http://www.thedaily.com/page/2012/06/24 ... iasco-1-5/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/huge-le ... l-mistake/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;Over the next year, America’s largest fighting force is swapping its camouflage pattern. The move is a quiet admission that the last uniform — a pixelated design that debuted in 2004 at a cost of $5 billion — was a colossal mistake.
Soldiers have roundly criticized the gray-green uniform for standing out almost everywhere it’s been worn. Industry insiders have called the financial mess surrounding the pattern a “fiasco.”
In 2004, the U.S. Army deployed a new, digitized camouflage pattern for its uniforms. Now, reports are that not only did the pixelated pattern cost $5 billion, but that it doesn’t work well in any environment and is soon to be replaced.
“It got into political hands before the soldiers ever got the uniforms,” Army textile technologist Cheryl Stewardson said to The Daily, noting that Army brass sped along a decision before testing was complete. Camouflage researchers testing patterns for the Army in the early 2000s were pressured to choose a design like the “trendy” new one being used by the Marine Corps.
“If it’s good enough for the Marines, why shouldn’t the Army have that same cool new look?” Stewardson said to The Daily.
But the Marines got MarCam, we want a new one too!!!
(Edit to add: The conspiracy nut deep inside my brain blurted out: "But the Pentagon knows that militia groups and anti-government extremists tend to buy military surplus stuff, so they want this to get surplused out so they will be easier to see..."
I had to slap the conspiracy nut. Sometimes even his stuff is too out there...)