That is the Advanced Combat Uniform (ACU) that is replacing both the DCU and BDU. It has been issued to several brigades in Iraq (the 56th and 172nd are two that I'm aware of) and I believe is being issued to key personnel (i.e. high ranking leaders) and soldiers upon graduation from basic training. It will be available for the general Army population to purchase next year and then the BDU and DCU will be phased out some time after that. A Google for ACU should turn up some more information for you.

>>issued to key personnel (i.e. high ranking leaders)<< Typical, the "key leadership" needs the ACU while sitting behind a desk before the troops in the trenches.

High speed, low drag generals, you know? Probably enough army generals receiving them free to outfit a brigade.

Let them get the first uniforms before the bugs are worked out - that way soldiers don't have to spend money on uniforms that will prematurely wear out, tear, etc.

How fast will a General, or the HQ band, wear out a uniform?

Easy, boys. True, the REMFS always get the good stuff first, but I'm starting to see pictures of the grunts wearing the new uniform. In fact, I recently saw a Reserve or National Guard soldier wearing the new uniform in Kansas City. I also heard earlier this year that Army recruits are being issued this uniform in basic training. Give it time.

Depends on where you go....I was at FT Bragg last week and saw a lot of folks walking around in them. They are heading out the door soon. Also, here at FT Lee, the troops who are deploying are getting a mix of DCU & ACU. A friend o fmine who is in the unit said their SOP in country will be when on combat ops, wear the ACU...when in FOB/LOB, they will wear DCU. BTW, those general officers are buying those uniforms....they can not get them issued. I can go find and quote the reg for you if you wish, but in this day and age when that can be tracked too easily no general officer would look to get a free issue. All officers have to purchase their uniforms.

AR, Whether officers are getting issued them for free or not depends. For example, my unit was issued the Close Combat Uniform two years ago (it was the forerunner of the ACU, except in a DCU pattern), it was free issue to everyone. My guess is that the same thing is happening for all current issues to units, to include individuals that are being deployed with the unit. However, individual issues will definitely be at the expense of the officer and soldier (although soldiers are provided an annual stipend that is frequently adjusted if there is a large introduction of gear). I think the issue here is the perception that desk jockeys are getting the "good stuff" before the soldiers in the field get it, and while that does happen at times inappropriately, there is a very valid reason to issue new kit to commanders, command sergeants major, and other key leaders: 1. They understand how to properly wear the kit and set the example for soldiers. 2. If the kit is holding up like it should, it's much more effective to have CSM X or GEN Y say it sucks, fix it, than PFC Snuffy. When the brass isn't happy, heads will roll and things will move. If it's just PFC Snuffy, it will take time for the feedback to reach high enough and more verification/surveys/AARs will be needed. 3. They generate excitement about the gear because the soldiers know it will be coming down the pipe for them.

My buddy says the ACUs are being issued as OCIE but the DCU is coming out of his pay check. I think you guys got the ACUs at FT Lewis as the test unit. And you point about the having leaders wear the uniform....that would have been a great idea with teh BDUs in the early 1980s so we wouldn't have had those leisure suits that came out at first!

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/acu.htm Differences I can spot between ACU and MARPAT is that the ACU upper chest pockets are angled really steeply, there is velcro on the ACU's bicep pockets (not on MARPAT since Marines don't wear badges). Does MARPAT feature a 'mandarin' collar? Furthermore, the ACU has no lower pockets on the tunic. Since I can't see too well with my glasses, did the MARPAT also eliminate the lower tunic pockets? Last question, when was the DCU introduced? 1993?