| When you think of camouflage, the first thing that | | | | cotton, making them easily breathable in the 115 or |
| probably comes to mind is standard issue greens that | | | | above degree heat experienced in the Iraqi desert. |
| look like someone took three or four paintbrushes | | | | ACU digital camouflage has recently come into use in |
| with different shades of green and splashed them | | | | the United States Army as well. To picture this |
| randomly on the clothes. You probably also think of | | | | pattern, think of the game Tetris, with its various |
| extremely insulated and thick material that almost | | | | shapes created by putting blocks together. The |
| feels like canvas. Thanks to modern technology, | | | | greens and browns in these camouflage items are |
| testing, and government awareness of the changing | | | | fitted together in this manner, appearing almost like |
| scenes of war, this is not always what is referred to | | | | pixels in a digital camera. This pattern has been found |
| when talking about camouflage anymore. While still in | | | | to blend into several environments, including |
| use and quite popular, this stereotyped camouflage is | | | | woodland, desert, and urban locations. That makes |
| by far outdated in many instances and has been | | | | this type of camouflage a great all purpose design. |
| replaced in many cases with newer, more effective | | | | A form of camouflage that works well in jungle and |
| camouflage patterns. Depending on the use, soldiers | | | | heavily leafy environments is tiger stripe camouflage. |
| may have various patterns worn for various | | | | Looking like exactly what its name implies, the |
| circumstances. | | | | yellowish and greenish stripes (which appear almost |
| Woodland camouflage is probably the most popular | | | | black, depending on the lighting) help soldiers to blend |
| form and is the first thing that tends to come to | | | | into a jungle environment, where much of the |
| mind when thinking of a camouflage pattern. It is the | | | | greenery is in the form of long fronds and branches |
| classic mixture of greens and browns with no real | | | | and where animals with stripes (tigers, as you may |
| pattern that mimics the various hues of a forested | | | | guess) tend to strike fear into the hearts of the |
| area full of trees, leaves, and shrubs, thus earning its | | | | enemy. Tiger stripe camouflage was used a lot in the |
| name. The most notorious and widely used | | | | Vietnam War. |
| camouflage pattern, woodland camouflage has been | | | | City camouflage, also referred to as urban or |
| around for ages. However, over the years, it has | | | | subdued urban camouflage, is quite different. Instead |
| been determined that this is not the most | | | | of having the standard greens and browns, city |
| appropriate pattern to actually camouflage soldiers | | | | camouflage is a woodland pattern made of mixed |
| under all circumstances. | | | | blacks and grays. These colors blend more with urban |
| The desert 6 colors camouflage pattern came into | | | | surroundings and allow police officers and SWAT |
| use during Operation Desert Storm, as well as the | | | | teams to hide in heavily populated areas full of gray |
| wars in Somalia. Finding that the standard issue | | | | and black buildings. The pattern can also be useful for |
| woodland camouflage actually stood out against the | | | | night raids. These are sometimes used at night in Iraq |
| sandy, treeless backdrop of the Middle Eastern | | | | as well to help blend in with the extreme darkness |
| deserts, the United States military began to issue its | | | | that falls over the desert at night. |
| soldiers these duds, which replaced the greens and | | | | Obviously, woodland camouflage is no longer standard |
| dark browns with the colors of the desert - tan and | | | | issue. While many other countries still use this design |
| light browns with smaller green markings sprinkled | | | | regardless of the application, the United States does |
| throughout. Also, these were made of a cotton | | | | everything possible to make their soldiers safe, as |
| polyester blend, making them less insulating in the | | | | well as comfortable. The innovative techniques put |
| terrible heat of the desert. | | | | into practice to help camouflage the soldiers today |
| A still further improvement in this area that is now | | | | have saved lives and taken more danger than ever |
| being used by soldiers in Iraq is the desert 3 colors | | | | out of the daily responsibilities at the edge of the |
| camouflage. These fatigues, as per their name, use | | | | battlefield. With continued research, new camouflage |
| only three colors - tan, beige, and standard brown. | | | | patterns are being tested and issued all the time for |
| The three shades mimic the look of sand even | | | | efficacy, and as the need arises, soldiers will receive |
| better, allowing soldiers to literally blend into the | | | | new patterns that could make their job even less |
| dunes around them and never be noticed. Best of all, | | | | dangerous. |
| the desert 3 colors camouflage is typically 100% | | | | |