4th ID Deployment Iraq 06 - I'm looking for information on which uniforms were issued and when. Can you help fill in the details?

2019-02-15T22:12:02-05:00

Please see the attached picture. For the 06 deployment there was a lot of camouflage variation seen. This was the transition time period when DCU was being phased out for UCP which is understandable. What was the guidance for wearing or being issued DCU vs UCP camo? Were you still authorized to wear DCUs if you were issued them on previous deployments? Was there a point at which UCP pattern was the only authorized uniform?

Response by CW3 Matt Hutchason made Feb 15 at 2019 10:39 PM

2019-02-15T22:39:47-05:00

I was in aviation and during my first deployment, we wore solid tan (or whatever color it was). If I recall correctly, the grunts wore tan BDU’s that had the desert camouflage print on them. Don’t quote me, because I may be wrong.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 15 at 2019 11:01 PM

2019-02-15T23:01:33-05:00

I was in 4ID. I think the issue is that CIF at Hood/Carson issued ACUs prior to our deployment. The CIF at Camp Burehing and Camp Arifjan issued an assortment of uniforms.

Response by 2LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2019 11:18 AM

2019-02-16T11:18:07-05:00

I deployed Sep 06 - Sep 07. We were issued ACU's and expected to wear them. When we arrived in Iraq we were issued used tan coveralls, turned in by the previous unit, and told we had to use them for all our route clearance missions, this didn't last.
The guys who had deployed previously and had DCU were not authorized.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 16 at 2019 1:34 PM

2019-02-16T13:34:54-05:00

I got ACUs and DCUs in 2005 for an upcoming deployment. I was 4th Bde, 4th ID which we left in December of 2005 for Iraq. We were allowed to wear both uniforms as we pleased.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 17 at 2019 12:38 AM

2019-02-17T00:38:30-05:00

That photo brings back memories, I remember the transition between DCU and ACU/UCP like a horrible nightmare. Especially the mixing of uniforms and how awful it looked next to Marine uniforms. I wasn't in the 4th ID but I did deploy from Aug 2004 to Jan 2006 and we were NOT allowed to DX our DCU for ACU/UCPs. However, we were allowed to continue wearing our DCUs for 2005. Those that stayed behind during the transition in 2006 with the next unit had to buy ACUs from the PX trailer at LSA Anaconda. Note, they were still allowed to wear their DCU IBA and green colored TA-50. Hah!

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made Feb 17 at 2019 1:32 PM

2019-02-17T13:32:24-05:00

I may be able to provide some insight.

My National Guard unit was mobilized in August 2005 and sent to our mob station at Ft. Dix, NJ. When mobilized we all had the 3 color Desert Combat Uniform (DCU). While at Dix, we were issued the then new ACU uniform, however, they did not have enough of the ACUs in stock to fully outfit my unit so we deployed to Iraq wearing the DCUs and keeping our ACUs in our duffle bags.

When we arrived in Iraq in October 2005, almost all the other American troops were in DCUs. As time went by, old units with the DCUs rotated out and were replaced by new units with the ACUs rotated in.
Roughly half way through the deployment (about March 2006 - maybe a little earlier) we were issued the remainder of the ACUs and wore them for the remainder of the deployment.

As for me, I had an office job but had to pull a day guarding Third Country Nationals (TCNs) every two weeks. I wore the old DCUs for the guard details because I thought they were slightly more comfortable to wear and they matched my DCU armor vest. By the time were returned to the US in September 2006, almost no one in the US Army in Iraq was wearing DCUs.

I hope that helps.