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Strike-Hold! Editor Lawrence Holsworth on the Army’s effort to replace a camouflage pattern that was ineffective.
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Ridiculous stuff the design flaw in our military's camouflage uniforms billions of our tax dollars have gone up in smoke.
Now -- is not a -- the army now under fire for having to change its candle pattern after the five billion dollar redesign is proving ineffective in the field.
One army specialist is quoted as saying.
Essentially -- -- -- a universal uniform that has universally failed in every environment.
And many soldiers -- haven't doesn't shield them well enough from enemy forces my next guest calls this -- -- a fiasco Lawrence how -- Is the editor of -- dot net thanks for joining as we appreciate it.
-- -- -- that that seem army specialist went on to say the only time I've ever seen it work well is in a gravel -- how does something like this happen.
Medicare will first thing we have to clear -- business hold my question about the five billion dollars the army actually didn't spend anything like five billion dollars.
To design this camouflage pattern.
I mean.
Me know that we don't actually know that had the exact figure that was spent in the design phase but it was a pretty.
Simple process actually and the this five billion dollars that's being talked about men being bandied around is actually the amount of money that the army spent.
To deliver new equipment to the troops in the field being at the time we were in involved with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan particularly Iraq.
And the five billion dollars was actually spend on new helmets new uniforms new body armor new load carrying equipment.
So all very essential equipment for the new for the individual soldier and it just happened and at that time because universal camouflage pattern was -- -- we were using.
That's what all of that equipment was provided in.
I didn't have to be replaced because it have this pattern on it it was a disaster.
Will eventually if the army does decide to actually go ahead and change -- camouflage pattern a lot of the equipment obviously all of the uniforms will have to be phased out and replaced with -- it was something.
In whatever the new pattern might tend to be so there will be a cost for sure in the future at some point -- Cisco's ahead.
But I I thought they -- does not decided that this was unsafe because of the way that it set off.
Their bass when -- put it over the top and it that it was unsafe war the military -- that they had decided to replace it already is and I accurate.
Will.
They have they have tested and proven that the current camouflage pattern is ineffective and that has been shown beyond a shadow of a doubt in fact it's so.
It's such an accepted fact that the current scheme is is completely ineffective that it's not even in the running.
Even as a benchmark pattern for the current camera -- improvement initiative.
So so it sounds like we're fighting over semantics a little bit here but the point is that he designed that they made in printed and brought out into the field we do agree on was ineffective.
That is a disaster so how does not that happened because putting anyone's life at risk and our military is a disaster let's be clear.
Both share and as a you know as a former paratrooper and in an infantryman in the 82 airborne division you know I I would say your hand -- heart that I am glad I never had to Wear it.
They know but again you know the that we have to we do have to balance some of the hyperbole which is currently flying around the Internet around this that.
How did it happen I keep asking really wanted to.
Sure -- sorry.
So how it happened apparently is the army was and didn't speak to be precise the Natick research center at the Natick Massachusetts was in that was involved in -- program back in the early two thousands.
222 to test a number of different camouflage patterns and collaborations.
And come up with some proposals as to how the army could have a universal camouflage pattern -- of a program.
As part of the future force warrior research effort.
And received the results of that initial study were released in December 2004.
At that time the results were quite preliminary.
They had tested a number of different patterns across woodland desert and urban -- rains.
They had come up with a bit of a short list of colors that could conceivably be used in common -- And by all accounts apparently what happened was that the general in charge of the -- acquisition and fielding.
Agency.
Group called -- soldier program executive office soldier.
Somehow got his facts mixed up for jumped the gun or exactly what went on then and -- bit of a mystery but apparently on the orders -- this particular general.
They were instructed to go ahead and create this digital pattern which was essentially a copy of the digital pattern used by the Marine Corps.
Which is also a copy of the digital pattern which was originally designed by the Canadians.
And and that this pattern should use one color for woodland one color for desert one color for urban.
And therefore hey presto we have a universal pattern.
Of course you know as you can tell might actually work that you've been exactly sorry you can see from the photographs that it sits in effective income most of our -- -- Shame it's a waste of money we -- to put anyone's -- at risk who are out there protecting our country.
So I hope we've learned from this experience thanks for joining us tonight.
You're welcome you're.
