According to the press release, "The ACU, including component materials, will be manufactured in the United States using the same industrial base that produces the current uniform, thereby, ensuring the highest quality control and assisting the American workforce" (the New Army Combat Uniform, p. 3). The Army's fact sheet on the new ACU also points out that a flame-resistant ACU (FR ACU) version possesses the same design; however, this version is manufactured using of advanced fire-resistant fabrics (Army Combat Uniform, 2007).
An example of the new ACU is provided in Figure 1 below.
Figure 1. Soldier Wearing New Army Combat Uniform.
Source: The New Army Combat Uniform at http://www.army.com/articles/item/2502.
Likewise, the Air Force has also introduced a new Airman Battle Uniform that is similar in design and identical in composition to the Army's ACU. According to Gertz and Scarborough, the uniform is permanent press wash-and-wear, and is less expensive that its predecessors; the new uniform also comes in 236 sizes for men and women. The Air Force began issuing the new uniforms in 2007 (Gertz & Scarborough, 2006). These authors add that, "The Airman Battle Uniform will replace the current woodland pattern Battle Dress Uniform and Desert Camouflage Uniforms and will feature a distinctive Air Force digitized tiger stripe pattern, which shares...
6).
Conclusion
The research showed that distribution of the Department of the Army's new Army Combat Uniform began in early 2005 was has been completed or has almost been completed at this writing. The research showed that like many of the other ongoing initiatives by the armed forces, the new ACU provides soldiers on the battlefield with the flexibility in combat wear that they need to adapt to changing conditions and needs. These initiatives represent an attempt to incorporate the hard lessons learned on the battlefields of yesterday as well as the 21st century and to provide America's armed forces with the resources they need to survive and persevere in a hostile and potentially deadly environment.
References
Army Combat Uniform. (2007, October). U.S. Army. [Online]. Available: https://peosoldier.army.mil/factsheets/SEQ_CIE_ACU.pdf.
Gertz, B. & Scarborough, R. (2006, December 15). Spy probe. The Washington Times, 6.
The new Army Combat Uniform. (2006, December 11). Army.com. [Online]. Available: http://www.army.com/articles/item/2502.
Triggs, M. (2004, July 14). Army gets new combat uniform. Army Public Affairs. [Online]. Available: http://www4.army.mil/ocpa/read.php?story_id_key=6042.
