Swabs to Get New Uniforms - And Wings Too . . .

[BIGUN 1,423]

Quote

Now everyone will look like a glorified cook when wearing the class B uniform.

My first thoughts were that it looks like the Civil Air Patrol.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Quote

The ACU is a crap uniform

What have the complaints been? Design, durability? I agree with Matt, above - the multicam pattern DOES seem to be a LOT better at blending in.

Quote

supposedly it will be replaced in the "near future", whenever that is.

Wow, that was a quick decision...wasn't it just a couple years ago that the Army decided to go to the ACU?

Quite simply, the ACU doesn't blend into anything really well.It tends to stand out more than it does blend in. It also has serious durability issues. It's supposed to have a life of 6 months in a combat environment but it barely lives up to 6 months in a non combat environment as it is. Not to mention that ergonomically, it makes no sense in regard to the pocket orientation/location. They basically tried to copy what we have been doing in SF for years with out knowing WHY we modified things the way we did and the result is pockets that are too small and velcro where it doesn't need to be. Multicam was initially considered as one of the replacement patterns but it was shot down. I have heard various reasons why but the most believable was due to the associated cost with the pattern and the company (crye) that developed it. Despite it's not being chosen by big Army, with in SF it has seen an increase in use because of it's effectiveness although it has not received a big Army approval. The reality of it though is that it will probably be the pattern that is eventually adopted by big Army down the road at some point(politics aside). Within my community, I have been working on an alternative to the ACU pattern and a uniform design that better suits the needs of todays SF soldier. Due to the shortcomings of the ACU, the wear out date on the BDU has been extended in some circumstances at the request of the theater's. Quite simply, I don't know what the ACU is supposed to blend into as it doesn't blend into anything well and the only place it excels at is during low light or the night time. In the day time in every imaginable environment on the planet it sticks out like a turd in the punch bowl.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[warpedskydiver 0]

It's amazing how many arm chair warriors, and LEO's got so excited and arranged huge group purchases of ACU uniforms.

I agree they look like shit, and do not blend into much of anything.

The old woodland BDU's were far better.

Marpat was actually pretty good, so is multicam.

There are so many good patterns out there that it is quite simply shocking something so bad could have been chosen.

Did you ever get a set of the shadow branch test uniforms?

I had a set, they were pretty good in timbered swamp and northern woodlands.

I gave them to a friend, but they did work pretty nice.

[alw 0]

Badges in any service mean something (except for surface warfare badges that were created due to Dolphin envy.

---------------------------------------------
Every day is a bonus - every night is an adventure.

[gravitysurfer 0]

My eyes ceratainly aren't what they used to be but isn't the chest strap wrapped around the reserve handle in you attachement?

aloha.

[NickDG 23]

He loosened his chest strap and it looks like the running end is just over the handle.

But while looking at that I saw this . . .

If you fall down during landing this can break your wrist!

Be careful, Lou, this is a tough crowd of picture critique-ers

NickD

[TheAnvil 0]

ROFLMFAO! But the surface ones came first, so dolphin envy could refer to the envy of bubbleheads over their surface brethren...or targets as they might say!

Vinny the Anvil
Post Traumatic Didn't Make The Lakers Syndrome is REAL
JACKASS POWER!!!!!!

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

He loosened his chest strap and it looks like the running end is just over the handle.

Thats correct. The sewn end is just in front of the reserve handle.

Quote

If you fall down during landing this can break your wrist!

What are you referring to, my hand position or the ripcord handle on my hand?

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[Broke 0]

Quote

Wings? for what????!!!!!

Red Wings

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[NickDG 23]

I made a lot of ripcord jumps back in the day, and taught others how to do it too. You should never put a ripcord handle over your hand like that because if your hand contacts the ground with any amount of force you can break your hand or wrist. It's more important when jumping a round, but you can't always guarantee a smooth landing under a square either.

Two modern day applications would be sport jumpers creaming in under small 7-cell reserves they aren't used to flying, and real world tactical military jumps. Landing with all that extra gear is tough enough, add night time into the equation, and what good is a fierce sky borne warrior with a broken wrist?

Also if you inadvertently come down into power lines the long length of the metal ripcord cable can help fry you.

The best place for a main ripcord handle is inside your jumpsuit, or if you have the time snake the cable back up its housing and put the handle back in the pocket.

NickD

[normiss 858]

better than black wings for sure!

blech!



Unless you mean Detroit anyway...

[matthewcline 0]

Mutli Cam was rejected purely over political reasons. It was not a wholey US held and developed company so no was the answer, but having worked as a COR before, I think it is also because they didn't have an advocate in the Lab for them.

Multi Cam should be the choice in the future with the "PROPER" Fabric and uniform design with maybe a few changes (like getting that fucking zipper off the coat so the SAPI plate will stop digging a hole in my chest when I hit the dirt!) (well not for me any more but for those who still kick in the doors) . There is also a Multi Cam BDU.

Multi Cam will end up being adopted much like Tiger Stripes in the 60's. The Lab did not develope Tigers either (they did test and refine the design at some point), but SF, Force Recon, Seal's, LRRP's and PJ's used them as they worked so it became an item of issue for specialized units.

Since Multi Cam is not "Approved" for Conventional units and is not a Service Uniform at this time my self and several of us on the film crews use it when doing any thing remotely tactically related. I prefer the Sage Green AF boots by Rocky (AS2, I think) as it seems to blend in pretty good and are pretty comfy (they come in tan too for the Army Folks).

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[sickandtwisted 0]

I agree with changing the office uniform. But they should leave the dress uniforms alone. The 'Cracker Jacks' & 'Dress Bules' have a lot of tradition & history built into them. (I looked great in my dress blues, about 35 lbs & 10 years ago)

Wings should be earned.

Skymama stalker #69!!!!

[NickDG 23]

While I can't vouch for the veracity of the original article, although I personally know the guy who wrote it as he publishes the Pacific Flyer out of Oceanside, California. But I do know he puts way more effort into their annual swim suit edition . . .

But if the whites are going away it would be a shame. I used to take my sailboat out and join the escort whenever the Carriers Kitty Hawk, Stennis, and Ronald Reagan came home to San Diego. It was a beautiful sight to see the Marines across the bow in their greens and the sailors along the sides in their whites . . .

NickD

[Amazon 7]

That is a sexy picture Scott

BUT


Doesnt that big ass slider make noise???

I would think a collapsible might be a bit of an improvement considering when and where those get used...I was thinking you might not be able to hear it with the helmet on... but its something to think about.

[normiss 858]

slider? some people could almost use it as a main...

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

You should never put a ripcord handle over your hand like that because if your hand contacts the ground with any amount of force you can break your hand or wrist.

Thats what is taught at the school house and what everyone who's dick beaters fit through the handle has been doing for years. Having seen the safety officers list of airborne related accidents that span several decades,I can honestly say I have never seen anything that indicated a jumper broke their hand due to a ripcord handle being around their wrist. With that said, we also have this cutting edge procedure that we teach to jumpers, we call it the P.L.F. or Parachutists Landing Fall. With this NEW technique jumpers who have a less than ideal landing under a square or round canopy can safely land with out the added risk of putting their hand down to catch themselves when falling and thus avoid breaking wrists,arm, etc.. I'm gonna write an article up on this new fangled PLF technique and submit it to the skyjumper magazine so everyone can learn how to do it.

Quote

Also if you inadvertently come down into power lines the long length of the metal ripcord cable can help fry you.

We have a technique for that as well but it's too long for me to type out.

Quote

The best place for a main ripcord handle is inside your jumpsuit, or if you have the time snake the cable back up its housing and put the handle back in the pocket.

True but most people who try to stow them in a pocket or inside their flight suit end up loosing their handles at some point. Putting it back in the pocket while in the harness on an MC-4 would be a contortionist feat which would probably result in dropping the handle. Not to mention it takes your attention off of what you're supposed to be doing, throw in O2, at night and you can see why putting it over the wrist is the SOP we use. Loosing a handle is a major no go, I've seen guys walk around the desert at night with a flashlight for hours just to find their handle so no one could give them shit about it. The only time guys don't put it over the wrist is during HAHOs when you have big ass gloves on and it won't fit over the glove. Luckily most of the HAHO suits have a large enough pocket that you can shove the ripcord in. I've also seen guys route their chest strap through it while under canopy on HAHOs on cold days.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Mutli Cam was rejected purely over political reasons.

I work with the office responsible for these kinds of things quite frequently and I am fairly familiar with this specific topic. There is no doubt in my mind that part of the problem was indeed politically related.

Quote

Multi Cam should be the choice in the future with the "PROPER" Fabric and uniform design

I agree. I have helped design a uniform specific for my community and am working on making that happen. That uniform currently exists. PM me for G2 if you're interested.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[stitch 0]

Quote

In the day time in every imaginable environment on the planet it sticks out like a turd in the punch bowl.

We agree on something. That's a 1st.

"No cookies for you"- GFD
"I don't think I like the sound of that" ~ MB65
Don't be a "Racer Hater"

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

Doesnt that big ass slider make noise???

I would think a collapsible might be a bit of an improvement considering when and where those get used.

Believe it or not,it doesn't make as much noise as most sport canopy sliders. Besides, on the MC-4 you would have to have ape arms to be able to reach up and pull the kill cords if it did have kill lines. Some of the newer military systems out there do have kill lines and can be reached easily.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[matthewcline 0]

WILCO


Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[mnealtx 0]

I dunno, Scott... it doesn't ALWAYS stick out like a turd in a punchbowl....

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[ElJosh 0]

Quote

Quote

The ACU is a crap uniform

What have the complaints been? Design, durability? I agree with Matt, above - the multicam pattern DOES seem to be a LOT better at blending in.

Quote

supposedly it will be replaced in the "near future", whenever that is.

Wow, that was a quick decision...wasn't it just a couple years ago that the Army decided to go to the ACU?

I disagree a little with Lou on this one. To me it wasn’t so much that the camo didn’t work. In fact I thought that ACUs worked better than our DCUs. That being said I was up in the Northern portion of Iraq; Mosul to be exact. Our main problem (like most of Lou’s post) was durability. About half way during my deployment I was issued 2 sets of the ACU uniforms and neither of them lasted 2 months. Both had ass to crotch blow outs. I just went back to wearing ACUs. Now that I am back state side it is mandatory that everyone wears the ACU uniform. All the pockets (except the ass ones) are Velcro and they suck big time. I spent 2 weeks in Salt Lake City (up in the mountains) in the middle of the winter and ended up destroying my Velcro. Now I can’t put a damn thing in my pockets because my pockets won’t stay shut. It doesn’t matter when I’m in garrison because I have no need for pockets but the field sucks because anything I put in there will fall out.

~El Josh AKA Ruby
or
SGT Seery

DS #149
Yes I only have 3 jumps...it's the magic number dude.

[LouDiamond 1]

Quote

To me it wasn’t so much that the camo didn’t work. In fact I thought that ACUs worked better than our DCUs. That being said I was up in the Northern portion of Iraq

Well there is the reason it may have worked better than the DCU. Typically, the woodland BDU is what is the most effective in the Northern parts. Thats more of knowing your operational environment and adjusting accordingly. Pockets , ass blow outs, you name it, the ACU has all those issues. That picture of the guy on the couch is about the only place the ACU pattern blends into.

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

That picture of the guy on the couch is about the only place the ACU pattern blends into.

I figured you'd get a chuckle out of that...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706