Camoflage Uniforms

[Dawes]

I think the SG-1 team has, on occasion, worn the three-color desert BDU's on certain missions. Does anyone recall if they ever wore the standard Woodland pattern BDU's?

[Rowan]

I don't believe so. The closest was when Jack and Hammond were wearing the old 'tiger stripe' pattern in "There But For the Grace of God" in the alternate universe. Pretty much every teams wears the woodlands, excpet SG-1.

I think it's so those particular actor/charactors are more visable in a group filming situation.

Rowan

[PTeppic]

Which of course is the entire opposite of the purpose of a decent DPM...

[Rowan]

We just can't have 'too' much reality in our SF, now can we?

Row

[webmouse]

Sort of like in any film with medieval combat, the hero and the villain fight the final battle to the death with their helmets off -- which majorly defeats the purpose of head protection.

Ah, the need for actors to act and to be clearly seen in their acting.

[webmouse]

Please excuse me for double-posting, but it occurs to me that I don't really know what "BDU" nor "DPM" stands for. :blush:

[Dawes]

BDU= Battledress Uniform

DPM= Disruptive Pattern Material

"BDU" is usually used to describe the US military's camoflage fatigues, while "DPM" refers to the British military's camo pattern (which, in my opinion, is somewhat superior to BDU Woodland as an all-purpose concealment pattern).

[webmouse]

Oh, thank you. I was thinking that the 'D' stood for 'day' and I was wondering what they wore at night

So "fatigues" are just the plain green uniform. Is the blue uniforn then the "dress" uniform?

[Dawes]

Jack and Dr. Frazer wear the USAF Service Dess uniform on occasion, and Dr. Frazer wears the light blue blouse/dark blue skirt combination (I believe) to some extent.

[Dawes]

BDU's are actually made in a bewildering array of patterns (including DPM-type patterns). Check out:

www.imsplus.com/ims7.html


My favories are the old 6-color desert ("CHOCOLATE CHIP") and "Safariflage"

[Rowan]

'BDU' = Battle Dress Uniform - is a style of uniform: the cut, the pocket placement, etc. Fatigues is sort of a generic term for field uniforms - utility uniforms - that came before the more codified BDU style. People oftem mean 'woodland camoflague' BDU's when using just the three letter term.

The BDU's come in a frightening collection of colors: mixed and solid, as has been pointed out.

From the beginning of my Army career, I started with the old OD ripstop woman's fatigues from The Viet Nam era [three buttons on each site near where the pockets are], through the od cotton fabric [two styles] and finially to the BDU style [woodland and both desert patterns = 5 color: the 'chocolate chip cookie' or 'seagull' pattern and the 3 color used now]. And 'way too many changes in class A greens and class B's, not counting headgear.

it's amazing the variations that can happen over 20+ years. :}

Rowan

[Dawes]

I started out in the old 100% cotton sateens, went through the permanent press fatigues era, and finally in 1987 the USAF went to the BDU's. The 100% cotton ripstops were pure ****, but later types hold up better. The Marines have adopted their own unique camo suit to better stand out from the crowd. Looks pretty sharp from what I've seen. Some say the end is in sight for the traditional Woodland pattern, and a new pattern may be adopted in the future.

[Rowan]

Wouldn't surprise me. There are some uniform changes in the works for the Army greens: more of a OD color with an Eisenhower Jacket cut [looks sharp and more like a uniform than what we've got now]. Although my husband is justifiably upset with the Army CoS's change ot headgear to the black beret [he has earned several colors of them in his time in the Army, among them maroon, black and teal green], they look *much* better on me than the 'thelidomide mushroom' black thing we had to wear for too many years.

And, in my not-to-humble-opinion, the Marines *always* look sharp. Part of it is how they wear the uniform: from the inside and with intense pride.

My godson is a Marine [even though he's out on a combat medical, they are never 'ex-marines'] and he's awesome in anything from his blues to bdu's. It's the flavor of the person who wears them.

As an aside: I believe that all the branches of the service should consolidate their medical units into one, seperate branch of the service. It's not like we're as 'military' as everyone else and it would make more sense to consolidate training, etc.

Beside... we could desing our own uniforms, etc all. Perhaps something a Doctor could actually wear and not look like they haven't a clue wearing it.

My appologies to any military MD's out there. You folks are great, but ... after 20-some years, we both know you're not comfortable wearing it and would really like something that it would be okay to stuff your hands in your pockets and forget about the hat every now and then ... .

Rowan
US Army Health Services Command [ret]

[Dawes]

Every now and then someone raises the question: Why not readopt the old khaki uniforms? Both Army and AF used them USAF phased them out in 1979, Army a few years later). They do look sharp with all the accouterments attached, and have a long historical background behind them. If they ever come back, for God's sake make them so you can throw them in the washing machine and still come out looking good.

[Rowan]

Deffinately. They wore well, looked sharp and took a nice crease without too much effort. With the modern fabrics available today, there has to be a way to make them more 'user friendly'.

And to all those 'garrison troopers' who insist on 20+ layers of startch to make their BDU's look good: Folks, you ruin the IF shilding when you do that. The fabric in BDU's was chosen to disperse the IF on a set of night-vision goggles. When you startch them, you stand out like a beacon.

A lesson *everyone* learned ricky-tick in the Gulf the first time around. "Wrinkles" beat "Target" in pretty much everyone's book.

Rowan <who must be getting cranky in her old age...