‘Gunstone’ Soldiers test new camouflage
Soldiers of the 212th Fires Brigade take a break from testing new camouflage at McGregor Range, N.M., July 25. The Soldiers are testing the uniforms submitted by four industry competitors. Photo by Staff Sgt. George F. Gutierrez, 212th Fires Bde. Public Affairs.
Staff Sgt. George F. Gutierrez,
212th Fires Bde. Public Affairs:
From the cold winter at Valley Forge, the bloody fields of Gettysburg, the shores of Normandy, to the jungles of Vietnam and the urban terrain of Baghdad, the Army uniform has changed drastically to improve the Soldier’s ability to blend with the environment.
For Soldiers of the 212th Fires Brigade, to test the new camouflage and become part of Army history was a unique opportunity.
The Army’s current default uniform, the Army Combat Uniform, has been worn by Soldiers since 2005 and is in the process of being updated to help Soldiers blend into their environment. The Army has chosen four industry competitors to submit three to four patterns for consideration.
“This is the most extensive testing done by Aberdeen Proving Ground,” said William P. Corp, an acquisitions specialist from Program Executive Office Soldier.
The tests are done simultaneously and in two groups.
The first group conducts stationary blending. While one Soldiers stands in a booth, five other Soldiers hide in the field, dressed in the different uniforms submitted. When the Soldiers are hidden, the controllers raise a curtain and the Soldier has one minute to find the five hidden Soldiers.
The second group conducts team-movement testing. In this scenario, four Soldiers walk toward an observation station in a linear fashion. The Soldiers at the observation station will guide a Soldier bearing a flag to the location of the moving Soldiers. The Soldiers then do bounding movements to the prone or kneeling positions. The Soldier with the flag will once again be guided by the Soldiers in the observation station when they see the hidden Soldiers.
“The actions and decisions are important for the Soldiers who are doing the testing,” said 2nd Lt. Lindon Bond, operations and training officer in charge for 72nd Brigade Support Battalion, 212th Fires Bde.,” said Bond. “The Soldiers are going out there and getting the job done.”
Short URL: http://fbmonitor.com/?p=14673
