Got my ACU......why?

[Violence Of Action]

Got ACU's this weekend, its actually really comfy, im suprised i dont hate it completely, it was good to wear something new, but i figured out why its sucks so badly in the field......the people who designed it never spent a day out of their office, the uniform is comfortable and nothing more, it has a space for pens for christs sake! how the hell did it get accepted as a COMBAT uniform, theres not a damn thing about it, except the pockets, that is practical in the field, and even then, you have to tear at the pockets like a wild man, i'm geussing they've poured too many millions of dollars to turn back now but i think this whole thing is a gi-frickin-gantic mistake

[rokdoc]

You are partially correct, except Natick didn't come up with the pen pocket. That was an end user request, just like the calf pockets and the no-sew on insignia.
The concept uniform was made by a little old lady, with a set of sketches from some guys at the same post you say you're at.


You know what's really nice about it? You don't have to like it, you just have to wear it.

[usm2b]

Atleast Marpat works.

[maple.leaf]

Yeah - supposedly it was "designed by the troops" (in fact the Army propaganda machine has made a really big deal about this). But ya gotta wonder how many combat arms troops really asked for that pens pocket on the front part of the sleeve, or that calf pocket??? Neither one of which is worth a damn in the field.

I think its more likely that the majority of "troops" who responded to the surveys were just REMFs with lots of time on their hands, and not a lot of sense in their heads.

[SAPPEROIF]

Yeah - supposedly it was "designed by the troops" (in fact the Army propaganda machine has made a really big deal about this). But ya gotta wonder how many combat arms troops really asked for that pens pocket on the front part of the sleeve, or that calf pocket??? Neither one of which is worth a damn in the field.

I think its more likely that the majority of "troops" who responded to the surveys were just REMFs with lots of time on their hands, and not a lot of sense in their heads.

Actually if I recall..the "troops" in question were all SBCT out of Ft. Lews weren't they...should have had a big open email or something for soldiers to respond to.

[Beppo]

Well the calf pocket is handy when you're in a tight vehicle in full gear with IBA/Kevlar and not a lot of space to move around, but need to have quick access to something small, be it a knife, a camera, a snack, a flashlight, etc.

[StukaJr]

Well the calf pocket is handy when you're in a tight vehicle in full gear with IBA/Kevlar and not a lot of space to move around, but need to have quick access to something small, be it a knife, a camera, a snack, a flashlight, etc.

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/image.php?u=11663&dateline=1136593999

... or a creme filled double chocholate deep fried doughnut

[ERASERHEAD]

http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/image.php?u=11663&dateline=1136593999

" ... or a creme filled double chocholate deep fried doughnut "


rofl

[Major Maxillary]

Atleast Marpat works.

My father sent me an ACUPAT watchband, I set it on the table, now I can't find it.

[Beppo]

... or a creme filled double chocolate deep fried doughnutNot quite. Bakery items are a good choice to carry in your uniform (unlike candy bars which melt), but everyone knows you can't put any kind of "filled" goodies in your pockets; they get squished.

[usm2b]

My father sent me an ACUPAT watchband, I set it on the table, now I can't find it.

you'll never find it, and there's nobody to get mad at but yourself.

[Major Maxillary]

Yeah. Damn the Army and it's superior camoflauge!

[Gianni7476]

You know what's really nice about it? You don't have to like it, you just have to wear it.

I like this one. It's the way the army works. :)

[rokdoc]

Actually if I recall..the "troops" in question were all SBCT out of Ft. Lews weren't they...should have had a big open email or something for soldiers to respond to.



There were five seperate wear tests of concept uniforms. Some were SBCT1 or whatever, some were here at Natick, some were a limited fielding to 173ABN, some were at Bragg, and some were/are at Bliss.

As far as the "big open email", I'm betting 90% of you read the articles in Army Times and PM magazine or saw the commercials on AFN and either didn't think your idea was worth sending in, or you just ignored them.(There was an email address, an online poll, and a mailing address.) I'm also willing to bet that you guys all ignored the first few threads on AKO forums soliciting opinions from all Soldiers.

Everyone always seems to think they can do something better, but very few people ever actually bother to do it.

[panzerjager]

I suppose Violence Of Action is a big fan of the BDU chest pockets that are useless either with body armor or in garrison?

[StukaJr]

Not quite. Bakery items are a good choice to carry in your uniform (unlike candy bars which melt), but everyone knows you can't put any kind of "filled" goodies in your pockets; they get squished.

Certainly not in the calf pocket and not when sitting down - just couldn't resist with your avatar pic... I'm sure that kid uses his numerous pockets just for that.

[lt tahoe]

As for the pen pockets--maybe joe doesn't usually need them, but anyone in a command position can use them, particuarly if you're operating mounted. Ever seen CVC coveralls or flightsuits? They have them. Same with the calf pockets--you don't get it until you're sitting in a vehicle geared up, and then it suddenly makes sense.

[SAPPEROIF]

There were five seperate wear tests of concept uniforms. Some were SBCT1 or whatever, some were here at Natick, some were a limited fielding to 173ABN, some were at Bragg, and some were/are at Bliss.

As far as the "big open email", I'm betting 90% of you read the articles in Army Times and PM magazine or saw the commercials on AFN and either didn't think your idea was worth sending in, or you just ignored them.(There was an email address, an online poll, and a mailing address.) I'm also willing to bet that you guys all ignored the first few threads on AKO forums soliciting opinions from all Soldiers.

Everyone always seems to think they can do something better, but very few people ever actually bother to do it.

I don't ever recall seeing that on AKO. Had I, you bet I would been emailing. I did see it in the Army times though yeah.

Well we will see how they do. Mine seem comfortable. A few of my buds are saying tehy tear up easy over in the box and I'm curious how long the velcro and zippers will last..and the pin on badges? Yeah bla bla bla its for combat so no badges are needed..but come on we all know how people like to display what they have earned..should make some velcro areas for them. Using pin-on will destroy/wear the material faster.

[Violence Of Action]

I suppose Violence Of Action is a big fan of the BDU chest pockets that are useless either with body armor or in garrison?


i really cant think of more than one or two instances ive ever used the chest pockets, nothing was wrong with them except they were unaccessible while wearing armor, i think the velcro pockets are harder to get into and they certainly are alot louder. there are only a few units that need to be "stealthy", most of our soldiers are quite visible wherever they are, regardless of what camo they're wearing, but they didnt need to disregard the concept of silence as they seem to have done

havent used the calf pockets yet, i havent been in the field with the ACU, but i'm sure they'll come in handy, i just dont think anything was wrong with the BDU and DCU, at the least the DCU seems to work better overseas and they should keep issuing that uniform to soldiers deploying, the jack of all trades concept doesnt work, yeah we have to wear it, but it doesnt means it benefits us in any damn way.

oh and i'm not stationed at bragg, im in the guard while i finish school, i live in fayetteville/bragg and hope to join the 82nd

[Violence Of Action]

when would the e-mail thing have been on ako, i havent seen anything requesting feedback from soldiers on ako or in the army times, but ive been seeing plenty of negative feedback in the army times letters section, maybe the movers in this program dont read it

[rokdoc]

PM me. I'll look for the info you want, the page might be archived someplace online.

[Violence Of Action]

PM me. I'll look for the info you want, the page might be archived someplace online.

i dont need to see it to believe it, its not important enough to look anything up either, not like anything will change now

[Major Maxillary]

i really cant think of more than one or two instances ive ever used the chest pockets, nothing was wrong with them except they were unaccessible while wearing armor,



Did you try opening up the vest before reaching for the pockets?

[Beppo]

Did you try opening up the vest before reaching for the pockets?
I did once, to pull out a pen. But then that bullet hit me in the chest, and that's when I realized it wasn't a good idea to open up my vest while in a combat zone.

[venom]

those pen pockets are actually for chem-lights, as far as I remember

[Major Maxillary]

I did once, to pull out a pen. But then that bullet hit me in the chest, and that's when I realized it wasn't a good idea to open up my vest while in a combat zone.
What were you doing opening your vest in plain view of the enemy? also, that's why the ACU has that pen pocket on the sleve!

[Son_Of_Suvorov]

Not quite. Bakery items are a good choice to carry in your uniform (unlike candy bars which melt), but everyone knows you can't put any kind of "filled" goodies in your pockets; they get squished.

What they don't tell you is that real high-speed operators use little fiberglass-reinforced plastic boxes (http://www.caves.org/imo/container.htm) with "stainless steel piano-hinges, silicone o-ring seals, and cam-lock closures" to store their cream-filled donuts, Belgian cream puffs, eclairs or Tactical Twinkies while out on patrol deep behind enemy lines, hundreds of miles away from the nearest Dunkin Donuts or 7-11 and out of walking range of the fridge.

[rokdoc]

those pen pockets are actually for chem-lights, as far as I remember


Anyone found that only one of the pockets actually fits a chemlite?

[Violence Of Action]

Anyone found that only one of the pockets actually fits a chemlite?

I'll try that when i get home today, i dont think the pocket will fit them though. i can imagine someone in combat.....forget the bayonet, i have my paper mate ball-point! be afraid!

[rokdoc]

None of mine fit. Some don't even have room for a sharpie, which I do actually need in the field a lot. (patient marking)

[ArmyJonHall]

I like dedicated pen pouches. A good soldier always has pen & paper on him (in the Australian Army, anyway) and many a time I've gone to ****e only to have the damn pen stick me because it was floating loose in a leg pocket or normal pocket. Plus its always a hassle trying to dig around to find that damn pen when the pocket is full of muesli bars, field dressings, maps, and other assorted crap.

Why always carry pen & paper? So you can make up a field expedient range card, PW tags, record intel on an enemy sighting, record radio messages, make up a quick one-time pad for inter-section comms, keep navigation references, callsigns, record addresses, write up a quick post-patrol report, the list goes on.

The one thing I really, really like about the ACU is the high collar. With our body armour, the vest and sometimes our webbing rides up and grinds itself against the back of your neck, which isn't so bad after a short time, but after 8 hours it sends you mad.

The one thing I really, really hate about the ACU is the use of velcro on the pockets. If you need to get in them quietly, to get something to eat while in an ambush, for example, it will be practically impossible.

[Major Maxillary]

Me and a could other Guardsmen were joking about having to pee with them.

"I gotta take a quick leak, sir."

"Be quiet, or they'll hear us!"


*rrrriiip*

"mohammed, What what that!?"

"It sounded like velcro."

"It was nothing! I am a hedge! move along!"

[RandallH1989]

Hahahaha, it's funny because it's true.

[Violence Of Action]

Me and a could other Guardsmen were joking about having to pee with them.

"I gotta take a quick leak, sir."

"Be quiet, or they'll hear us!"


*rrrriiip*

"mohammed, What what that!?"

"It sounded like velcro."

"It was nothing! I am a hedge! move along!"


theres no velcro on the crotch, buttons

[Beppo]

Did you just call that guy "Buttons"? What a cute name.

[Violence Of Action]

buttons, haha, sounds like a rabbits name, you should keep it major

what i meant was the ACU bottoms have buttons instead of velcro on the crotch, i dont see why they couldnt help us all out and put a zipper there though, especially since they put one on the top

[Zvucni Efekti]

what i meant was the ACU bottoms have buttons instead of velcro on the crotch...

So the wearing if the ACU while intoxicated is out of the question...what use is it then? woot

[Violence Of Action]

So the wearing if the ACU while intoxicated is out of the question...what use is it then? woot


haha
well you could run around naked, debending on your ethnicity you might blend in well in certain desert environments

[Major Maxillary]

theres no velcro on the crotch, buttons


I know.



Buttons, I like that. I think I will keep it.

[Death.]

buttons, haha, sounds like a rabbits name, you should keep it major

what i meant was the ACU bottoms have buttons instead of velcro on the crotch, i dont see why they couldnt help us all out and put a zipper there though, especially since they put one on the top

Heh, my replicas have a zipper :D Alot better than buttons.....it doesnt break off or anything.

[venom]

how were your personal impressions of the sizing? did y'all stick to your old BDU sizes or take them a little bigger/longer?

oh and yeah, chemlights dont really fit..well..they do , but then the stiching loosens..atleast with mine.

[Violence Of Action]

i stuck to the original BDU sizing but my top seems a little big, i shouldve tried em on but i was in uniform when i went to get them plus there were thirty other guys and about 2 girls checking them out too, i geuss im stuck

[Pronto]

Question to those in the "States" I guess. What do you think about having this new uniform?
They are bringing in a new uniform... sort of similar from what you now have... to us Down Under. Only just started issuing down here to us, and not sure what to expect.

[Major Maxillary]

I like them, especially because of the kneepad pockets.

[Field_Gunner]

buttons are better than zippers, one I was running to my bats cp when I got there the gpo looked over at me said "Walker...your out of uniform!" not only had my fly fallen but my **** had fallen out of my boxers (old issued ones with the big opening) that happens every time I run (not the **** thing though) the zippers on our cadpat are crap

[Major Maxillary]

Hahahahahahaha!

[Beppo]

how were your personal impressions of the sizing? did y'all stick to your old BDU sizes or take them a little bigger/longer? I'm 6'1" and about 210 and I always get Large-Long BDU top and bottom...but the Large-Long ACU pants were a little too long for me, especially with that pocket on the calves, which wound up inside my boots with L-L ACU pants -- so for the first time in my life I'm wearing Large-Regular pants. The top seems fine, though, but it feels a little short (they're made to be worn that way, though).

By the way, the day I went to buy my ACUs, they were sold out of XL sand-colored ACU t-shirts, which REALLY f*cking pissed me off...I HATE HATE HATE when "normal"-sized folks buy "XL" clothes (be it shirts, shorts, pants, whatever) simply because they like that "baggy" look, leaving those of us who actually NEED XL clothing with empty shelves.

[Milla]

By the way, the day I went to buy my ACUs, they were sold out of XL sand-colored ACU t-shirts, which REALLY f*cking pissed me off...I HATE HATE HATE when "normal"-sized folks buy "XL" clothes (be it shirts, shorts, pants, whatever) simply because they like that "baggy" look, leaving those of us who actually NEED XL clothing with empty shelves.

F that, i hate wearing loose clothing. I like my skivvy shirts tight.

[Sabre]

I remember that there was a great deal of controversy surrounding the first issues of 'soldier 95' clothing over here in the UK. The first issue of 95 kit was deemed satisfactory by the MoD, but as soon as it arrived with the line units the boys were up in arms. The smocks were tough enough and fairly well designed, but the collars rubbed (still do, no change there). The main complaint was with the trousers and shirts. The material was far too lightweight and ripped if you even stood in a field with barbed wire fences. They were meant to be ripstop because the material was made around a mesh base, designed to give the clothes strength. All that happened though was that the polycotton fibres woven over the mesh just wore down, leaving blokes with knees and often entire backs of shirts just composed of this mesh!

Of course, we don't really have the 'pocket problem' you lot do. Our body armour is designed to be worn under the smock, so we can use our pockets as we would normally. Personally though, I find it irritating to have pockets on the arms. Our windproof smocks have both pen pockets and a field dressing pocket on the sleeves, but I find that these catch on your webbing when you are puting it on or off, especially if your wearing restrictive BA. It's extremely annoying when they catch on your bergen straps, especially if it's a heavy one! You end up being pulled to the ground and flapping around like an upturned beetle! Consequently, a lot of blokes transfer these pockets to the centre of the chest, using the pen pocket as a compass pocket. As for pens, I keep them with my notepad, one is quite useless without the other so it makes sense.

I also dislike having any kit in my trouser pockets. The only item I keep in them is my map in the left thigh pocket because it is easier to get at than inside my smock or elsewhere. I can't imagine that anything kept in a calf pocket will stand up to the punishment it will receive, or be at all comfortable. Imagine a knife tw*tting you in the calf/shin every step you take. That's fine for pilots who seldom run, crawl or wade through streams (unless they're lost between the bar and their billets), but not for an infantryman.

[Limeyfellow]

The smocks were tough enough and fairly well designed, but the collars rubbed (still do, no change there).

I hate it when those collars do that. Mine rubs something fierce and I end up having to use a neckgaitor to stop that chaving. Got to love all the damn pockets though on that thing. Its like a Mary Poppins bag.

[Catch22]

By the way, the day I went to buy my ACUs, they were sold out of XL sand-colored ACU t-shirts, which REALLY f*cking pissed me off...I HATE HATE HATE when "normal"-sized folks buy "XL" clothes (be it shirts, shorts, pants, whatever) simply because they like that "baggy" look, leaving those of us who actually NEED XL clothing with empty shelves.


Beppo, you just cracked me up when while reading this and I looked at the SF airsofter in your avatar...

[Beppo]

Huh? That's me in my avatar!

[AIRBORNEJOCK]

I remember that there was a great deal of controversy surrounding the first issues of 'soldier 95' clothing over here in the UK. The first issue of 95 kit was deemed satisfactory by the MoD, but as soon as it arrived with the line units the boys were up in arms. The smocks were tough enough and fairly well designed, but the collars rubbed (still do, no change there). The main complaint was with the trousers and shirts. The material was far too lightweight and ripped if you even stood in a field with barbed wire fences. They were meant to be ripstop because the material was made around a mesh base, designed to give the clothes strength. All that happened though was that the polycotton fibres woven over the mesh just wore down, leaving blokes with knees and often entire backs of shirts just composed of this mesh!

Of course, we don't really have the 'pocket problem' you lot do. Our body armour is designed to be worn under the smock, so we can use our pockets as we would normally. Personally though, I find it irritating to have pockets on the arms. Our windproof smocks have both pen pockets and a field dressing pocket on the sleeves, but I find that these catch on your webbing when you are puting it on or off, especially if your wearing restrictive BA. It's extremely annoying when they catch on your bergen straps, especially if it's a heavy one! You end up being pulled to the ground and flapping around like an upturned beetle! Consequently, a lot of blokes transfer these pockets to the centre of the chest, using the pen pocket as a compass pocket. As for pens, I keep them with my notepad, one is quite useless without the other so it makes sense.

I also dislike having any kit in my trouser pockets. The only item I keep in them is my map in the left thigh pocket because it is easier to get at than inside my smock or elsewhere. I can't imagine that anything kept in a calf pocket will stand up to the punishment it will receive, or be at all comfortable. Imagine a knife tw*tting you in the calf/shin every step you take. That's fine for pilots who seldom run, crawl or wade through streams (unless they're lost between the bar and their billets), but not for an infantryman.

its no wonder we called the first issues windows 95 instead of soldier 95.why didnt the test guys just go down to brecon see everyone wheres the old jungles,windproof smocks and lowa boots-kit problem sorted.

[AIRBORNEJOCK]

Huh? That's me in my avatar!

when you said "in a tight fit in a vehicle" are there any vehicles other than c130s you get in that arent tight?judging by your pic not many me thinks.
what do you do in the army?

[Beppo]

I guard the mess hall, why?

[Sabre]

Yeah, heaven forbid that the MoD actually talk to soldiers before deciding what to buy...


EDIT: Carry on Beppo...

[tahoe]

I guard the mess hall, why?


Classic... ;)

Sabre--as noted, remember where many of these uniforms are being worn these days. IT seems to me this was very much designed to fit the current conflict, which isn't ending any time soon. As such, the camo works fairly well in arid and urban environments; and they are designed around a lot of mounted patrolling.

[maple.leaf]

I guard the mess hall, why?

That's okay - they've got a 3-star general in charge of the coffee shop at this base.

http://www.arrc.nato.int/update/2005/images/arrc09_hr.jpg