by the Army to maintain the ACU pattern. I think that way whoever was involved in the process doesn't have to admit it was a completely retarded idea.

[airjun]

any of that equipment TPE? for 1/101? 8-)

[TheTokenGook]

Because they can't practice escape & evade once they fall overboard, unless they can hide in the H2O?!

I don't know about you, but if I fall in the water, I don't want to be wearing blue. I wan't to be wearing bright ass fucking orange!


I think that way whoever was involved in the process doesn't have to admit it was a completely retarded idea.

Must be an AF officer...

[CombatCady]

Far as I know, the uniforms are ORG (obviously), but the plate carriers may be TPE. We'll see. Anyway, I think the UCP-D does a good job of camouflaging a Soldier. I don't think the ACU was a stupid pattern, I think it's in stupid colors. With the addition of the brown, it really helps disguise you in mountainous terrain. I still hate the velcro pockets, though.

[CombatCady]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs212.snc3/21940_578515882639_26802059_33857938_4767793_n.jpg
A close-up pic of the UCP-D pattern, aka DirtyCam.
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs195.snc3/20260_1351357429396_1395205479_30986179_904766_n.j pg
This is my current setup. Yes, the woodland bandana is my own, I use it to keep wind and dust out of my face. And no, the faux-hawk isn't permanent.

[Associate289]

Sorry, Assoc. I keep getting you & Un4 mixed up, for some reason.

One of you's frustrated about his NG chain of command; the other's frustrated about his small male member. You can understand the confusion, can't you?

Well I'm frustrated about my small penis also.

And as far as all these different cammo patterns are concerned- I'm colorblind so you can all go fuck yourselves. Imagine every day being like a 1950's tv show. WELCOME TO MY WORLD....

[jmazz125]

Multicam is by far the best camo out there. I wasn't sold on it until I started using it here. It is absolutely amazing and I couldn't imagine going out with anything else. We've had the Kiowa pilots comment on how hard it was to spot our dismounts now. The colors blend in very well with where I'm at in Konar Province. I haven't seen UCP-D in action so I can't comment on it but it still looks like it's loaded with a lot of gray. Here's a picture of me, let me know if it works because I can't see attached photos when I'm on this computer. If it doesn't work I'll run down to the MWR and attach one.

BTW, I think our multicam plate carriers are going to be TPE.

[Skull6]

Looks kind of like a faded Dutch pattern.

& I would be happier if the "powers that be" would worry much less about finding a camo for a uni that "makes a statement for each branch of DoD" & MUCH more intelligence into finding one that works WELL for ALL.

For my short stint in AK, we were issued the "cold-weather surgical garments" to be worn duing the 11 winter months up there (at least it felt that long). But we also had to maintain the woodland BDUs in our kit as well. I wouldn't mind 2 (or maybe 3) different camo-types, if it meant y'all actually ended up with at least one that worked well wherever you're deployed. How say you?

P.S. Jmazz, I don't know if it was because of the rediculously large pic or not, but you were pretty easy to see in that one... :D

[tc23]

I feel the Army rushed into the ACU because they felt pressured by the marine corps advancement. Almost like a recruiting tool.

I'm almost sure there was some monetary reasons as well. There is no way a fail this large could honestly just get stamped through.

[tc23]

http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs212.snc3/21940_578515882639_26802059_33857938_4767793_n.jpg
A close-up pic of the UCP-D pattern, aka DirtyCam.
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs195.snc3/20260_1351357429396_1395205479_30986179_904766_n.j pg
This is my current setup. Yes, the woodland bandana is my own, I use it to keep wind and dust out of my face. And no, the faux-hawk isn't permanent.

It still belongs in a parking lot.

[jmazz125]

P.S. Jmazz, I don't know if it was because of the rediculously large pic or not, but you were pretty easy to see in that one... :D

Might be the rediculously large pic or the fact that it's a posed picture. I'll see if I have any action shots that show how well it works.

[CombatCady]

It still belongs in a parking lot.
I'm telling you, it works quite well in the mountainous terrain we're fighting in over here.

[Skull6]

I still claim that, were I to eat brussel sprouts & a peanut butter sandwich, I could puke out a similar camo pattern. ;)

[GIJared]

And the Army makes its decision...

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release ... seid=13311 (http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13311)

Multicam it is.

[Wes]

Ok... so I guess I won't be picking them up for my trip to Iraq this time around. Damn. I love Multicam.

[CombatCady]

I'm a fan. Either pattern they chose, I think would be fairly effective for Afghanistan. I'm just glad they made the decision to switch to something that should actually work.

[jujin]

Incase I missed it we'll still be wearing ACUs stateside and in Iraq right?

[airjun]

Not at your moms house though, there we will wear marpat.

[CombatCady]

Not at your moms house though, there we will wear marpat.
I don't know about you, but I'll be wearing camo face paint and a thin coat of CLP...

[Cerebroden]

his mom's house or your own?

[Sammy Sandbag]

I don't see why they would limit it to just Afghanistan. The UCP is terrible in Iraq, CONUS, and pretty much everywhere except gravel pits. It's pretty disheartening to be able to spot our own troops very easily from the air, but not the Iraqis who are wearing our DCU hand-me-downs.

[Jake the Skillet]

Maybe DoD thinks that Gravelstan is our biggest threat

[CombatCady]

Maybe DoD thinks that Gravelstan is our biggest threat
You don't? I've seen those Gravelstanians, man. They've all got a wild look in their eyes.

[TheTokenGook]

Gravelstan or Grandmascouchistan? I'm pretty sure we've all seen the photo of ACUs being tested for the latter.

[jujin]

Not at your moms house though, there we will wear marpat.
I don't know about you, but I'll be wearing camo face paint and a thin coat of CLP...

I've actually heard that CLP is a more than adequate replacement for astroglide so grats for being on the right track. ::roger::


I don't see why they would limit it to just Afghanistan. The UCP is terrible in Iraq, CONUS, and pretty much everywhere except gravel pits. It's pretty disheartening to be able to spot our own troops very easily from the air, but not the Iraqis who are wearing our DCU hand-me-downs.

Yea the only thing ACUs blend into is other ACUs. I'm still unsure though because the amount of money and revisions the Army has put into ACUs makes me think twice when I hear they're doing a complete revamp and switching to multicam... that's why I assumed it was just in A-Stan. Hopefully you're right though. Sucks though that all the uniforms and ACU gear I've bought is going to be outdated.

[Skull6]

Jujin, I don't want to hear it. My kids are now thinking that wearing my old Olive Drabs (yes, I AM "that old.") is "cool"--again.

[stingray185]

Jujin, I don't want to hear it. My kids are now thinking that wearing my old Olive Drabs (yes, I AM "that old.") is "cool"--again.

Damn that is old. I am only "BDU old".

[CombatCady]

I've got a pair of my father's old olive drabs kicking around somewhere. XVIII Airborne Corps "pukin' dragon" patch and all.

[jujin]

Jujin, I don't want to hear it. My kids are now thinking that wearing my old Olive Drabs (yes, I AM "that old.") is "cool"--again.

Haha Touché... Granted I was in ROTC when they still used BDUs but ACUs were fully phased in when I commissioned.

[I274]

found this article in case you missed it.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/08/army_combatgear_080810w/

[cadet_scotto]

Just got ours this week... I like them! They look a lot like the Italians' uniforms.

[I274]

The HULC -- now we'll be cyborg Soldiers!

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/08/universal-load-carrier-081410w/

[Jake the Skillet]

I read that and the nerdy engineer side of me wants to see one in real life.

[TheTokenGook]

The HULC -- now we'll be cyborg Soldiers!

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/08/universal-load-carrier-081410w/

Wow. Soon soldiers will be like an army of ants: running fast while carrying a bunch of shit on their back

[Skull6]

Everything that robot leg thing does revolves around the legs. I foresee alot more compressed disk issues in its future.

[Skull6]

Wow. Soon soldiers will be like an army of ants: running fast while carrying EVEN MORE shit on their back

Thought I'd make this quote reflect reality more precisely there, TG. :D

[Admin]

Army to test Marine camo (http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/12/marine-marpat-camo-army-122810w/)

The Army is moving to replace its combat uniforms, and will test variants of the Corps’ popular Marine Pattern camouflage in the process.

[Sammy Sandbag]

Army to test Marine camo (http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/12/marine-marpat-camo-army-122810w/)

The Army is moving to replace its combat uniforms, and will test variants of the Corps’ popular Marine Pattern camouflage in the process.


The Corps owns the rights to MARPAT and wants to retain it for its own use, said Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent, the Corps’ top enlisted Marine. However, Marine officials are open to other services researching and testing MARPAT, as long as the uniforms they field are different enough to distinguish Marines from other service members on the battlefield.

“The main concern for the Marine Corps when it comes to other services testing our patterns is that they don’t exactly mimic them,” Kent said. “The MARPAT design is proprietary, and it’s important those designs are reserved for Marines. We just need to make sure each of our designs is unique to each service.”

That's the same asinine thinking that led to all the services wearing different uniform patterns in the first place. The level of stupidity throughout this process is simply astounding. Blue camouflage for the Navy, but if they serve anywhere that requires actual camouflage, they end up wearing MARPAT. Air Force tigerstripes on an otherwise unchanged BDU, with no improved utility. Army ACU with enough velcro to get soldiers trapped inside a velcro tent (BTDT) and a UCP that is in fact "universal" in that it doesn't work well anywhere (unless you happen to be conducting ops in a gravel pit.) Not to mention JTACs and other AF types inbeded with Army end up wearing ACUs. Unit patches that end up costing three times as much as their sew-on predecessors, and quickly look like shit. Fancy moisture wicking undergarments that are eventually replaced by old-fashioned cotton so Soldiers aren't shrink wrapped in a vehicle fire. SF types end up wearing DCUs or Multi-Cam. All this costing the tax payer more, and making Joe more of a target. Who is the idiot running this?

[Wes]

All soldiers need to go to Multi-Cam. I know the Rangers have their own version, which is fine. But Big Army just needs to jump to Multi-Cam and stick with it.

The velcro shit needs to go away. If they want to keep the collar and the front with the zipper, ok. Everything else including badges need to go back to sewn on.

[Ezmartini]

Wait, so the Marines want to restrict their uniforms just out of pride? They don't care if G.I. Johnny gets shot because his grey uniform sticks out like a sore thumb...

[Associate289]

Sgt Maj Kent can go suck a dick. How about the next time the Army develops a tank, we pull the same shit? You can mimic it, but it can't be the same thing. Ours needs to have better survivability. Fucking idiots.

[Jake the Skillet]

I hear that, Sgt Maj Kent, you are a tool, and are now added to my long list of worthless E-9s that I know....

[TheTokenGook]

The AF is going to start issuing the OCP (Multi Cam?) to Airmen deployed in Afghanistan.

AF.mil (http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123240205)

[airjun]

Budget cuts we will be going to one single uniform soon enough. Hurray

[kleinmi3]

We were going to get them. But the powers that be argued so long on whether or not that we should get them and have them fielded that we missed the deadline by a few days....which I'm completely okay with because it's an "OEF Pattern" anyways, so we have to turn them in when we get home. I'm glad it's one less thing that I have to carry home. I could probably deploy with one A bag and an Assault Pack. Instead, I end up leaving with an A Bag, B Bag and C Bag, Ruck Sack, Assault Pack, Computer bag and a whole bunch of other useless crap.

[GIJared]

I'm supposed to get them, but get this: We're still required to bring a set of ACU's. Why? For R&R. We're bringing an entire uniform simply to wear on the plane. Thank you SGM's.

[Sammy Sandbag]

Just when I thought some common sense was being injected... How about this: just stop production of the UCP, and replace it with whatever they are calling the new stuff. Give the old shit to the Iraqis like we've been doing already. Have a phase out period for the ACU, like when we went from BDUs. I really don't see what's so hard about this. What's so wrong with having Soldiers wearing a different uniform CONUS. How many years did we go with tan boots and woodland camo. Hell until I got RFI in 2008, I was wearing ACUs, a woodland camo IBA, and a DCU pattern ACH cover. I'm sure it's probably money related, some ridiculous contract the gubment signed with the license holders of UCP that we can't get out of.

[airjun]

uhh you want to hear wasteful we have to turn all this Multi cam in when we leave theater so that the Army can probably burn it because they're not going to re-issue out these uniforms.