ben said:
But still, what's wrong with traditionally colored BDU's?
Organization psychology...
The recent trend in uniforms is to develop utility dress that is distinctive to the individual service branch. Presumably the goal is to promote pride and esprit de corps, and also to make it easier to tell who's who in the zoo. For example, a couple of years ago if you saw a servicemember in cammies from a distance, you wouldn't know for sure what branch they were in until you were close enough to read the name tape. They could have been from any of the five branches, depending on thier occupational specialty.
Although this trend toward branch distinction flies in the face of the whole "one team, one fight" joint ops concept, each branch at heart is driven by its instincts for self-preservation (like any organization or organism), and each dreads the ultimate melding of services into one force (which would arguably be better and more efficient - not that I necessarily support or oppose that argument).
For example, the marines recently rolled out the digital cammies, and the Coast Guard recently adopted all-blue BDUs as a working uniform, except with the blouse tucked in (like the USAF test tiger-stripe jammies).
If the USN and USAF test uniforms are eventually implemented (neither is guaranteed), then each branch would have its own unique utility dress. The army would be the only branch with the old-school cammies.
is what they are thinking then I definitely like the Navy ones a whole lot more. I should have looked at the AF uniforms before I said the Navy ones looked too much like them.
