ACUs: Always Crappy Uniforms.

It is unfortunate that the Army is not receiving any additional funding for uniforms, and yet they are expected to phase out the ACUs in favor of something that actually camouflages its wearer. ACUs were created to replace woodland and desert pattern BDUs - i.e. created as a universal camo pattern, so that only one uniform would be needed rather than two for different environments. However, as far as I know, this is the only thing ACUs blend in with:


The Army has now begun a test phase of new ACU replacements. From here: "One battalion is receiving uniforms in MultiCam, a pattern worn by some Special Forces troops, while the other battalion is receiving uniforms in Universal Camouflage Pattern - Delta, a variant of the current ACU camouflage pattern that incorporates the coyote brown color and reduces the percentages of sand and gray colors. The battalions also will retain their standard ACUs."

UCP-D has gained the nickname of "shit-brown ACUs", and for good reason:

Multicam is my replacement option of choice. It looks nice, and is fairly functional:


Speaking of ACUs, I own a set of BDUs and DCUs as well as my ACUs and have noticed that there are a lot of useless thingies on the ACUs as compared to the BDUs and DCUs. For example...

1. Pocket in the top of the PC. I know this is for a protractor (or three), but think about this for a moment. When do you typically use a protractor? In a tactical field environment. What are you wearing on your head in such an environment? Your Kevlar, right? And where's your PC? In your cargo pocket.....
2. Velcro. One of the WORST little thingies on the ACUs. I know the Army replaced it for "ease of use"; however, they also said that noise pollution from it could be cut down with "tactical" usage of it. I'm sorry, I don't know of any soldier able to silently open a velcro pocket. (Thank god they kept buttons for the fly on the trousers, though.)
3. Elastic thingies on the cargo pockets. What is with these? If you use them, your pockets become grossly malformed, and they don't really work anyway, unless you have something like a canteen in your pocket (is that a canteen in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?).
4. Ribbon trouser blousers. Pointless, pointless, pointless. All they do is cut off your circulation and get in the way.
5. IR patch. Only available on issue ACUs. Helpfully, they have created IR velcro patches for ACUs bought online which don't have these little things that seem to only really be useful for getting ruined in the wash.
6. Inability to be washed with normal laundry detergent. The Army has put together a list of "recommended" detergents which don't contain optical brighteners. Unfortunately this list is rather limited, and not given to ROTC students, so by the time we get our uniforms anyway they have likely already been "ruined" by former students.
7. The mandarin collar, again, with tons of velcro. I just don't get this.
   

Fortunately there are a few things that I really like on the ACUs which I hope are kept indefinitely on the combat uniforms.

1. Calf pockets. Meant as magazine pockets, I know of no mag that would fit (certainly not an M-16 mag); however they are the perfect size for tampons, pens, pencils, and energy bars.
2. Pen pockets. 'Nuff said. Now we just need a way to keep them from falling out of the pockets, though personally I've only ever lost one or two pens that way.
3. Breast pockets. I really like 'em. I keep my cell phone there, since it's less likely to get squashed (padding on the other side, at any rate) and I can easily feel it vibrate (yeah, no comments from y'all on that, please).
4. Shoulder pockets. Perfect for notebooks.
5. Built-in knee and elbow pad pockets... I like these because the strap-on knee and elbow pads always seem to fall down and become calf and forearm protectors instead. Maybe that's just an ROTC-gets-old-supply issue, though.
   

I do plan on sewing my nametapes to my PCs in the near future, after removing the velcro from the cover itself (I bought myself sew-on ACU nametapes just for this purpose). Now I just need to find a place that sells thread in the correct color.

Largely a matter of opinion...

Let's start off with something fun: MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). MREinfo has some excellent information about US Military MREs, as well as reviews (!). One that stood out to me was a review of a 1986 MRE (MREs replaced MCIs, or Meal, Combat, Individual in 1981) which has held up surprisingly well over time. In 2006, they even taste tested a 1978 MCI fruitcake. Maybe I shouldn't have been so shy to eat the 1990s era tuna with noodles MRE that my dad bought for me when I was twelve...

I kind of wish MREs still came with cigarettes and chocolate. Them shits would be SO nice in the field. Especially since the battalion seems to be a little more relaxed this year on their tobacco policy.

According to MREinfo, in 2011 they're doing away with the tuna (white albacore), chicken & dumplings, veggie griller, Mexican corn, and wheat snack bread components of MREs. Aside from the veggies and the corn, how sad! These were some of my favorite MREs and side dishes. The wheat snack bread was a lifesaver; smack some peanut butter and jelly on that and you've got yourself a decent tasting PB&J. The tuna was lovely but it looks like they are replacing it with something a little more flavorful (lemon pepper tuna?). They're also bringing in ratatouille (and may I be the first to say, WTH?). However, thank god they have already done away with the Vom-lette. Now to wait with baited breath as the remaining supply is slowly, tortuously consumed, just as long as we never have to see them again. (More info on MRE menus here.)

And of course, something I've been meaning to get for a while now. RangerUP sells military themed t-shirts, some of them quite comedic... my favorite being the "rock or something" MRE heater instructions shirt.



PRICELESS.