USA

The development of camouflage patterns specifically for military application by American forces can be traced to the First World War. Like her British and French allies, military engineers experimented with a number of designs for hiding reconnaissance personnel and snipers employed along the frontiers. One design, based on the British-designed Symien sniper suit, consisted of loose strips of multi-colored cloth, twine or burlap attached to a loose-fitting hooded jacket & trousers, designed to appear as foliage from a distance. Another uniform designed by an Army Engineer unit at the American University in Washington, DC consisted of jacket, trousers and hood painted with wide dark stripes on a lighter-colored fabric, and was intended to provide concealment specifically while hiding in trees. Manufacture and distribution of such suits, however, was minimal and although there is evidence to suggest speculation and experimentation regarding military camouflage clothing did continue in America after 1918, it was not given serious consideration until the Second World War.

USA Camouflage Patterns

• The first widespread use of camouflage by American military forces began in 1942. Prior to this point, the US Army Corps of Engineers had been applying themselves to developing camouflage for military applications as early as 1940. Nevertheless, the process of its introduction into the US supply system was rushed, brought about by an urgent request General D. MacArthur in July of 1942 for production of 150,000 jungle camouflage uniforms for use in the Pacific Theater. The pattern chosen was actually designed by civilian Norvell Gillespie (horticulturist and garden editor of Sunset, Better House and Gardens, and the San Francisco Chronicle). The green dapple or spot design, reversing to a tan/brown variation, began distribution to US military forces beginning in August of that year. Nicknamed “frogskin” by many GIs, the pattern consists of a five color green dominant “jungle” camouflage pattern printed on one side, with a three color brown dominant “beach” pattern printed on the opposite side. Produced in a variety of uniform styles as well as some articles of field equipment, the pattern was most widely utilized by the USMC in the Pacific Theater (although it did see very limited usage by the US Army operating in the ETO).

• A variant of the standard M1942 reversible spot pattern camouflage was also printed on water-repellent fabric and constructed as a poncho/shelter half. As with the jungle pattern clothing, the poncho is reversible from a green dominant to a brown dominant scheme.

• Some WW2 era parachutes were printed with a three color green spot pattern, a pattern which continued to be used well into the 1950s. These camouflaged parachute shrouds were popular with troops during the war, often being cut into personal neck scarves or field expedient helmet covers by ground troops. Although production of camo parachutes discontinued prior to the Vietnam War, when the waterproofed poncho was introduced the first style poncho liner (design to act both as insulator for the poncho or as a makeshift blanket) was made from the same type of fabric and printed in the same pattern.

• US Army trials of 1953 produced two additional camouflage patterns that were adopted for limited use by military personnel. Both patterns saw widespread distribution only as a reversible shelter half (1953) and reversible helmet cover (1959), with one pattern printed on each side. The USMC standard or “wine leaf” (sometimes called "vine leaf") pattern, consists of large overlapping dark green, lime green & ochre leaf shapes with brown twigs on a pale green background. Some tailor made clothing in this pattern did appear during the Vietnam War, made in Japan or South Vietnam from cannibalized shelters or Asian made fabric copied form the US design.

• The USMC Mitchell or “clouds” pattern, consists of overlapping dark brown, russet, beige, light brown & ochre "cloud" shapes on a tan background, was printed on the reverse side of the shelter half and helmet cover. A variation of this pattern was adopted by the Police Field Force of South Vietnam.

• In 1948, the US Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratory (ERDL) designed a general purpose jungle camouflage consisting of mid-brown & grass green organic shapes with black "branches" on a lime green background. This pattern, often copied and still in usage today by other nations, is generally referred to as the ERDL pattern. Initially shelved, the pattern was revived again for testing in 1962, and several hundred ERDL tropical combat uniforms were sent to Vietnam for evaluation by USARV in 1966 . Beginning in 1967, ERDL camouflage tropical uniforms began seeing service with reconnaissance and Special Forces personnel deployed to Vietnam. The uniforms were also highly favored by the US Marines, and were obtained in limited quantities by Australian and New Zealand special forces teams deployed there. The original ERDL pattern is predominantly green and is often considered a "lowlands" pattern, referring to its suitability for application as camouflage in the lush, lowland regions of Southest Asia. Some collectors also refer to the ERDL design (as well as all of its many derivatives) as "leaf pattern" camouflage, usually as a differentiation from woodland pattern designs.

• Also released in 1968 was a predominantly brown variation of the ERDL pattern, consisting of mid-brown & grass green organic shapes (the ratio being reversed from the green dominant) with black "branches" on a khaki-tan background. This version is often considered a "highlands" pattern, referring to its suitability for application as camouflage in the rocky, mountainous regions of Southeast Asia.

• Beginning in 1971 the US Army began researching camouflage patterns suitable for deployment to desert regions. The rocky deserts of California were used as the basis for many of these trials and the pattern chosen for limited production in 1977 was a six-color scheme that has affectionately become known as "chocolate chip" pattern due to the resemblance of the black elements to this well-loved cookie ingredient. The pattern consists of two shades of mid-brown over larger areas of sand & tan, dotted with smaller "rock" shapes in black & white. This desert scheme saw heaviest production between 1981 and 1991 and saw considerable service with US military personnel serving on desert exercises in the Sinai, and during military operations in the Persian Gulf (Desert Storm) & Somalia.

• The original slant-pocket M1967 jungle uniforms were only sanctioned for use by US military personnel deployed to Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. Once the war ended, the original ERDL uniforms saw only scattered usage, primarily by the US Marine Corps and US special operations community. Beginning in 1979, however, the DOD again reconsidered camouflage uniforms for issue to military personnel, and designed the Hot Weather Uniform (in a slightly varied cut from the Vietnam era jungle uniform) utilizing surplus stocks of green and brown dominant ERDL camouflage. Subsequent textile production for this uniform saw a distinctive color change from the Vietnam era ERDL patterns, creating what has come to be known among some historians as "transitional ERDL" or "ERDL 2nd generation." This pattern features mid-brown & grass green organic shapes with black "branches" on an light olive green background. This 2nd Generation ERDL uniform was primarily distributed to members of the Rapid Deployment Force and the USMC (along with some special operations personnel), but was officially only in production from 1979 to 1981.

• In 1981 the US Army began full scale production of a modified version of the 2nd generation ERDL pattern known as Woodland Camouflage. Retaining essentially the same color combination, the pattern incorporates a 60% enlargement of the ERDL scheme. The m81 Woodland Camouflage was initially adopted as standard combat and everyday dress by the US Army and USMC (followed by the remaining military services by the late 1980s) and was produced in a wide variety of uniform types, hats, field equipment, protective wear, and the like. The m81 woodland pattern has been one of the most duplicated and modified camouflage patterns ever designed, seeing service with military forces around the world and continuing to be worn today.

• Circa 1983, the US Army and USMC began issuing a two-piece overgarment printed in a unique grid pattern designed to defeat the Vietnam era Soviet-produced night vision equipment they were familiar with. A thigh-length parka and baggy trousers were designed to be worn over the standard combat clothing, thus providing an additional insulating layer when temperatures dropped rapidly in the desert, as well as its intended purpose as camouflage. Unfortunately, military night vision equipment of that period was considerably more sophisticated than the pattern had been designed to confuse, and production of the Night Desert pattern uniform was stopped by the mid-1990s. The camouflage scheme itself consists of a dark green "grid" design with small spots over a light olive green background.

• Following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi Forces in 1990, the US DOD was faced with the very real necessity of outfitting a large number of combat personnel in camouflage uniforms suitable for desert warfare. Although the majority of military personnel deployed in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm wore either standard woodland pattern BDUs or the six-color desert pattern BDU, the Army had already been developing a general purpose camouflage design more suitable to sparsely vegetated, sandy regions such as those found throughout Western Asia and North Africa. The resulting pattern, a three-color design, was in full production by 1991, although a very small scattering of examples are known to have reached US forces during Desert Storm. Consisting of beige & earth brown horizontal waves on a sandy background, the US tricolor desert pattern was since copied & adopted by a great many nations in Western Asia and continues to serve adequately in many countries around the world.

• The concept of "digital camoulfage," designed using computer algorithms and incorporating pixelated shapes rather than more natural organic ones, was pioneered by the Canadian government in 1996. Impressed by statistical evidence indicating digital designs could more effectively camouflage a target than traditional organic types, and seeking a distinctive combat uniform of its own to set its Marines apart from the other US military services, the USMC sought to develop its own digital camouflage pattern. The result is the MARPAT (Marine Pattern) series of designs, adopted in 2001 (and 2005). Although the USMC has laid claim to conducting its own independent schedule of research resulting in the MARPAT camouflage, most experts in the field of camouflage design agree that in fact the they are based entirely around the original Canadian CADPAT schematic. A series of four different variations were tested, although only three were ultimately adopted by the USMC. These are: MARPAT Woodland, MARPAT Desert, MARPAT Winter, and MARPAT Urban (tested, but not adopted). One unique feature of the MARPAT series of patterns is the incorporation of a miniature USMC EGA symbol at periodic stages of the design, thus stamping the "copyright" of the US Marine Corps in these designs.

• Following on the heels of the USMC, in 2004 the US Army adopted its own "digital" camouflage pattern which it termed Universal Camouflage Pattern or UCP. This is, it turns out, nothing but a recoloration of the MARPAT design. The idea behind the concept of "universal camouflage" was to issue the soldier with a single combat uniform capable of performing suitably in any environment. This would remove the need to issue specialized camouflage clothing for soldiers deployed to different geographical areas, such as urban settings, deserts or woodland/jungles. Several years of use have shown, however, that the concept is an almost universal failure, with the UCP performing poorly (or at best only "adequately") in almost every environment, and the new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) itself standing up very inadequately as a replacement for the old BDU. The Army is currently (2010) considering new options for the combat soldier, including a higher functioning camouflage pattern and more durable combat clothing.

• Circa 2002 the USAF opted to join the other two branches in the pursuit of a unique camouflage design to call its own, despite the fact that the majority of USAF personnel do not operate in environments where being camouflaged makes any difference in job performance. The initial pattern tested, a blue "tiger stripe" scheme designed by American company Tiger Stripe Products, did not make the final cut, and instead the USAF chose a pixelated version of the original design. This pattern, USAF Digital Tiger Stripe, uses essentially the same colorways as the Army's UCP and at a distance looks almost the same. Still in the process of integration, it should be fully implemented into the Air Force supply system by 2011.

Other Camouflage Patterns Worn by US Military Personnel

• Early US Army Special Forces advisors deployed to Southeast Asia were outfitted rather inadequately for serving in the extremely warm and wet tropical climate there. Their search for more appropriate clothing, particularly to be used in conducting reconnaissance and ambush operations, led to the procurement of commercially-produced items, as no US military equivalent was available at the time. Based on the original US M1942 jungle spot camouflage pattern, lighter weight hunting uniforms made by American and Asian retail companies - frequently nicknamed "duck hunter" camouflage - were obtained privately by unit commanders and also supplied to indigenous units as part of the CIA-sponsored CIDG program. Commercial duck hunter spot pattern is generally a four or five-color dappled design of multi-sized brown, green & tan spots on khaki, tan, or pale green background. Between 1961 and 1966-7, significant numbers of these commercially available uniforms were worn by US military personnel. The example seen below is but one of several that were commonly employed.

• The South Vietnamese-produced Airborne (Nhãy-Dù) camouflage was a brushstroke design based on the British 1942 windproof pattern, with broad pea green & purplish-brown brushstroke on a pinkish-tan base. This pattern was occasionally worn by US military advisors to the ARVN Airborne Division during the very early years of the Vietnam War. Some collectors and historians refer to this pattern as "ARVN pinks" due to the obvious pinkish overtones.

• South Vietnamese tiger stripe camouflage patterns were very popular with US military personnel during the war, both as operational clothing (employed primarily by elite units such as US Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, and Marine Recon) and as status symbols or off-duty party garments worn by rear echelon personnel. Based on the French tenue du leopard or lizard design, a majority of the tiger patterns worn by US military personnel were made in South Vietnam. Many different styles of tiger stripe emerged between 1964 and 1975 and have been exhaustively documented by author Richard D. Johnson in his excellent book Tiger Patterns. Presented here are a handful of samples from original garments that were produced during this time period.

Advisor's Type Dense pattern

Tadpole Dense pattern

Tadpole Sparse pattern

John Wayne Dense pattern

Late War Lightweight Sparse pattern

• Other countries in Asia, namely Japan/Okinawa, Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan, are also known to have produced tiger stripe camouflage uniforms during this period. Many of these tiger patterned uniforms, privately procured by US service personnel on R&R, did see service during the Vietnam War. An example seen here, from a wartime uniform made in Thailand, is one such pattern.

• OPFOR (Opposing Forces) units within some Infantry Divisions are often given a certain amount of flexibility in outfitting themselves with standardized uniforms not recognizable as American in appearance. This has been especially true since the end of the Cold War, with subsequent de-emphasis on traditional Soviet OPFOR models. Commercial tiger stripe patterns such as those seen here (taken from sample uniforms) are often popular in this role.

• American Special Forces personnel operating in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) have been documented as wearing commercially available Desert Tiger Stripe pattern camouflage uniforms. The pattern, originally developed by Tiger Stripe Products in the USA, features horizontal stripes of dark brown, golden brown & beige on a sandy background.

• Another commonly encountered commercial pattern, and one produced in limited numbers for official issue in Afghanistan since 2010, is Multicam. Originally designed by Crye Precision and tested during the Army Combat Uniform trials of 2001-2002, it is a mottled pattern employing large regions of pinkish-tan, earth brown & light olive green with smaller regions & spots of dark brown, sand & moss green. Multicam was originally championed by personnel in the US Special Operations community, but has seen been tested and approved for issue to military personnel serving in Afghanistan.

Additional Resources

• Article on the development of the CCU (Close Combat Uniform) by Eric H. Larson:

CCU

Notes

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