Army Picks New Combat Camouflage Pattern

A new camouflage pattern has been chosen for the Army's combat uniform.

Both Military Times and Army Times reported that the new duds will have a pattern similar to one that troops in Afghanistan wear — but without the twig and branch elements and fewer beige and brown patches.

The change hasn't been publicly announced, Stars and Stripes reported.

But in March, Col. Robert Mortlock announced that the service had completed "the most extensive uniform camouflage testing in history," Stars and Stripes reported.

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"We have testimonials from soldiers in theater close enough to the enemy to hear them saying they can't see the Americans [when they're wearing the new camouflage patterns]. That's powerful. That's a combat multiplier," he said, Stars and Stripes reported. "The bottom line is the enemy can't kill, hurt or injure who they can't see."

Mortlock noted tests showed that from 25 yards to 50 yards, the camouflage pattern is critical for blending into the environment, but farther away, the pattern is less important than the colors in the camouflage.

"We're not changing the combat uniform," Mortlock said. "It'll still be called the Army Combat Uniform. All that we're doing is updating the camouflage."

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