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Military outerwear continues to be one of the cornerstones of the army/navy store's inventory—especially when cooler temperatures creep in, as they're about to start doing in many parts of the country. It's been that way since the flood of surplus six decades ago gave rise to the civilian market that has carried through to this day. What has changed over the years is the meaning of the term "military outerwear" for the individual store.
Years ago, military outerwear in the army/navy store was government-issue surplus. Today, outerwear styles that come under the "military" umbrella might include active combat uniforms (ACUs) in the current digital camouflage patterns, new or used surplus BDUs, new mil-spec designs for the civilian market, vintage pieces, or adaptations for fashion, casual, or law enforcement use.
An example of the latter is Alpha Industries' new McGuire, which the company describes as "the closest thing to the current issue mil-spec flyer's jacket on the market today"—in other words, like the CWU-45/P. "[It] looks and feels like the real thing. [It] looks like Nomex, but it's not."
Instead of Nomex, it features a nylon outer shell with polyester quilted lining, and also includes knit cuffs and waistband, felled seam construction, two double stitched cargo pockets with Velcro closure, Velcro name tape placement, and a left arm utility pocket, zipper closure, and pencil pocket.
Also making their way into the civilian sector are the digitally-derived camo patterns introduced to the military within the past couple of years: Universal Camouflage Pattern, (UCP) now standard on ACUs, and MultiCam. Ironically, ACUs themselves have not quite finished becoming standard issue for active-duty and reserve Army personnel: The phase-in is scheduled to be completed in May 2008. In all, some four million ACUs are scheduled to be manufactured by December of this year, and all Army personnel will receive four sets apiece. Meanwhile, the nearly three-decade old BDU is becoming obsolete, except perhaps in the eyes of civilians.
As one of the ACU's components—the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS)—is being phased in, W.L. Gore & Associates, whose GORE-Tex™ fabric has been used in the ECWCS since its creation, provided an update with the 2nd Generation Parka and Trouser (UC2G), featuring the UCP for a variety of terrains. According to W.L. Gore, "UC2G Protects the user from not only cold and wet weather, but provides dry weather protection against wind and sand as well. Increased breathability provides comfort across a broader temperature range, allowing the user to stay drier longer, and in higher levels of activity."
The company says the UC2G has been proven to be 40 percent softer, based on the Clark stiffness text, and that it was rated quieter than the first generation ECWCS by 100 percent of field test participants.
Moreover, according to W.L. Gore, it provides "significant reduction in n-IR [near-infrared] visibility, which is durable for the life of the fabric. The GORE-Tex fabric used in ECWCS garments combines a nylon outer material, a waterproof GORE-Tex membrane, and a nylon liner. It not only keeps out water, it's engineered to remain durably waterproof even after exposure to contaminants such as DEET, and other petroleums, oils, and lubricants. So it lasts longer."
Third generation
It's fitting that the Army's new camo patterns have been created digitally, because as with computer gear, the ECWCS component of the ACU is being partially superseded even as it's being phased in. Earlier this year, ADS, Inc. announced that it was awarded a $220 million contract to manage and procure the Army's new Generation III Extended Cold Weather Clothing System (ECWCS). As the lead integrator, ADS will lead a team of about a dozen U.S. technical garment manufacturers and technical textile companies to produce and supply the versatile seven-layer, 12-component system for fielding this coming winter to soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.
ADS describes the third generation of the ECWCS as "a radical re-design of the cold weather clothing system for the U.S. Army. With the goal of enhancing soldier survivability through the development of technologically advanced environmental protective clothing, the Army's Project Manager CIE sought significant feedback from industry and Soldiers to develop this fully integrated cold weather layering system. The U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division field tested 18,000 of the Generation III ECWCS systems in Afghanistan last fall and gave the system a very strong review."
LTC Christopher Cavoli of the 10th Mountain Division has been quoted in military and civilian media with the following endorsement of the third-generation ECWCS: "During Operation Mountain Lion I found myself praying for bad weather, the first time in my military career I was actually begging for a cold front to come through. I knew my soldiers could handle it and the enemy couldn't. ECWCS allowed my men to outlast the enemy on their own terrain. When the enemy was forced out of the mountains due to the bitter cold to take shelter, that's when we got them."
Based on layering systems currently utilized by mountaineering professionals, the Generation III ECWCS system uses "the latest textile science to keep soldiers comfortable, dry, and warm in the most inclement conditions," according to ADS. "It incorporates seven layers of clothing, including light-weight and mid-weight Polartec Powerdry moisture wicking shirt and briefs, a Polartec Thermal Pro fleece jacket, a nylon/ spandex wind jacket, a soft shell jacket and trousers using Nextec fabric, a Gore-Tex wet weather jacket and trousers, and a Primaloft insulated loft parka and trousers for extreme cold weather conditions. Each piece fits and functions either alone or together as a system to provide the [greatest number of] options for the soldier.
"As an improvement upon previous generations, the new Generation III ECWCS is 33 percent more compressible, 25 percent lighter, and is more comfortable, according to ADS. "It is more versatile and includes functional features that allow the soldier to adapt to varying mission requirements and environmental conditions ranging between -40 to +60 degrees Fahrenheit."
That kind of versatility, of course, is part and parcel of the ACU itself. "The ACU enhances soldier performance by providing a uniform that is tailorable to the individual mission; provides enhanced functionality and ergonomics over the existing BDU; and does away with requirements to procure uniforms focused on specific environments —the ACU is worldwide deployable," according to an Army information paper issued when the ACU was announced in 2004.
Of course, the army/navy store doesn't have to follow the military's example of one-size-fits-all when it comes to stocking an outerwear department. The leeway to assemble a selection that offers broad appeal through variety, rather than uniformity, is part of the challenge—and, just maybe, part of the fun.
author: BY PAUL BUBNY