REQ: US Desert Night Camoflage in use in Afghanistan?

[NiNjA!]

I believe that I have seen photos (maybe only one) of US Special Forces Operatives wearing the disscontinued US Night Camoflage during the "2001 and on" operations.

I have done a quick scan through most of the related threads but I ended up empty handed.

Is my memory playing tricks on me or does anyone have a pic/source on this?

Best Regards,
Martin

[BadKarma26]

my dad has a pair of those pants from when he was in the Gulf in 91. they look pretty cool

[NiNjA!]

Yes, it's still very much possible to get your hands on a parka or a pair of trousers.

However, the original idea of the uniform was to counter gen 2 night vision equipment, but the camoflage wasn't as effective as people had hoped, and has therefore not issued since 1995. This according to kamoflage.net.

http://www.kamouflage.net/camouflage/en_00160.php

However, I am pretty shure I have seen a Green Berret use one of there parkas during operations if Afghanistan.

[SHAM]

First seen during the First Gulf War, U.S. Night Camouflage, Desert, is an unusual camouflage, to say the least. This two-colour pattern, which features a dark green grid and small, irregular clumps of dots on a light green background, and was apparently designed to produce an interference pattern that would interrupt the pixelised images produced by first-generation night vision devices.
However, there is every reason to believe that U.S. Night Camouflage, Desert, was a spectacular failure. A United States Marine Corps (abbrev. U.S.M.C.) scout/sniper section, stationed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the commencement of Operation Desert Shield, allegedly conducted some informal experiments, to determine whether or not the grid pattern worked as claimed. The tests were conducted using parka shells and overpants patterned in U.S. Night Camouflage, Desert, U.S. six-color desert camouflage pattern uniforms and winter white oversuits. The experiment was conducted on two separate nights — one completely overcast and the other clear and moonlit. Observers used the naked eye, AN/PVS-4 individual weapons night-sights, AN/PVS-5 night vision goggles, and an infrared TOW missile sight.
The experiment found that U.S. Night Camouflage, Desert, actually increased the chance of a soldier being observed, when viewed through any night vision system. The only circumstances under which it did not assist the observers was on the overcast night, when observed with the naked eye.
Surprisingly, the 'winter overwhites' performed extremely well on both nights, when observed with the AN/PVS-4 and AN/PVS-5 night vision systems. However, the only way to avoid detection, when observed through the infrared TOW missile sight was to wrap one's self in a quality 'space blanket'.

[mattnwnc03]

when i was gw1 , i just used the parka. it had a liner, most of didnt pack for cold weather over there.in all our stupidity we packed for scorching hot weather. then when november rolled around we were hating life, begging family back home to send us cold weather gear. the trousers i never used, i think i seen one guy in our company wear the trousers.

[freedomofold]

Found this in the "New Iraqi Army Thread"

Check out the boats pilot.

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/6025/061023n5319a095or5.jpg

[NiNjA!]

Sweet, thanks alot!

Keep em comming if you got em! p-)

[Wilco]

My Dad has a parka that is still holding up.

[The_Dude]

The only Pic I found of Night Desert in Iraq(or Astan) nowadays is this:

http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/3328/nightdesertzf6.th.jpg (http://img383.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nightdesertzf6.jpg)

[Area Denial]

Those night desert parkas with the field jacket liner help alot on a cold desert night. I've also seen reversible goretexes with the DCU pattern and the night desert pattern as well. The only guys I've seen sporting the night desert stuff were the old timers or guys who picked one up from a surplus store.

[2/1kiwi]

saw some guys wearing them in Bagram dunno what unit, thay were the 3 colour desert reversible type

[AFCOP]

I wore the parka/trench coat when I was in DS. It kept my ass warm when winter rolled around. I will always remember the nights of walking at the bottom of the wadi checking on LP/OP's and it feeling like I was walking in a friggin wind tummel, but that thing kept me really warm.....best piece of equipment I got over there.

Shout out to all the other DS vets who remember that jacket......hope all of you are holdin up good through the years.....hard to believe it's been 17 years man.

[dave81]

Time flies, eh? Sounds like it's about time to bust out the blue "American Legion"-style veteran's cap and/or wear the chocolate chip DCU top with medals pinned on, while getting drunk in public, and railing on about "if you weren't there shut your mouth".

Just kidding. We all get older, and boy does it suck sometimes.