Inevitably (like all soldiers) I buy pieces of my kit that the army doesn't issue. No, this is not because the Army isn't taking care of us or anything like that. It is because the Army is an enormous organization, each soldier's needs and tactical requirements may differ. Additionally, depending on your chain of command, a lot of soldiers will modify their kit with things that work better for them. So I don't want to spend a fortune on one type of camo, only to have to purchase a different kind for work. Unfortunately, looks like I'll probably have to take that course of action anyway.
All of that to say, I'm going to continue buying everything in Multicam. I truly believe it is the best option that is out there and the likely option that the Army will go with. (Especially considering the amount of money that has already been spent to equip soldiers in OEF with this pattern.) However, they are currently testing several types of camo right now. Text extracted from PEO Soldier follows.
As always, get D.E.E.P., F.A.S.T. and survive.
PEO SOLDIER - On 31 October 2011, the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Army approved the selection of multiple camouflage patterns to continue field trials and more extensive computer analysis during FY12 for the Army’s Phase IV Camouflage effort.
The U.S. Army selected five vendors to proceed forward to develop a family of camouflage patterns that will be effective across a myriad of environments. The effort, commonly known as Phase IV and managed by PEO Soldier, enters the second phase of selection with the award of these contracts by narrowing the field to five selectees. These selectees were chosen following a rigorous technical evaluation backed by solid scientific analyses and incorporating critical Soldier input from the field.
Four industry partners and one Government team will produce fabric for prototype uniforms and Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) camouflage uniforms for field trials and other evaluations in FY2012:
1. ADS, Inc. (teamed with Hyperstealth, Inc.) – Virginia Beach, Virginia
2. Brookwood Companies, Inc- New York, NY
3. Crye Precision, LLC – Brooklyn, NY
4. Kryptek, Inc. – Fairbanks, AK
5. Government pattern developed at U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC), Natick, MA
Each offeror submitted a family of camouflage patterns (desert, woodland, and transitional) along with a single coordinated pattern for the Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE).
The second step will entail scientific analysis including field trials and will take approximately nine months. This will be followed by a cost benefit analysis to determine if the Army will adopt a new camouflage pattern.
The Army proactively works alongside our sister Services in several developmental projects, with Phase IV being one of them. We share the results of our camouflage research with the other Services, and would place no restrictions on other Services wearing uniforms in the newly developed patterns.
The most comprehensive write up I have seen to date is at the bottom of this page.
I am partial to that epic woodland. Just my two cents.
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