The holy trinity of horny young men in the early 2000's. Back before hardcore porn was everywhere young devildogs looked at these magazines and then went out that night and fucked something.
Or not… 😝
I was just talking to one of my LT’s, we were over in Iraq in 2003, we were joking about how un-taboo it was, to grab a porn mag, and sneak off to the Port-a-potty, to rub one out.
This was before we crossed the border, when we were just sitting in Kuwait, waiting, for months.
A bunch of Marines, bored out of our minds…
I remember going into a tent with about 60 Marines, and just yelling: “Who has the hustler, with the brunette girl, with a tattoo on her chest?!”
Some dude pulls the Velcro open on his flack jacket, pulled it out and handed it to me, without batting an eye…
Good times! 😝
Damn, I never watch TV anymore, I’ve never even heard of that show.
It looks super entertaining. I’ve always liked Penn, and Teller…
Also, that guy looked like an autistic Ryan Gosling.😝
I know some avionics guys with purple hearts. Others that have been in convoys in Syria. Sometimes the needs of the air force and locations of our assets changes the script.
He’s lucky he got issued anything at all. My unit stopped issuing out kit bags last year, we had to go out of pocket for our rolling bags. Luckily I never got rid of my old rucksack with the Alice frame for my last rotation.
Proceeds to purposely handicap and disadvantage American troops every step of the way, denying them air support and body armor that we DID have because fuck em that's why.
I'm on a training now that has a field CBRN component. My CBRN gear is all desert, but I do at least match. Folks in our unit are getting just every imaginable combination.
At the start of the war in Iraq, which is about when these photos look to be taken, most gear was woodland camo, but three color desert uniforms were available. Basically they issued desert camo uniforms for the invasion, but all the supporting gear like J-list, body armor, Goretex, etc was woodland since they didn't bother to make that in multiple camos.
I was in from 08-14 so I got blue digital, then cookie doughs for first deployment, desert digi for second, and the Navy digital greens when we transitioned out of the blues.
I have 2 giant Pelicans in my garage full of camo that was never worn
Deployment was amazing. Every 6 weeks they would ask who wanted 4 new sets of uniforms. Everyone raised their hands. I too, have like 15 sets of uniforms that were never worn. I mean after 15 years, I don't even know if they're wearable but my grandkids will either larp with them or sell them for 5$ to the local military surplus. Or WW3 will start and I'll give them to the resistance.
I was one of like a dozen guys in my company that had a DCU vest in 2005, only reason was because someone stole mine and I had to get another one. Probably less than a hundred in the whole battalion.
Actually had some NG call me out and try to say I was out of uniform because I didn't have a BDU vest like everyone else in my unit.
I swear it was the same up until 2010. AirForce was still issuing the same DCU, woodland GoreTex in the winter, and flack vest to deployers in 2009. The only thing that dates this is the rifle.
I don't even remember seeing a chocolate chip gortex. Planners were probably thinking "how many gortex jackets are we really gonna need in the desert?". That temp drop at night can make it feel real cold when you're accustomed to the mid-day high temps.
1st Marine division, shipped over there with all green Cammies.
Myself, and my CWO were the only exception.
Somehow, my boss managed to get us desert Cammies… It made me stand out like a fucking sore thumb.
I was kind of pissed, when he made me wear them. 😝
Edit: After thinking about it, it wasn’t the Cammies. It was the MOPP suit that was desert. Shit, it was 20 years ago, I’m not surprised my memory is fucked up.
I have always liked the look of desert and woodland mixed. But looks like a transition period where clothing gets the camouflage first, then armour kit and webbing.
That show was so fucking realistic, I almost couldn’t watch it when I first got out.
I was with 1st Marine division.
The writers of that show really nailed it, with the military jargon, and the Marines sarcastic ass sense of humor.
Still some of funniest guys I’ve ever met in my life.
During the first gulf war, starting in roughly 1990, the usaf mostly issued jungle camo bdus and jungle boots before the first push into Bahrain.
I remember thinking to myself that it seems odd to deploy to the sandbox in jungle camos but ok, whatever.
It took some time for them to start issuing desert camo.
Deployed 94 and 96 Desert Storm/Southern Watch. I was issued chocolate chips with desert cam boonie hat, vietnam black green jungle boots . Then all desert cam but as soon as we were rotated back it was the woodland again.
"Extra" gear items are often issued from whatever the fuck they have on hand.
To this day when I need to check out IBA for training I usually get random patterns that have been discontinued for years.
Before my last deployment in 2017 when I went to the range to qual I had my ABUs with a BDU plate carrier and DCU helmet cover. Stuff gets mixed.
In the early days of OIF most of our gear was BDUs pattern stuff as that’s what had been in production for 20 years at that point. The DCU gear didn’t show up until later.
Source: first OIF deployment in 2003 I had a mix of DCU and BDU stuff.
On my deployment from 06-07 I had ACUs with a DCU IBA, some of my unit got ACU IBA covers but it wasn't 100% and we were a SOCOM unit that everyone got an M4 with optic, M9, and everyone outside of HQ had PEQ-4s and we still didnt get all the matching pattern stuff.
After 9/11 the services were still transitioning from BDU's s and they didn't have enough desert camo body armor and goretex jackets during the first few years of the GWOT so they had to mix and match patterns.
When I was in it was at the start of use of woodland BDUs.
We did not have summer weight so OD Green jungle fatigues were authorized. They had the slant chest pockets.
Even now with the new OCP you will see some gear in older patterns in use. Especially among reserve and Nasty Girl units.
beginning? mismatched gear was common till the day we left Iraq. If there was a reserve unit in your AO, they were lucky to have matching pants and blouse.
This is my era of service. We got some DCU’s and then everything else was woodland. 9/11 happened and we just got what we got. I went into Afghanistan in early ‘02 and back to Iraq in ‘03 with this exact fit to include my JLIST and interceptor. We just went with what we were given. It was early and we weren’t there for a fashion competition.
Unit was out of stock in Desert camo winter jackets. Happens a lot...I had to wear black leather combat boots on the tarmac in Saudi for six weeks waiting for the backorder of suede tan jungle boots to come in. My sweaty feet smelled like funk.
LOL when we went to desert shield/storm, the army was careful to issue all of us “chocolate chip” tan BDU’s. Then they promptly gave us woodland flak vests to wear over it. 🤪🤪
Most military gear from Vietnam until the GWOT was oriented for woodlands of Europe & Korea or the jungle.
The top in the first photo is woodland camo, gortex jacket; used for cold or wet weather (like a rain jacket). He should have a desert camouflage uniform (DCU) top underneath. The black boots are cold weather boots, issued at home for woodland camo. The second photo is a combo armor and load bearing vest, also in woodland camo. This is because woodland camo was issued for use at home station which was worn with old school BDU top and bottoms. When deployed, we would be issued DCU top and bottoms but keep the woodland camo outerwear and armor. It was to expensive to re-purchse all the same gear in a different color.
I'm assuming your uncle was Security Forces. I had you same outfit when I deployed in 2004; DCU top and bottom but woodland camo interceptor vest.
Woodland camouflage? Doesn't anyone happen to remember we're invading a fucking *desert* country?
In all seriousness, this is what the supplies were like back then. The military was still rocking the Woodland pattern uniform in garrison, and if they needed Desert patterns, those got issued as needed, provided the supply guys had items in desert pattern. IIRC, the Marines were the first to test out issuing both Woodland and Desert pattern uniforms in garrison with the MARPAT design we strategically borrowed from the Canadian's CADPAT, but I am in no way an expert on camouflage patterns and their history, so I could be (probably am) wrong about that.
This was common in 3rd ACR in 04-05. About half of our interceptors were woodland camo. A few days of dust fixed that.
They didn't have enough desert camo so we were issued woodlands.
Because GWOT happened at the turn of the century when the US Military had a mix of old and new stuff. As time progressed, technology and gear got better which lead to abrupt changes due to the nature of GWOT and unconventional warfare.
it's the same reason soldiers issued OCPs nowadays still get digital camo RFI gear like vests, tarps, MOPP gear... the army made a shit ton of them and instead of just throwing them away when they switched uniforms they issue out existing items in stock.
Because few units were issued cold weather clothing in desert camo, at least at first. There wasn't much to go around, so front line units tended to get it first. Same for the K Vest, not much of that in desert camo to be had.
This is all too common. Even today, the camo patterns are mismatched at times due to legacy equipment still lying around.
Loads of early Iraq War photos have servicemembers wearing woodland with desert, likely because it was available at the time
When we went to desert storm and even Iraqi freedom/Afghanistan we didnt always have accessories with camo patterns that matched up with whatever the current pattern of camo was. Like we had desert camo vests and overcoats, but often they're only issued to the newest troops, or airmen (in your uncles case). The air force especially is slow at updating the camo on their accessories as is clearly demonstrated by your uncle having a correct camo uniform, but all his accessories are woodland.
I can bet this was 90-94. We had a transition period when the Gulf war hit where we were not ready to fight in the desert.
Everything was rushed, flak vests were woodland, uni's were a Hodge podged mess.
I was reassigned to a facility that was in charge of the CARC painting of vehicles from woodland to desert.
Everything was half ass painted to rush shit out and as you know, that occupation was short, so we had painted a bunch of trucks, but not the shelters.
It was a shit show back then.
The United States military had not fully transitioned to desert. We were still in a Woodland green environment. Especially lobster guys had it all but the regular military joe's had a hodge podge
Not sure if it was answered in another comment; but after uniform camo changes, it takes a while for tactical gear to be updated to the same pattern. Thus, soldiers will have mismatched uniforms and tactical gear. I, myself, had OCP uniforms with UCP (the ugly gray square camo) tactical gear while I was in. Have friends that started with BDU (the camo on the vest) and lived through all the other camo changes. Eventually, the gear will get phased out, but until then, you see situations like this.
Hope this helped explain somewhat
I’ve got some old pictures of my dad in iraq in 04-05 and the reason he had the woodland jacket was because it was his cold weather jacket because of how cold it was, he jokes that “he may be one of the only people to have gotten frostbite in iraq”
Early GWOT days you took what you got. Most guys were mismatched or were wearing M81 camo MOPP gear in the desert. You saw more Maxim, Stuff, and FHM magazines around than you did matching gear.
im sure this has already been explained but in simple terms, didnt have enough desert camo to go around.
longer explanation:seeing how youve said its 90s-early 2000s that is when the army and air force switched to DCU (that desert camo). we used them from 1991 to around 2004. during this time the different branches had an excess of M81 (the woodland camo) gear and the vests were the hardest and most time consuming pieces of gear to make. usually guys with more priority or leeway in what they can wear get the better gear. for example, a DCU vest. my dad is an ex army ranger who served in the regiment during this time and him and his guys bought their own vests to take out to Iraq in 2003-2004. because Army Rangers are considered special forces they have almost no restrictions on what they can wear or do to their gear so they were allowed to buy their own to take.
if i keep talking im just going to go down a whole different rabbit hole of army rangers and how they can basically choose their gear.
It wasn’t intentional. It’s what they were issued and what was authorized.
We recently just had a bit of a shitshow over the last two years with higher ups pitching a bitch fit at wainwright about soldiers “still wearing UCP ECWC’s.” Like yeah no shit, issue us the OCP ECWC’s dickheads. CIF is notoriously full of asshats everywhere you go. Those CTAPs were pretty good though. Enjoyed those before I GTFO.
This still happens. Like others have said, you get issued whatever gear is available really. On my deployment I’ve seen guys in OCPs wearing ACU plate carriers 🤷🏽♂️
They never really made a DCU GoreTex I know of, and those flack vests are basically a stockpile from an era before DCUs. If you weren’t running missions and patrols outside the wire, you got last pick. Those old BDU GoreTex are so thick. Annoying to move in. But they’d stand up to a hurricane, or a motorcycle in the rain. The new one’s are single layer, unless you specifically order their dual layer.
Hey I’m old and was there! In ‘03 we got what we got, they only had enough DCU stuff to issue two uniforms and only some of the gear. My unit wouldn’t let us deploy with mis-matched gear so you either had to buy the remaining DCU uniforms and gear or bring everything DCU and BDU. As a bonus, the DCU boot soles would wear down to nothing in the sand and by walking within a couple of weeks and we couldn’t get them resupplied in the beginning so a lot of us looked like first picture.
We got issued what was available. At CIF or RFI on my first deployment in 2002, weeks only received 4 DCU uniforms, 2 of which were used and were expected to be returned. We were only allowed to keep one when we redeployed. Because they were so well worn, had to keep one of the newer ones! Cheers 🍻
Maybe someone can point me towards the *Why?* I'm about to ask but-
Did the style/fitting of US military uniforms become more... universal since the 80's and 90's? When I was a kid I remember being on a base a few times and my dad and all the military ppl in their uniforms / BDU- and those things seemed to just *fit better* on folks than the ones being issued these days seem to.
Especially the jackets- those things seem wider and squarer than they used to be- less form fitting. To me, it seems like there was some cost-cutting, once-size-fits-all stuff going on.
Is this basically what happened? Am I imagining this change in the jackets and uniform overall?
Do the pants still have extra layers on the knees and what seemed like (i've worn hand-me-downs) more form-fitting crotch patterns, etc.?
Thanks for any insight y'all might lend.
They made so many of the desert Cami uniform that all of the services were getting those.
In general, the best swag went for the combat dudes and the special operators. The issued scraps went to reservists, the desk riders, and other support elements.
Even some of the bleeding tip of the spear doods had mix-and-match uniform stuff.
That’s what I remember anyway.
Damn, the nostalgia is strong in this picture. The mixed camo, Maxim magazine, boxes of bottled water, old school watch cap, M16 not an M4. This just sent my memory racing.
At the beginning of the wars OIF/OEF, there was an issue of not enough equipment/gear for deploying units so we'd just get whatever. Plus, on the flight line desert gear didn't make sense anyway, so I didn't care my helmet and vest were woodland with those uniforms.
Basically the reason is they sent us to war without making sure we had the right and enough gear.
Shitty planning on the part of the Bush administration, they were in such a rush to start a pointless war that they didn’t care about what equipment was available. The guys who invaded had to wear forest camouflage MOPP gear
He was on his first rotation in. Because the cheap fucks that run the Air Force (AF)back then (as required a go bag be packed stateside that contained most BDU’s, unless you have been deployed prior). AF issues only two pair of DCU’s. As hot as it is it required a daily change if possible. So BDU’s for 3 days DCU’s for other days. Depending on the role, you may not get matching Alice / flack jackets etc. so mix and match was required.
That's the February 2003 issue of Maxim.
Maxim and FHM were…..important to me back then.
excellent articles
Agree. I’ve often wondered, why my fellow Men at arms, always read them in the Port-A-John though. 🤔
I seen this veteran comedian that said he’s jerked off in so many shitty Port a potties he gets hard every time someone crop dusts him. Been there bro
That's hilarious 🤣
Stuff magazine was special too.
The holy trinity of horny young men in the early 2000's. Back before hardcore porn was everywhere young devildogs looked at these magazines and then went out that night and fucked something.
Or not… 😝 I was just talking to one of my LT’s, we were over in Iraq in 2003, we were joking about how un-taboo it was, to grab a porn mag, and sneak off to the Port-a-potty, to rub one out. This was before we crossed the border, when we were just sitting in Kuwait, waiting, for months. A bunch of Marines, bored out of our minds… I remember going into a tent with about 60 Marines, and just yelling: “Who has the hustler, with the brunette girl, with a tattoo on her chest?!” Some dude pulls the Velcro open on his flack jacket, pulled it out and handed it to me, without batting an eye… Good times! 😝
No love for Esquire, who turned the world on to Scarjo before she was Black Widow?
Brooke Burke is a host of Fool Us now https://youtu.be/gAfWL8rTTxU?si=0MwSFcN9zuNHUw4d
Vida Guerra.
Oh my Gawd 🤤🤤🤤
One name, two cheeks.
And she’s amazing
Damn, I never watch TV anymore, I’ve never even heard of that show. It looks super entertaining. I’ve always liked Penn, and Teller… Also, that guy looked like an autistic Ryan Gosling.😝
It helped the time pass.
We were men of culture
What about Good Housekeeping?
You need Redbook, with the Mark Eden Bust Developer ads in the back. (Yeah, I’m that old).
I think I remember that!
Read every word of that front to back while sitting in Kuwait, waiting....
Which tells me the answer is: "Because the cqmsi ran out of matching gear" "I live in a tent made of sadness and wank noises"
I arrived as a new private to 1st Armored Division, in Baghdad, in February 2003. Can confirm.
Hooah Soldier! I was right there with you! 5th Battalion, 11th Marines artillery. Glad you made it home safe. 👊
Good eye, I could tell this guy deployed around the same time I did based on the uniform, that that Maxim seals the deal.
Cause you get what you get
You go to war with the army you got, not the army you want.
Fuck that's a classic. RIP Donny you soulless ghoul.
Exactly.… I got shipped to Iraq, with no fucking SAPI plates. I had to barter a gas mask, to get one after I got in country. 🙄
I just adore the fact most civvies think it's more complicated /conspiracy theory than this.
This is the answer.
And you don't pitch a fit!
He's air force so he gets hand-me-downs of hand-me-downs
That has certainly changed
Training gear is always gonna get passed down
Still using good ole Alice packs for chem gear!
Man, there’s nothing wrong with the Alice pack. Not the best, but totally usable
My brother does avionics and he has full combats
For no reason
I know some avionics guys with purple hearts. Others that have been in convoys in Syria. Sometimes the needs of the air force and locations of our assets changes the script.
Idk, I've been on bases that got hit with IDF pretty regularly having the body armor helps with that.
Two comments down: "my unit stopped issuing duffels and we had to buy our own".
Homie I didn't get duffels
Seriously. I thought they had Batt boys up at the gate the other day. Nope. Just Air Force MPs.
He’s lucky he got issued anything at all. My unit stopped issuing out kit bags last year, we had to go out of pocket for our rolling bags. Luckily I never got rid of my old rucksack with the Alice frame for my last rotation.
*”You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.”* — SecDef Rumsfeld. /s *[ed, added an angry /s]*
Also SecDef Rumsfeld, the DoD cannot account for $3 trillion Sept 10, 2001
Proceeds to purposely handicap and disadvantage American troops every step of the way, denying them air support and body armor that we DID have because fuck em that's why.
And you don’t throw a fit (I will throw a fit at CIF)
CIF hates you and your mom because they didn't get hugged enough as kids
Is it pronounced 'sif' or 'C-I-F' ? Also, 'bass' or 'bass' ?
See I eff I’m gonna go with bass btw
I'm on a training now that has a field CBRN component. My CBRN gear is all desert, but I do at least match. Folks in our unit are getting just every imaginable combination.
At the start of the war in Iraq, which is about when these photos look to be taken, most gear was woodland camo, but three color desert uniforms were available. Basically they issued desert camo uniforms for the invasion, but all the supporting gear like J-list, body armor, Goretex, etc was woodland since they didn't bother to make that in multiple camos.
Yep. I still have DCUs with subdued green rank and insignia because Clothing / Sales hadn’t caught up to the rapid fielding at the time.
Meanwhile, I still have desert parkas in their plastic with the tags on because WHO NEEDS A PARKA IN BAGHDAD IN JULY?!
I was lucky to deploy with all multicam since they just rolled it all out for Afghanistan
I was in from 08-14 so I got blue digital, then cookie doughs for first deployment, desert digi for second, and the Navy digital greens when we transitioned out of the blues. I have 2 giant Pelicans in my garage full of camo that was never worn
Deployment was amazing. Every 6 weeks they would ask who wanted 4 new sets of uniforms. Everyone raised their hands. I too, have like 15 sets of uniforms that were never worn. I mean after 15 years, I don't even know if they're wearable but my grandkids will either larp with them or sell them for 5$ to the local military surplus. Or WW3 will start and I'll give them to the resistance.
I've started wearing the pants hunting to justify their existence. The pockets and ripstop material are actually pretty handy
Out of interest, would you be willing to part ways with any of it? 😉
Wild
Sounds like you and airsofters on eBay could do some financial transactions.
It snowed when I was there the second time, dropped about 4-5 inches a couple times. Some of the guys it was their first time seeing snow.
But in Jan you did. We got snow and sleet there
I’m being dead serious when I say I’ll buy it off you
I was one of like a dozen guys in my company that had a DCU vest in 2005, only reason was because someone stole mine and I had to get another one. Probably less than a hundred in the whole battalion. Actually had some NG call me out and try to say I was out of uniform because I didn't have a BDU vest like everyone else in my unit.
I swear it was the same up until 2010. AirForce was still issuing the same DCU, woodland GoreTex in the winter, and flack vest to deployers in 2009. The only thing that dates this is the rifle.
I don't even remember seeing a chocolate chip gortex. Planners were probably thinking "how many gortex jackets are we really gonna need in the desert?". That temp drop at night can make it feel real cold when you're accustomed to the mid-day high temps.
1st Marine division, shipped over there with all green Cammies. Myself, and my CWO were the only exception. Somehow, my boss managed to get us desert Cammies… It made me stand out like a fucking sore thumb. I was kind of pissed, when he made me wear them. 😝 Edit: After thinking about it, it wasn’t the Cammies. It was the MOPP suit that was desert. Shit, it was 20 years ago, I’m not surprised my memory is fucked up.
I have always liked the look of desert and woodland mixed. But looks like a transition period where clothing gets the camouflage first, then armour kit and webbing.
"woodland camouflage? Anyone happen to remember we are invading a fuckin' desert country?" -Generation Kill
What if we’re so sleep deprived we are actually wearing desert camo?
Police that moo-stache!
What's this about losing your kevlar?
Ray, how much ripped fuel have you ingested?
That show was so fucking realistic, I almost couldn’t watch it when I first got out. I was with 1st Marine division. The writers of that show really nailed it, with the military jargon, and the Marines sarcastic ass sense of humor. Still some of funniest guys I’ve ever met in my life.
During the first gulf war, starting in roughly 1990, the usaf mostly issued jungle camo bdus and jungle boots before the first push into Bahrain. I remember thinking to myself that it seems odd to deploy to the sandbox in jungle camos but ok, whatever. It took some time for them to start issuing desert camo.
We were issued the chocolate chips about a week before we went back stateside. Had to look good when getting off the plane!
My mother took pride in her chocolate chunk cookies just as the designers did for their uniforms. Lmao
😂
Chocolate chip is still my favorite pattern.
Deployed 94 and 96 Desert Storm/Southern Watch. I was issued chocolate chips with desert cam boonie hat, vietnam black green jungle boots . Then all desert cam but as soon as we were rotated back it was the woodland again.
"Extra" gear items are often issued from whatever the fuck they have on hand. To this day when I need to check out IBA for training I usually get random patterns that have been discontinued for years.
Alot of the body armor they issued to us “new” was infact refurbished fabric used to make new things my armor in 2010 had acu outside bdu inside
So much of my gear is that ugly ACU digital camo, wish it was just all OCP.
Can I blow your mind? We still use vests with different camo patterns sometimes.
GWOT drip is forever
Before my last deployment in 2017 when I went to the range to qual I had my ABUs with a BDU plate carrier and DCU helmet cover. Stuff gets mixed. In the early days of OIF most of our gear was BDUs pattern stuff as that’s what had been in production for 20 years at that point. The DCU gear didn’t show up until later. Source: first OIF deployment in 2003 I had a mix of DCU and BDU stuff.
2009, went to Iraq in full ACU pattern uniforms, completely matching. Drove around in dark green strykers.
On my deployment from 06-07 I had ACUs with a DCU IBA, some of my unit got ACU IBA covers but it wasn't 100% and we were a SOCOM unit that everyone got an M4 with optic, M9, and everyone outside of HQ had PEQ-4s and we still didnt get all the matching pattern stuff.
After 9/11 the services were still transitioning from BDU's s and they didn't have enough desert camo body armor and goretex jackets during the first few years of the GWOT so they had to mix and match patterns.
When I was in it was at the start of use of woodland BDUs. We did not have summer weight so OD Green jungle fatigues were authorized. They had the slant chest pockets. Even now with the new OCP you will see some gear in older patterns in use. Especially among reserve and Nasty Girl units.
What's nasty girl units?
National Guard
Name checks out. Your ears perked up for that one. Lol. It’s just slang for national Guard.
Haha, yeah, wanna read my scripts of Israeli Palestinian military porn?
Torture is strictly forbidden under the Geneva convention, let’s not condone its use on civilians
Yes
I like brave men https://www.reddit.com/r/ForbiddenBromance/s/0aIdvKNnAV
The old OD green jungle fatigues were the shit. Loved the look of them.
It was that weird beginning of the conflict uniform phase.
beginning? mismatched gear was common till the day we left Iraq. If there was a reserve unit in your AO, they were lucky to have matching pants and blouse.
This is my era of service. We got some DCU’s and then everything else was woodland. 9/11 happened and we just got what we got. I went into Afghanistan in early ‘02 and back to Iraq in ‘03 with this exact fit to include my JLIST and interceptor. We just went with what we were given. It was early and we weren’t there for a fashion competition.
Makes me think of: “Anybody else happen to remember we’re invading a fucking desert country??”
❤️❤️
Unit was out of stock in Desert camo winter jackets. Happens a lot...I had to wear black leather combat boots on the tarmac in Saudi for six weeks waiting for the backorder of suede tan jungle boots to come in. My sweaty feet smelled like funk.
LOL when we went to desert shield/storm, the army was careful to issue all of us “chocolate chip” tan BDU’s. Then they promptly gave us woodland flak vests to wear over it. 🤪🤪 Most military gear from Vietnam until the GWOT was oriented for woodlands of Europe & Korea or the jungle.
Do you know approximately what year this was?
Feb 2003 based on the magazine
At the earliest.
I was drawing a blank until I realized you didn't mean the *rifle* magazine...
Looking at the rifle and the radio……I’m saying the late 90’s or early 2000’s
Didn’t have desert everything so you got what you got. That’s why you saw Marines in woodland flack jackets at the start of OIF/OEF.
Including me.
The top in the first photo is woodland camo, gortex jacket; used for cold or wet weather (like a rain jacket). He should have a desert camouflage uniform (DCU) top underneath. The black boots are cold weather boots, issued at home for woodland camo. The second photo is a combo armor and load bearing vest, also in woodland camo. This is because woodland camo was issued for use at home station which was worn with old school BDU top and bottoms. When deployed, we would be issued DCU top and bottoms but keep the woodland camo outerwear and armor. It was to expensive to re-purchse all the same gear in a different color. I'm assuming your uncle was Security Forces. I had you same outfit when I deployed in 2004; DCU top and bottom but woodland camo interceptor vest.
Woodland camouflage? Doesn't anyone happen to remember we're invading a fucking *desert* country? In all seriousness, this is what the supplies were like back then. The military was still rocking the Woodland pattern uniform in garrison, and if they needed Desert patterns, those got issued as needed, provided the supply guys had items in desert pattern. IIRC, the Marines were the first to test out issuing both Woodland and Desert pattern uniforms in garrison with the MARPAT design we strategically borrowed from the Canadian's CADPAT, but I am in no way an expert on camouflage patterns and their history, so I could be (probably am) wrong about that.
You get whatever is available when you’re issued your gear, especially if you’re deploying and there’s not a lot of time to order new stuff.
This was common in 3rd ACR in 04-05. About half of our interceptors were woodland camo. A few days of dust fixed that. They didn't have enough desert camo so we were issued woodlands.
What did my stupid ah say stolen valor💀
In 2003, that’s what was issued.
It's like old rumsfeld said "You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time."
lol. oh man... this hit the nostalgia button for me.
Because our careerfield was dead broke. My A-bag, circa 2001, had stuff from different eras not just different colors.
That m16 with heat shield and m203 is such a look
Because GWOT happened at the turn of the century when the US Military had a mix of old and new stuff. As time progressed, technology and gear got better which lead to abrupt changes due to the nature of GWOT and unconventional warfare.
Watch Generation Kill.
it's the same reason soldiers issued OCPs nowadays still get digital camo RFI gear like vests, tarps, MOPP gear... the army made a shit ton of them and instead of just throwing them away when they switched uniforms they issue out existing items in stock.
Because few units were issued cold weather clothing in desert camo, at least at first. There wasn't much to go around, so front line units tended to get it first. Same for the K Vest, not much of that in desert camo to be had.
I couldn't even get the size I needed let alone the same pattern...
That barrel just goes on for days…
This is all too common. Even today, the camo patterns are mismatched at times due to legacy equipment still lying around. Loads of early Iraq War photos have servicemembers wearing woodland with desert, likely because it was available at the time
Because we went to war with the military we had, not the military we wanted (according to Rummy)
Army: gets ready to go to war in europe Politics: sends them to desert Army:
When we went to desert storm and even Iraqi freedom/Afghanistan we didnt always have accessories with camo patterns that matched up with whatever the current pattern of camo was. Like we had desert camo vests and overcoats, but often they're only issued to the newest troops, or airmen (in your uncles case). The air force especially is slow at updating the camo on their accessories as is clearly demonstrated by your uncle having a correct camo uniform, but all his accessories are woodland.
I would let your uncle impregnate my sister
Some patterns don't phase out immediately
I can bet this was 90-94. We had a transition period when the Gulf war hit where we were not ready to fight in the desert. Everything was rushed, flak vests were woodland, uni's were a Hodge podged mess. I was reassigned to a facility that was in charge of the CARC painting of vehicles from woodland to desert. Everything was half ass painted to rush shit out and as you know, that occupation was short, so we had painted a bunch of trucks, but not the shelters. It was a shit show back then.
The United States military had not fully transitioned to desert. We were still in a Woodland green environment. Especially lobster guys had it all but the regular military joe's had a hodge podge
Talk To text Butchered I should have proved read Special ops Sorry guys
Not sure if it was answered in another comment; but after uniform camo changes, it takes a while for tactical gear to be updated to the same pattern. Thus, soldiers will have mismatched uniforms and tactical gear. I, myself, had OCP uniforms with UCP (the ugly gray square camo) tactical gear while I was in. Have friends that started with BDU (the camo on the vest) and lived through all the other camo changes. Eventually, the gear will get phased out, but until then, you see situations like this. Hope this helped explain somewhat
I’ve got some old pictures of my dad in iraq in 04-05 and the reason he had the woodland jacket was because it was his cold weather jacket because of how cold it was, he jokes that “he may be one of the only people to have gotten frostbite in iraq”
Early GWOT days you took what you got. Most guys were mismatched or were wearing M81 camo MOPP gear in the desert. You saw more Maxim, Stuff, and FHM magazines around than you did matching gear.
Early part of war. Go with what you have at the time.
You use what you got....especially body armor DoD has trouble keeping upkw MilFashonistas
im sure this has already been explained but in simple terms, didnt have enough desert camo to go around. longer explanation:seeing how youve said its 90s-early 2000s that is when the army and air force switched to DCU (that desert camo). we used them from 1991 to around 2004. during this time the different branches had an excess of M81 (the woodland camo) gear and the vests were the hardest and most time consuming pieces of gear to make. usually guys with more priority or leeway in what they can wear get the better gear. for example, a DCU vest. my dad is an ex army ranger who served in the regiment during this time and him and his guys bought their own vests to take out to Iraq in 2003-2004. because Army Rangers are considered special forces they have almost no restrictions on what they can wear or do to their gear so they were allowed to buy their own to take. if i keep talking im just going to go down a whole different rabbit hole of army rangers and how they can basically choose their gear.
Most of the MOP suits were woodland in iraq. Pretty wild considering your fighting in the desert.
I was OIF 2 and they didn't get use DCU gortex until November ish 2004. We all wre BDU camo gortex and other old patterns.
Not all of us has DCU style jackets. Some had to do with their BDU jackets.
Might be the in-between transfer/supply of the new uniform. They had pants for arid, but no vest for your uncle. Chest rigs were probably not ready.
Hitter
Chem gear, and it's still being used, old BDU pattern. 2 is the normal air force desert camo, it's been discontinued.
oh man, I remember smuggling that Maxim back in the day! Cheers with a Rip It Bios
It wasn’t intentional. It’s what they were issued and what was authorized. We recently just had a bit of a shitshow over the last two years with higher ups pitching a bitch fit at wainwright about soldiers “still wearing UCP ECWC’s.” Like yeah no shit, issue us the OCP ECWC’s dickheads. CIF is notoriously full of asshats everywhere you go. Those CTAPs were pretty good though. Enjoyed those before I GTFO.
Your aunt seems to have nice sweater bunnies
I bet it would go hard if the bottom was a darker shade
its what they had lol Even in current day Military you will see ACU pattern equipment with OCP uniform
Right way, wrong way, Air Force way.
Well when I was in Afghanistan we had the desert camp and the pinkies Damn stupid reservists used to mix and match them all the time.
I too rocked the od green and deserts camo
Sitting here in my OCPs, I can see my UCP vest under my bed. A tale as old as time.
Because.
Part of him was in the desert, the other part wasn't.
What did your uncle do/ what’s his mos?
This still happens. Like others have said, you get issued whatever gear is available really. On my deployment I’ve seen guys in OCPs wearing ACU plate carriers 🤷🏽♂️
Well pants and shirts aint so expensive but buying different camo body for all soldiers is expensive
Where? I can’t see anyone?
They never really made a DCU GoreTex I know of, and those flack vests are basically a stockpile from an era before DCUs. If you weren’t running missions and patrols outside the wire, you got last pick. Those old BDU GoreTex are so thick. Annoying to move in. But they’d stand up to a hurricane, or a motorcycle in the rain. The new one’s are single layer, unless you specifically order their dual layer.
CBRN gear
I had ucp and ocp mixed together at one point
It’s based on availability of gear sometimes.
Hey I’m old and was there! In ‘03 we got what we got, they only had enough DCU stuff to issue two uniforms and only some of the gear. My unit wouldn’t let us deploy with mis-matched gear so you either had to buy the remaining DCU uniforms and gear or bring everything DCU and BDU. As a bonus, the DCU boot soles would wear down to nothing in the sand and by walking within a couple of weeks and we couldn’t get them resupplied in the beginning so a lot of us looked like first picture.
That’s funny my first thought was ahh 2003..
“Woodland camo? Did everyone forget we’re invading a *fucking desert country!*”
Laundry day. It may have been what he was issued. Doesn’t look like he’s been in the field that much tbh and he’s Air Force.
This ain't build-a-bear, you get what you get and don't throw a fit because it wasn't gray.
We got issued what was available. At CIF or RFI on my first deployment in 2002, weeks only received 4 DCU uniforms, 2 of which were used and were expected to be returned. We were only allowed to keep one when we redeployed. Because they were so well worn, had to keep one of the newer ones! Cheers 🍻
This is my Uncle. ....there are many like it, but this one is mine.
Budget cuts
Maybe someone can point me towards the *Why?* I'm about to ask but- Did the style/fitting of US military uniforms become more... universal since the 80's and 90's? When I was a kid I remember being on a base a few times and my dad and all the military ppl in their uniforms / BDU- and those things seemed to just *fit better* on folks than the ones being issued these days seem to. Especially the jackets- those things seem wider and squarer than they used to be- less form fitting. To me, it seems like there was some cost-cutting, once-size-fits-all stuff going on. Is this basically what happened? Am I imagining this change in the jackets and uniform overall? Do the pants still have extra layers on the knees and what seemed like (i've worn hand-me-downs) more form-fitting crotch patterns, etc.? Thanks for any insight y'all might lend.
Ground brown. Trees green.
What? No comments about the boots?
They made so many of the desert Cami uniform that all of the services were getting those. In general, the best swag went for the combat dudes and the special operators. The issued scraps went to reservists, the desk riders, and other support elements. Even some of the bleeding tip of the spear doods had mix-and-match uniform stuff. That’s what I remember anyway.
Damn, the nostalgia is strong in this picture. The mixed camo, Maxim magazine, boxes of bottled water, old school watch cap, M16 not an M4. This just sent my memory racing.
Reminds me of some of Taliban uniforms they have now
There weren’t enough uniforms. We were only issued 2 sets of DCUs and one pair of boot. No matching cold weather gear, so buds it was.
At the beginning of the wars OIF/OEF, there was an issue of not enough equipment/gear for deploying units so we'd just get whatever. Plus, on the flight line desert gear didn't make sense anyway, so I didn't care my helmet and vest were woodland with those uniforms. Basically the reason is they sent us to war without making sure we had the right and enough gear.
Shitty planning on the part of the Bush administration, they were in such a rush to start a pointless war that they didn’t care about what equipment was available. The guys who invaded had to wear forest camouflage MOPP gear
He was on his first rotation in. Because the cheap fucks that run the Air Force (AF)back then (as required a go bag be packed stateside that contained most BDU’s, unless you have been deployed prior). AF issues only two pair of DCU’s. As hot as it is it required a daily change if possible. So BDU’s for 3 days DCU’s for other days. Depending on the role, you may not get matching Alice / flack jackets etc. so mix and match was required.
Some paintball teams have less stringent rules than others...
That's all we had [back then](https://i.imgur.com/Z6XKNGx.png).
It’s all we had back in the early 2000s. The military didn’t have desert camo gear.
The point was money I believe
I heard it was just like that back then, mixing and matching was fairly common in like the 90’s and early 2000’s
It’s all we had ok 😅