Multicam now available from 5.11 Tactical.

The 5.11 Multicam Rapid Assult Shirt 65% Polyester 35% Cotton Ripstop Multicam pattern sleeves have double articulated elbows for maximum durability. Angled shoulder pockets offer easy access and a loop patch on both arms allows patch application. A lighter weight 5oz knit body with back and side mesh inserts has wicking and moisture management perfect for wearing alone or as a base layer under body armor. The ¾ zip front allows added ventilation and zips to a full mandarin collar to prevent chafing from body armor. The hardwearing 5.11 Multicam Rapid Assault Shirt are available in sizes Small to 3XL and prized starting at $59.99.

 

One of 5.11’s most requested styles, considered by many as the new standard and a replacement for the old style BDU, the 5.11 TDU, is now available in Multicam. The 5.11 TDU Pant has all the features an operator needs. Utilizing 65% polyester 35% cotton ripstop Multicam material, which resists tearing and abrasion, 5.11 Multicam TDU pants are triple-stitched and bartacked in all stress areas. A self-adjusting comfort waistband with no metal buckles helps you bend and stretch with ease. The double-layered knee pockets fit neoprene kneepads for on-the-ground activities on the range or in the field. Front pockets are strong and roomy. Large side pockets are designed with an added inside pocket containing a divider allowing each side to hold two AR mags securely. Two rear pockets round out the storage needs of any assignment. Genuine YKK® zippers and quality PRYM® snaps stay zipped and snapped even under the most strenuous activities. 5.11 TDU pants in Multicam are available in sizes Small to 3XL and prized starting at $69.99.

5.11 Website

Soldiers receive new MultiCam ACUs, gear

By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Aug 22, 2010

CAMP SHELBY, Miss. — A new Army Combat Uniform — boasting nearly a dozen improvements — was unveiled here Aug. 10, and received the quick approval of roughly 3,600 Iowa National Guard soldiers headed to the ’Stan.

The attention-getting ACUs were one of a dozen changes made to improve the safety, comfort and functionality of the Army combat uniform and combat load. Each soldier received 22 new or improved items, all of which were fielded in the Army’s new MultiCam pattern — what the Army calls OCP, which stands for Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern.

The upgrades, driven largely by soldier input, went from idea to issue in only nine months — a turnaround the Army’s top NCO characterized as “pretty phenomenal.”

“The OCP allows soldiers to get far closer to the enemy before being observed, and I believe [the uniform is] safer,” Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston said. “And we’ve never issued equipment faster than we are now.”

The new gear will be issued to the two brigade combat teams deploying to Afghanistan each month. In addition, a phased approach for troops with at least 120 days left in theater will begin in December and is expected to last no more than eight months.

While the MultiCam pattern is exclusive to Afghanistan, all improvements will also be implemented in the Universal Camouflage Pattern ACUs, according to Brig. Gen. Peter Fuller, Program Executive Office Soldier.

When soldiers will see the new ACUs depends on a few factors. Topping the list is the need to first issue the existing stock to ensure the Army doesn’t get stuck with that bill. But Fuller said the transition should begin “within a matter of months.”

Soldiers can expect a uniform that breathes and wears better, yet provides better flame resistance, Fuller said. The collars are better, the crotches are stronger and there is less Velcro.

The new and improved ACUs include the following upgrades:

• The MultiCam pattern. This is the result of in-depth analysis that started with 57 camouflage patterns. It provided the best concealment in a variety of tests in Afghanistan, and is especially proficient in the rugged terrain near the Pakistani border, service officials said.

• A better collar. Less Velcro and a new design keep it from crumpling up for a more comfortable wear.

• Infrared patches. These are sewn onto a hideaway tab instead of outside the pockets for greater durability. This is to ensure the patches don’t get destroyed through regular wear and tear.

• Buttons on cargo pockets: It’s back to buttons, as Velcro proved too problematic for soldiers trying to carry myriad gear.

• Extended pockets. The Army has added a special “extender button” to the trouser cargo pockets for easier access and expanded carrying capability.

• Stronger crotches. The crotch has been reinforced to reduce the rips that had become all too common.

• Fire resistant. The uniform provides four seconds of flame resistance — time to evade or egress without suffering third-degree burns. The protection also will keep second-degree burns to less than 30 percent. Such protection almost ensures a 100 percent recovery, according to studies by the burn center in San Antonio.

• Insect resistant. The days of treating your own uniforms are over as the preshrunk uniforms will have permethrine treatments before they are issued. The treatments will last for 50 washings, which should more than cover the 120 days this uniform is designed to last.

Four other “Tier 2” MultiCam items are expected to make their way to the troops by February, officials said. They are the aircrew combat uniform, aircrew coveralls, aviation life support gear and fire-resistant environmental ensemble.

Full Article

Army: MultiCam allowed only in Afghanistan

By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jul 12, 2010

The Army put out a message to soldiers who will receive new MultiCam uniforms for Afghanistan — don’t plan on wearing your fancy new duds to the bank at lunch time.

The strict new rules that will govern the fielding and wear of the new Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern uniforms are laid out in a June 10 All Army Activities message.

“OCP is authorized for wear in Afghanistan only,” the message states. “Only U.S. Army soldiers and members of other services assigned to U.S. Army units operating in Afghanistan are authorized” to wear the new pattern.

The Army selected MultiCam as the new pattern for Afghanistan in February after it outperformed the Army Combat Uniform’s Universal Camouflage Pattern and several other popular patterns in multiple Army tests.

U.S.-based units will begin receiving MultiCam uniforms and equipment by August. Soldiers are only allowed to wear MuliCam in Afghanistan, “during travel to or from Afghanistan,” and “for unit ceremonial events just prior to deployment or just after redeployment,” the message states.

As far as pre-deployment training goes, soldiers can wear MultiCam, “but only if UCP items are not available,” the message states.

The Army plans to begin fielding to units already serving in Afghanistan by November, but only units with “120 days or more remaining in Afghanistan” will receive the new uniforms and equipment in MultiCam.

Each soldier’s clothing records will be updated during the fielding process to “ensure total accountability,” the message states. “There will be no exceptions.”

Soldiers will be allowed to keep the MultiCam Fire-Resistant ACUs, caps and other accessories when they return from deployment, but will be required to turn in their MultiCam Modular Lightweight Load-bearing Equipment, Extended Cold Weather Clothing System Generation III items, body armor, and helmet covers, Army spokesman Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings told Army Times on June 24.

Soldiers are “prohibited” from buying MultiCam uniforms and equipment from any place other than Army and Air Force Exchange Service clothing sales stores.

MultiCam, made by Crye Precision LLC, was the top performer in a computerized, photo-simulation test the Army conducted late last year. Tests included photographs taken in desert, woodland, cropland and mountain terrain settings.

The pattern features seven shades of brown, tan and green. It had already been a top performer in two previous Army studies.

One of the tests, “Photosimulation Camouflage Detection Test,” conducted by U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center from March 2007 to March 2009, showed that MultiCam and three other patterns outperformed the existing UCP.

A previous Natick study, called “Computerized Visual Camouflage Evaluation,” conducted from November 2005 to July 2006, found that “MultiCam performed significantly better than the UCP in most conditions.”

Separately, Army Special Operations Command has also tested MultiCam in different environments worldwide, including Iraq and Afghanistan, and found that it outperformed the Army’s standard pattern. Army special operations units such as Delta Force, some of the 75th Ranger Regiment and some Special Forces teams wear the MultiCam pattern instead of the UCP in Iraq and Afghanistan.

For the most recent photo-simulation test, a special team spent 17 days in Afghanistan, taking more than 1,000 photographs of camouflage uniforms and equipment in desert, woodland, cropland and mountain settings between Kandahar and Bagram. Each photograph was calibrated to show the correct color despite varying daylight conditions.

The nine-man team went outside the wire nearly every day, providing their own security as they took turns modeling the test patterns for photographs.

The photos from the trip were turned into a three-phase test taken by soldiers from Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Campbell, Ky., and Fort Drum, N.Y.

WHAT YOU’LL GET

Soldiers will be given:

• 4 sets of MultiCam fire-resistant uniforms

• 4 combat shirts and matching combat gear

• Select layers of the Gen III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System.

Source

MultiCam costs more than ACU

Staff report
Posted : Monday Jun 14, 2010

MultiCam camouflage uniforms for Afghanistan will be more expensive to produce than the Army Combat Uniform, following a multiyear trend of rising uniform costs, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The May 28 report — “War-fighter Support: Observations on DoD’s Ground Combat Uniforms” — shows that uniform costs for all services have increased from “about $223 million in fiscal 2005 to about $422 million in fiscal year 2009.”

Most of the cost increases are because of the need for fire-resistant fabrics to protect troops from burns and permethrin insect-repellent treatment, the report states.

Flame resistant, permethrin-treated uniforms in MultiCam will cost about $174 per set, the study states. The equivalent set of ACUs costs about $152, the study states.

Production and procurement costs make up about 95 percent of the cost of camouflage uniforms, the report states.

“The Army indicated that there currently is only one printer licensed by the MultiCam supplier resulting in potentially higher printing costs than expected,” the report states. “An Army official recently stated that the MultiCam supplier is in the process of increasing the number of manufacturers licensed to print the camouflage pattern.”

Officials expect the uniform price to decrease once there are more manufacturers, according to the report.

Source

US Army in Afghanistan, High Resolution Photos

Click the images for high resolution

On February 19, the Department of Defense formally announced the selection of MultiCam for Soldiers deployed to Afghanistan. We know you want the details, so here are the answers to frequently asked questions.

 When will the Army start fielding FR ACUs in MultiCam?
The Army, through Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, will begin fielding MultiCam uniforms to deploying Soldiers as early as July 2010.

Who will be getting the MultiCam uniforms?
At this time, only Soldiers assigned to units deploying in support of Operation Enduring Freedom will receive the uniforms. The next fielding phase, which is expected to begin no earlier than October 2010, will include Soldiers assigned to units that are already in Afghanistan. Priority for units in Afghanistan will be established with guidance from Army G-3, U.S. Army Central Command and U.S. Forces – Afghanistan.

Who will get the MultiCam uniforms first?
The fielding will begin with 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Polk, LA; 1st Brigade, 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, CO; and 2nd Brigade, 34th Infantry Division of the Iowa Army National Guard. The order of fielding will be based on priorities established by the Army G-3 and availability of these units. Exact fielding dates have not been determined.

How many of the uniform will each Soldier get?
The Basis of Issue for the Army Combat uniform is the same as for the Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI), four per Soldier. Each Soldier will also be issued four Army Combat Shirts with sleeves in the MultiCam pattern and torso in the Coyote Brown color.

What gear will Soldiers receive in the MultiCam pattern?
Soldiers will receive the same Organizational Clothing and Individual Equipment (OCIE) and body armor in MultiCam that they would normally receive in the Universal Camouflage Pattern. We expect this to include: helmet cover, Improved Outer Tactical Vest, and a complete set of Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment, or MOLLE. The exact list is being finalized.

Will the uniforms and gear cost Soldiers anything out of pocket?
No. Soldiers will not be charged for the equipment that is issued to them through PEO Soldier. They will be issued the equipment on their hand receipt.

Crye Multicam for US Army in Afganistan

It is now official and final. Soldier-Systems first published the DoD decision to replace UCP combat uniforms with the well know Crye Multicam pattern for the forces in OEF (Operation Enduring Freedom) -Afghanistan. The replacement will start around July 2010.

Click pictures to enlarge