$5Billion CAMO SNAFU

[Snaquebite]

I knew they were spending a ton of money researching camo...but $5 BILLION?

http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/06...ge-fiasco-1-5/

[Dusty]

“It got into political hands before the soldiers ever got the uniforms,” said Cheryl Stewardson, a textile technologist at the Army research center in Natick, Mass., where most of the armed forces camouflage patterns are made.

[Richard]

Makes me glad I was of the OG-107 jungle fatigues era at $25 per set.

Richard

[bubba]

Small piece of trivia.... ERDL (the original woodland) was developed around 1948ish. The military only issued it to recon units in RVN because they knew then that it was only marginally better than OD green. Camo uniforms are more about morale than hiding soldiers...... Wear what the indig are wearing and issue non-special folks green or tan to save cash.......

Originally Posted by Richard

Makes me glad I was of the OG-107 jungle fatigues era at $25 per set.

Richard

They were great, especially the 5 sets of Type 1's that I sold on ebay for $500 - 600 a pop!

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by WCH

They were great, especially the 5 sets of Type 1's that I sold on ebay for $500 - 600 a pop!

I donated all mine to the Salvation Army in the 80t's. Guess I missed an opportunity??

[Streck-Fu]

LOL....but sad....

It’s worth noting that, flawed as it was, the universal pattern did solve the problem of mismatched gear, said Eric Graves, editor of the military gear publication Soldier Systems Daily, adding that the pattern also gave soldiers a new-looking uniform that clearly identified the Army brand.

“Brand identity trumped camouflage utility,” Graves said. “That’s what this really comes down to: ‘We can’t allow the Marine Corps to look more cool than the Army.’ ”

[aegisnavy]

Brand identity? Good Lord. I'm not naive enough to think that each branch doesn't wants to have pride in their unique appearance, but letting brand identity trump soldier survivability is just plain wrong.

[Sigaba]

Tactical Gear and Military Clothing News, a blog, has posted a reply to the article linked in the OP, as well as other published reports that are critical of the UCP pattern and the process by which it was developed. Source is "here."

Top Ten Inaccuracies in UCP Camouflage Reporting

We have taken great strides to cover the US Army Camouflage Improvement Effort with complete accuracy to the facts presented by PEO Soldier, Natick Soldier Systems, associated departments, and reputable media outlets with solid sources. However, the mainstream media outside the defense industry has taken the story and ran with it presenting a vast array of misleading headlines and blatant inaccuracies similar to what you would see in some goofy forum post that has gone off the rails.

While the history of the Universal Camouflage Pattern is murky from the omission of certain key factors leading to its adoption by the Army as the central means of concealment, there are plenty of facts on record to get the story straight and not turn assumptions into absolute policy. These articles are already being quoted in Wikipedia, which is always suspect as an information resource, but is also at the top of any search results given the legitimacy heaped on it by the masses.

We have taken a total of ten headlines or claims that we found lacking in accuracy or substance given the actual information that is available and explain why we feel it is misleading or downright wrong in respect to the overall conversation as to what the US Army did or is trying to do in regard to their camouflage improvement efforts.

<<SNIP>>

4. $5 Billion Camo SNAFU

In hindsight the camouflage developed and given the moniker UCP has turned into a literal joke. It has proven ineffective in testing. Nonetheless uniforms and gear in the camouflage cost money. This is a sunk cost which has gone to good use. Even if it has not provided proper concealment, there is still utility in the wear of the uniform. MultiCam has proven to be an effective pattern in Afghanistan and if it was originally chosen over UCP, the Army could have decided to opt for different camouflage patterns anyway to meet the needs of multiple environments. This is what they are doing with the latest solicitation.

If they were not going by the criteria to find different patterns for multiple environments, the decision would be a simple switch to MultiCam, which already has plenty of funding invested. Obviously you can't go back in time and kill this ugly butterfly, but to throw out a $5 Billion dollar figure as being a complete waste is quite inflammatory, especially when the Department of Defense has plenty of other projects that are burning cash to keep the Pentagon warm. In the scheme of things $5 Billion is a drop in the bucket for a force of over 1 Million when you include the National Guard and Reserve.

<<SNIP>>

We guess the moral to this story is to stick with reputable defense industry news sources when it comes to getting your information on camouflage developments. We try to bring forth worthwhile topics in this regard along with factual information. We find Soldier Systems Daily, Strike-Hold!, and Kitup! to be the best in making sure they get their facts straight before reporting any details.

<<SNIP>>

In other words, $5 billion is not a big deal because soldiers wearing camouflage uniforms with a pattern that does not make them significantly more concealable is better than soldiers not wearing any uniforms at all, and, the Pentagon has wasted money on more expensive projects.

[mark46th]

I have a set of Jungle Camo fatigues from the the 46th Co., w/ embroidered Thai Jump Wings. They don't quite fit these days...

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by mark46th

I have a pair of Jungle Camo fatigues from the the 46th Co., w/ embroidered Thai Jump Wings. They don't quite fit these days...

It's amazing how those things shrink while just hanging there... along with wetsuits.

[SF18C]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

It's amazing how those things shrink while just hanging there... along with wetsuits.

Funny how the boots still fit though!

[TOMAHAWK9521]

Originally Posted by Richard

Makes me glad I was of the OG-107 jungle fatigues era at $25 per set.

Richard

I still have one of my original, first issue, tops from back in the 80's. I never wore it so it is still in mint condition. Funny thing, though. It seems to have shrunk because I can't button it closed.

[Shalashaska]

You know they have optical camo that makes you practically invisible. I bet that is factored into the budget too, but people don't think about that. This is why I am best I think way outside the box. I am also very well informed. I need to get selected already lol.

Congratulations! You made selection - you've been selected to return to the world of Wii-warriors. Stay safe. Richard

[SF-TX]

Originally Posted by Shalashaska

You know they have optical camo that makes you practically invisible. I bet that is factored into the budget too, but people don't think about that. This is why I am best I think way outside the box. I am also very well informed. I need to get selected already lol.

You are not a very clever troll.