Posted on Jun 8, 2014
Sgt AN/TRC-170 Technician
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I have heard many past service members saying that the tri colors was the best thing that had ever happened. Being a Marine I like the MARPAT design and would love to continue using it, but what do you think?
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SSG(P) Auston Terry
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MARPAT should never have been restricted to one branch in the first place. Branch specific combat uniforms are a mistake. It's my personal opinon that personell that don't actively enagage in manual tasks should wear a uniform more in line with what the Army calls Class B's but more towards what the USMC calls Service C's at least in part to encourage a sense of service identity without the branches feeling the need to have a branded combat/utility uniform especially in joint settings. Are those uniforms a total pain in the ass? Absolutely, they also build character, attention to detail, pride, and ownership; which is the foundation of discipline.

In regards to utility uniforms, off the shelf across most terrain spectrums the two CADPAT/MARPATs seem to be the best available choice, especially since there seems to be a serious color fastening issue with OCP. I'd really like to see a return to the four pocket front coat; with molle sewn onto basically every flat surface on your OCIE and the combat shirt which is actually designed to wear under body army instead of half assing it with the current coat. The fit and utility of the four pocket front in soft sided field conditions was excellent.
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MSG Martin C.
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I would say yes DOD needs to stop the madness. We should all take the punch in the gut and say USMC you were correct all along we were wrong......
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SSG(P) Auston Terry
SSG(P) Auston Terry
11 y
I think you meant to say the USMC was incorrect, The Marines lobbied to ensure no other service would utilize thier uniforms (except Corpsman of course). Desert MARPAT has consistantly tested at Natick above multicam in several environments. It's very likely that the Army would have simply adopted the MARPAT uniforms in the early 2000's if the USMC had not ensured they could not.
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Sgt National Military Recruiting Program Manager
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I certainly think there is value in allowing the enemy to identify (or fear) the opposing force that they are fighting. Every military unit has done this throughout history. We don't fly colors in battle anymore, so we have to identify somehow.

HOWEVER, I don't think that every branch required their own camouflage...or camouflage at all (USAF and Navy). Aside from those who would be operating in such conditions, i.e. Navy Corpsman or Air Force Controller...etc. But to design, develop and equip all of that specialized camo for a majority of the military who will never go outside the wire, was ridiculous.
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Sgt Matthew O'Donnell
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USMC does have the best looking uniforms
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SFC Network Engineer
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In the 1980's, the military went to a single camoflage pattern for all branches - known as BDUs (Battle Dress Uniform) and it had the Woodland pattern.

Every branch was required to wear it for field or deployment operations.

The reason for this was 1st) We thought we were going to fight the final war against the USSR in the late 80's. The plan was that this battle would be so fierce, and so destructive, that people would get separated from their units, and wind up with other units, branches, or even other NATO allied countries forces.

If a Soldier was separated from his parent unit, he could go to that unit supply, and get new uniforms in the same pattern he's currently wearing.

Since then, that didn't happen, and we fought two wars in the deserts of Iraq, and one in Afghanistan. Woodland patterns weren't going to cut it there, so branches decided to design their own patterns that in theory allowed them to "hide" better in the terrain they expected to operate in.

Ultimately, I think that each branch should continue to develop their own patterns. I think SOF should go further and have their own gear and patterns too.
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MSG(P) Michael Warrick
MSG(P) Michael Warrick
>1 y
For cost saving I believe we should just have one uniform. I just want the Army to stop changing uniforms all the time.
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SrA Plane Captain
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At the end of the day, Congress voted in October that the US Military has to adopt just one camouflage uniform and it had to be enforced by 2018.
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SrA Plane Captain
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Will it save the military money? Will we become more efficient if we had one uniform? And the answer is? NO. I can say it is motivating that each branch has its own camouflage. When I see all my fellow Air Men in ABU's I get excited. When I see other branches in camouflage I want to work harder and be harder to show how the Air Force does things.
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LTC Paul Labrador
LTC Paul Labrador
11 y
It absolutely would save the military money. Purchasing uniforms in different patterns costs money. The bigger issue is that purching GEAR in different patterns costs even MORE money. And the logistics of having to maintain seperate pipelines for each different uniform pattern is expensive as well. Merging those pipelines into a single one also makes logistics more efficient, particularly downrange.
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Sgt Apprentice Security Policeman
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we all do the same job so yes one pattern for one country.
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MSgt Command Equipment Manager
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I know right now the Air Force has stated that all Airmen deployed will go to the OCP multicam like the Army. I actually prefer those over the ABUs any day.
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Sgt AN/TRC-170 Technician
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>1 y
For what reason(s) if I may ask?
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MSgt Command Equipment Manager
MSgt (Join to see)
>1 y
They are comfortable. Less bulky. Lighter weight. The only problem is how fast they fade in the sun though compared to the ABU, but I can get over that compared to the other pros.
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CPT Senior Instructor
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I think the Army is following the Marines with this situation. The army is developing a family of camo patterns that will be used for uniforms. I understand that they will use the same pattern with three color variations. I think it is a bit funny how some completely disagree with one pattern for all branches. I have been in the military a while and I had BDUs as did every other branch in the military. It was that way for a while. The style of the uniform for the Marines were different, i.e. hat and the EDA in the pattern, but it was all the same for everyone.
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Sgt AN/TRC-170 Technician
Sgt (Join to see)
>1 y
If you had the overall say on what the universal patter should be, which would you choose sir?
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