US Army goes Multi Cam

[Stickman]

http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/



The US Army announced this morning that it will begin fielding Multicam ACUs to forces flowing into Afghanistan as soon as this summer.


Its about time, years of testing have brought Multi Cam to the top, and over and over its been ignored.

[chem_guy]

Could not agree more. Long, long, long overdue.

[Optimus Prime]

About time indeed.

[SDDuc996]

Already here. The "surge" personnel are already outfitted.

[Optimus Prime]

Already here. The "surge" personnel are already outfitted.

IIRC, they were field testing.

[Army Chief]

Great move, though I'm curious how extensively it will be fielded over time, given the fact that the only environment in which the ACU has really proven effective -- Iraq -- is rapidly transitioning into a waning campaign.

That's not to say that the Army will likely recognize the merits of using MultiCam outside of Afghanistan, given the associated costs of fielding a new uniform, but it does serve to make the selection of the ACU as a universal all-environments pattern that much more puzzling.

AC

[SDDuc996]

IIRC, they were field testing.

By "field testing" do you mean they are on the ground and outfitted? Because that's what's happening here.

Sure the GROM are walking around with them as well as the last ODA that was here. So far, it's been Army EOD I've seen wearing them as well here.

In BAF new units are arriving wearing them, but not all of them.

[tac40]

I helped pick multicam for our SWAT unit about 2 years ago, sorry Army

[Optimus Prime]

By "field testing" do you mean they are on the ground and outfitted? Because that's what's happening here.

Sure the GROM are walking around with them as well as the last ODA that was here. So far, it's been Army EOD I've seen wearing them as well here.

In BAF new units are arriving wearing them, but not all of them.

I was thinking of the 2-12 guys that were running around with several camo systems testing them out.

http://militarytimes.com/blogs/gearscout/2009/12/23/and-now-for-some-multicam-photos/

I know that some of the SF guys and whatnot have been using it for years already over there, but I hadn't heard of any large units (bigger than "squad" sized anyway) fielding it.

[Cameron]

New Zealand's SAS are using it in Afghanistan.

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac61/gstuffnow/Temp/3256727.jpg


Victoria Cross Winner Cpl Apiata 1NZ SAS

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac61/gstuffnow/Temp/3252962.jpg

[m24shooter]

Well maybe that ends the couch camo pattern.

[Optimus Prime]

Well maybe that ends the couch camo pattern.

Not quite yet... the only people getting Multicam are those going to Afghanistan, just like it used to be with DCUs and BDUs. Everybody else in the Army is still stuck with the original ACU pattern for now.
I am hoping that this is just the start of Multicam across the board though.

[motorolahamm]

New Zealand's SAS are using it in Afghanistan.

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac61/gstuffnow/Temp/3256727.jpg


Victoria Cross Winner Cpl Apiata 1NZ SAS

http://i886.photobucket.com/albums/ac61/gstuffnow/Temp/3252962.jpg

hey i think i have seen that guy in that movie braveheart

[Erok]

I wish they AF would ditch the abu and switcth to these

[TehLlama]

I really do think this quietly signals the end of the couch-blending ACU and ABU patterns.

They've succeeded in making the point of these stories 'new, shiny camo', instead of 'military finally disposes of crappiest camouflage ever devised'. They'll just slowly phase out everything not Multicam.

I'm wondering how the gucci-flage contigent will take this.
1. It will mean huge amounts of MultiCam gear being available
2. It also means that MC will no longer be the 'cool expensive' camo, since every soldier will likely have it.

[sneedb2]

I thought that the MARPAT camo patterns were well designed and implemented. Too bad the Army wasted money and time on the ACU, and now the AF also with the ABU.... Wonder what the AF will do instead of the ABU since they just adopted the pattern.....

I'm just hoping the Texas State Guard will adopt it state-wide, but I doubt it very seriously.

[Boston.Tacmedic]

Great move, though I'm curious how extensively it will be fielded over time, given the fact that the only environment in which the ACU has really proven effective -- Iraq -- is rapidly transitioning into a waning campaign.

That's not to say that the Army will likely recognize the merits of using MultiCam outside of Afghanistan, given the associated costs of fielding a new uniform, but it does serve to make the selection of the ACU as a universal all-environments pattern that much more puzzling.

AC

Wait my ACU was effective ? Why was I the last to know ?

[TehLlama]

You certainly weren't the last to know. A lot of the enemy haven't even gotten the memo yet ;)