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Battle Dress Uniform

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Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is the name of the military uniform that the armed forces of the United States have used as their standard uniform for combat situations since September 1981.

These uniforms are called battle dress uniforms, because they are intended for use during 'battles', as opposed to 'garrison' dress uniforms worn at parades and functions.

Battle Dress Uniforms do not have a specific recognizable style; they may be either plain colored or in many different patterns of camouflage colors. Allthough one would expect that any standard uniform designed for use during combat would be called a Battle Dress Uniform, particular newer designs of uniform, such as the Army Combat Uniform are said to "replace" the Battle Dress Uniform, suggesting that only uniforms designed somewhere around the 1980s are called Battle Dress Uniforms.

Introduction

The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) appeared in September 1981 in Woodland pattern, a four-color development of the earlier ERDL pattern. It used two shades of green, one of brown, and black on a cotton-nylon mix. It was issued in two variants, a lighter temperate-weather design, and a heavier cotton winter-weight variant.

Changes in design

Since 1981, changes have included the elimination of buttoned waist adjustment tabs, the size reduction of the collar, and refinements in stitching and fit.

Replacements

In 1991, the U.S. military partly replaced the Battle Dress Uniform by environment-specific uniforms, notably the six-color "chocolate-chip camouflage" (designed in 1962) and "night-time desert grid", worn in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Both were discontinued after the war. In 1992, desert uniforms in three-colour desert camouflage were introduced, the Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU). These were worn in operations in Somalia (1993) and currently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Desert Camouflage Uniform was, at some point, partly replaced by another uniform, the Desert BDU (Desert Battle Dress Uniform), which had a three-color pattern.

The Marine Corps replaced the Battle Dress Uniform by the Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform, which uses the computer-generated MARPAT pattern and has front pockets that lean inwards. Approved for wear in June 2001, the change-over was completed October 1, 2004.

By 2007, the Army had largely replaced the BDU with the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU). This new uniform uses a pixelated pattern like MARPAT, but uses less saturated colors. The neutral colors, foliage green and sand, are designed to be used in desert, woodland, and urban combat situations. The program to replace the Battle Dress Uniform ran from 2005 to 2007.

(In 2007, the Navy began issuing a newly designed uniform to replace the seven different working uniforms in use until then, but it is unknown whether any of these old or new uniforms are Battle Dress Uniforms).

The Air Force used to have a uniform that was also called Battle Dress Uniform. Based on this old BDU design uniform, a new uniform, called the Airman Battle Uniform, was developed. In March 2006, this uniform was in production and was expected to be available in 2007.

In 2004, the Coast Guard introduced the new Operational Dress Uniform (ODU) uniform. Whether that uniform or its predecessor are also considered "Battle Dress Uniform" is unknown.

History of Camouflage Battle Uniforms

Origins

While the Italian Army was the first military organization to issue camouflaged clothing, the Germans were noted for their efforts in this field before the Second World War. After much trial, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (abbrev. OKW) authorized Heeres-Splittermuster 31, more commonly known as 'splinter pattern', for use in shelter-quarters (Zeltbahnen) in the 1930s. In 1940, SS-Verfügungstruppe (abbrev. SS-VT; renamed Waffen-SS) designed, tested and issued its own distinctive patterns not long after.

The United States Marine Corps received its first military camouflage pattern in 1942, when the reversible, beach-jungle, three- and five-color frog-skin pattern uniform was issued, based on a 1940 trial design. The U.S. found it to be ineffective and the pattern was withdrawn in 1944 — in part because of anticipated friendly fire incidents before D-Day. Camouflaged helmet covers and shelters were issued in the 1950s in "wine leaf" and "brown cloud" patterns. The U.S. Army also tried a lesser-known camouflage uniform on D-Day and throughout the Normandy operations, like the Marine Corp's uniforms, but it was replaced by the M43 uniform before being used much.

Enter the United States military's four-color "ERDL" pattern. During Vietnam, it saw limited use amongst specialist units in the Army, though most were issued the solid olive green OG107 sateens or jungle fatigues, while the Marines adopted the pattern service-wide after 1968.

The ERDL pattern fatigues were identical in cut to the third-pattern OD jungle fatigues, and were available in both a highland pattern (more brown), and a lowland pattern (more green), though the lowland pattern was eventually phased out. Other, unofficial, patterns utilized in Vietnam included black-dyed or spray painted jungle fatigues, often used by special purpose forces, and various Vietnamese Tigerstripe patterns (themselves being based on French Army airborne and Foreign Legion patterns and a British design utilized in Malaysia), or commercial "duck hunter" patterns.

Introduction of the Battle Dress Uniform

The actual Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) appeared in September 1981 in Woodland pattern. A four-color development of the ERDL pattern, it used two shades of green, one of brown, and black on a cotton-nylon mix. It was issued in two variants, a lighter temperate-weather design, and a heavier cotton winter-weight variant.

Since 1981, changes have included the elimination of buttoned waist adjustment tabs, the size reduction of the collar, and refinements in stitching and fit.

Later uniform designs

The U.S. military have run trials of many camouflage patterns (some being used by foreign militaries), and issued environment-specific uniforms, notably the six-color "chocolate-chip camouflage" (designed in 1962) and "night-time desert grid", worn in the 1991 Persian Gulf War; both were discontinued after the war. Desert uniforms in three-colour desert camouflage were introduced in 1992, and were worn in operations in Somalia (1993) and currently in Afghanistan and Iraq. This 3-color Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) is colloquially called "coffee stains" by the soldiers wearing it. Three-color Desert BDUs replaced the six-color pattern of the 1990s, although six-color desert camouflage helmet covers have been used by U.S. troops since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Interestingly, the New Iraqi Army (trained by U.S. and multinational forces), wear the "chocolate-chip camouflage" uniform; likely because much New Iraqi Army matériel is surplus American and Coalition equipment.

The development of modern camouflage patterns, and the wish of the military branches to differentiate themselves, has had each seeking replacement of the battle dress uniform. The Marine Corps first replaced their uniforms. The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform uses the computer-generated MARPAT pattern and has front pockets that lean inwards, and other enhancements. Approved for wear in June 2001, the change-over was completed October 1, 2004.

An Army program running from 2005 to 2007 has largely replaced the BDU with the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU). This new uniform uses a pixelated pattern like MARPAT, but uses less saturated colors. The neutral colors, foliage green and sand, are designed to be used in desert, woodland, and urban combat situations.

In 2007, the Navy began issuing a pixelated pattern uniform in blue and gray. To meet the Navy's cold-weather requirement, the new working uniform will include fleece jacket, pullover sweater, and parka options. In addition, the Navy will also implement woodland and desert digital-pattern uniforms specially for sailors who need to work ashore (e.g. hospital corpsmen or SEALs). These uniforms will replace the seven different working uniforms currently in use, including the relatively new and unpopular utility uniform that itself replaced the time-honored "dungaree" uniform in 2000

In 2004 and 2005, the Air Force experimented with, but rejected, a blue tigerstripe uniform. In 2006, an earth-tone color "semi-pixelated tiger pattern" uniform, called the Airman Battle Uniform, was approved. Although this pattern utilizes bright earth tones, it still retains blue as one of the colors. Based upon the old BDU design uniform, this uniform features a few additional pockets for tools. It is in production and will be available in 2007.

The Coast Guard, on the other hand, has introduced the new Operational Dress Uniform (ODU) uniform in 2004 to replace the winter and summer "Undress Duty" uniform. Resembling law enforcement SWAT fatigues, the new ODU uniforms retains the basic design of the old-style BDU uniforms, but with the lower pockets on the blouse being eliminated and the uniform being worn tucked into the trousers, similar in nature to the old-style OG107 cotton sateen fatigues. The sleeves can be worn "folded up" in a manner similar to the old Army and Air Force BDUs (since disallowed with the new Army ACU) and the trousers "bloused" into the boots (unless boating shoes, especially for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, who patrols for the Coast Guard onboard privately owned watercraft), with the ODU black belt and blackend buckle being worn with the metal tip 2 to 4 inches from the buckle, another Marine Corps regulation. The dark blue Coast Guard unit ballcap is worn with this uniform. The ODU also has all of its allowable insignia sewn on, eliminating the chance of puncture wounds created by the pins if the individual suffers a blow to the chest while wearing a PFD.

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