New US Air Force BDU's

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2003-10-05 05:59am

http://www.military.com/NewsContent?file=usaf1_080703

They're just jealous of the USMC getting new uniforms.

Primary reasons why the USMC adopted new cammies

1. Old cammies lacked pockets ideal for field use

2. Old cammies were ill fitting and did not lend themselves to the USMC in the field

3. Cammo pattern increases marine survivability.

Number 3 is also why it was not distributed to other services. It is ideal for short range camouflage. However after 300 meters or so, it lacks effectiveness because those colors all bleed together in human sight. That's why the army didn't use it. The USMC is up in your face in close quarters, where ass Army often has to deal with long range or medium range actions. This isn't a jab at the army, but its true. The old woodland and newer desert work better for army troops.

Now I can understand developing a new camo pattern, or maybe not a new pattern but a better designed uniform in general. The current BDU's all ill designed and have to be ironed with a fucking steam roller with a 50 gallon drum of starch if you want a decent look. The placement of pockets and excessive use of buttons does not lend itself to any solider, marine, airman, or sailor when they are in the field.

But the individual services do not need special uniforms. The only branches that need camouflage really are the Army and the Marines. The Marines have solved their problem, and the Army has solved their problem with desert cammo. The navy really doesn't need one except corps men, and they use marine cammo. Now the airforce. Do they need it? Maybe. Combat Controllers and pararescue could need their own pattern. Blue sure as hell isn't going to blend in anywhere. Pilots eject in flight suits, that maybe best for them. Those things can blend in any where really except for maybe a few desert areas and the arctic.

In all honesty, I think this is just the air force wanting to be shiny. It was a plague to my JROTC unit. The officers were constantly buying the newest stuff to dress the special teams. Look at the new name tag for dress uniforms. They had to go and stand out and have brushed steel and blue inlay for it instead of plastic like everyone else.

Chardok · Post by **Chardok** » 2003-10-05 06:14am

Could they look any more gay?
Could they possibly be made to stand out more? Woe upon the pilot who crash lands behind enemy lines in that outfit. Good luck hiding pretty much anywhere. Except maybe underwater.

Companion Cube · Post by **Companion Cube** » 2003-10-05 08:11am

Hmm. With that camo the USAF will bear an unusual resemblance to the paramilitaries from that old arcade game...whose name I can't remember at the moment...

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2003-10-05 08:37am

The navy really doesn't need one

Quiet you! I'm tired of looking like a escaped convict from Podunck county jail
Bring on the Urban Camo!

(After all we are nearly always in grey ships or in nice grey citys)

AdmiralTDM · Post by **AdmiralTDM** » 2003-10-05 09:12am

Man! god damned friggen air force CS'ing Fundies!

I am not joining the airforce if they switch to that gay ass'ed "Street Fighter" Camo pattern.... maybe if they switced to old Vietnam SOG/Special forces pattern Tiger Stripe but NOT Blue/Gray/Black pussy shit!

Damnit being an Army Air Borne Officer is looking better and better every day...

Soontir C'boath · Post by **Soontir C'boath** » 2003-10-05 10:13am

....Maybe I'll join the navy instead now.....~Jason

AdmiralTDM · Post by **AdmiralTDM** » 2003-10-05 11:03am

heh...
Navy...
join the Coast Guard! Attack drug lords that have better weapons than you!

Montcalm · Post by **Montcalm** » 2003-10-05 11:09am

Chardok wrote:Could they look any more gay?
Could they possibly be made to stand out more? Woe upon the pilot who crash lands behind enemy lines in that outfit. Good luck hiding pretty much anywhere. Except maybe underwater.

I thought gays were all in the Navy....still its better than what the Canadian army had in the middle of a desert.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-10-05 12:09pm

The uniform is actually a definate improvement over the woodland BDUs if you don't take into account the color choices. Considering the popular outcry within the Air Force community, I doubt this uniform will ever get past the test phase with the blue intact. Doesn't really bother me that much though, considering I generally don't wear BDUs.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2003-10-05 12:17pm

I thought gays were all in the Navy

Long as you just refering to the bubblehead branch of the Navy and not to the Navy in general we won't have a problem

Otherwise I may have to send ET2 Bubba your way

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-10-05 12:21pm

The concept behind this is an old one:

Those are examples of WWI German 5 color "Lozenge" camouflage used on aircraft, same principles apply here, albeit updated, improved, and more effective.

TrailerParkJawa · Post by **TrailerParkJawa** » 2003-10-05 12:59pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:The uniform is actually a definate improvement over the woodland BDUs if you don't take into account the color choices. Considering the popular outcry within the Air Force community, I doubt this uniform will ever get past the test phase with the blue intact. Doesn't really bother me that much though, considering I generally don't wear BDUs.

I dont think they look too bad. Although, if it really is not needed we should not waste money on it. The USMC program on new utilities was a great example of how projects should go. I hope all the other services dont go overboard with having to be distintive and different and we end up with uniforms that cost more than tanks. ( bit of hyperbole, yes )

Lonestar · Post by **Lonestar** » 2003-10-05 01:12pm

Montcalm wrote:
I thought gays were all in the Navy....:

Well, you know what we say;

"It ain't gay if underway, it's queer if by the pier"

Nathan F · Post by **Nathan F** » 2003-10-05 01:26pm

Looks like a modification of the old tiger stripe camo to me. And yes, it is butt-ugly. I doubt that this will get very far...

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-10-05 02:04pm

Nathan F wrote:Looks like a modification of the old tiger stripe camo to me. And yes, it is butt-ugly. I doubt that this will get very far...

You can't really judge it's effectiveness from a photo like the one in the link. The tendency of the eye to take an amorphous shape and form patterns, or more to the point, disregard patterns in a chaotic background, is what the designers of this stuff are counting on.

Take an impressionist painting, for example. Up close, it's just dots of color, at a distance, it's a picnic scene. This stuff is also made of blobs of color that are meaningless up close. The tendency for the eye to make patterns where they're only hinted at makes this stuff ideal for concealment.

But it will only work well in the right conditions of light and color.

Remember how Lowell saw "canals" on Mars? Another example of optical games our minds play that is somewhat related to what they're trying to achieve.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2003-10-05 02:07pm

For the record the new USMC cammies offer improvement in camo for all ranges. Both start to blend completely at roughly the same ranges. The difference remains that the USMC cammies are still virtually invisible up to roughly 50-75m wheras the old cammies were easily visible at the 75m range if you looked.

Raptor 597 · Post by **Raptor 597** » 2003-10-05 02:09pm

Haha, the Air Force is just asking to be sucker punched by the Army.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2003-10-05 02:55pm

TrailerParkJawa wrote:I dont think they look too bad. Although, if it really is not needed we should not waste money on it.

It definately is not needed. More types of uniforms require more money. When it comes deployment time, airmen will still need the woodland or desert BDUs.

The USMC program on new utilities was a great example of how projects should go.

If they developed the uniform with the other services for the benefit off all, then I would agree. But they didn't.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-10-05 03:03pm

Anyone else suddenly reminded of some of those Palestinian government paramilitary units that run around in bright blue cammo patterns? For the terrain it's basically anti camouflage.

CmdrWilkens · Post by **CmdrWilkens** » 2003-10-05 08:06pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:
TrailerParkJawa wrote:The USMC program on new utilities was a great example of how projects should go.
If they developed the uniform with the other services for the benefit off all, then I would agree. But they didn't.

Bah we already had this whole jibber jabber over in the Mess

Post by **RogueIce** » 2003-10-05 10:57pm

CmdrWilkens wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote:If they developed the uniform with the other services for the benefit off all, then I would agree. But they didn't.
Bah we already had this whole jibber jabber over in the Mess

Really? PM me the link.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-10-05 11:21pm

Gah the chick is butch.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2003-10-06 12:13am

CmdrWilkens wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote: If they developed the uniform with the other services for the benefit off all, then I would agree. But they didn't.
Bah we already had this whole jibber jabber over in the Mess

I think we had it in the HAB too.

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New US Air Force BDU's

New US Air Force BDU's

BS!

heh