The new Army Combat Uniform (ACU) that all soldiers will be wearing soon is simply superior to the old camouflage uniform, said Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston.

Responding to concerns during a question and answer session with junior enlisted soldiers at the Association of the Army’s 2005 Annual Meeting, Oct. 4 Preston outlined the changes and benefits of the ACU versus the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and Desert Combat Uniform (DCU).

“It’s a warrior’s uniform,” Preston said. “It’s a combat uniform designed for combat. It’s designed to be worn under body armor.”

Preston said that historically, rangers and special operations troops would remove the larger lower pockets on the front of their BDUs or DCUs because they were covered up while wearing body armor and were useless. They would then have those pockets sewn on in place of the upper smaller pockets, and those smaller pockets would be sewn onto the sleeves. The soldiers would also remove all their sewn-on patches and nametags.

Because use of body armor is becoming mandatory for all soldiers in the field, Preston said the new ACU is a better fit because the lower pockets are eliminated, the top pockets are placed higher up so they are not hindered by body armor, and pockets are on the sleeves. The new uniform also utilizes Velcro, which means soldiers can easily remove their patches and nametags.

The ACU also has a collar that can be flipped up to protect soldiers from body armor that might rub against their necks, he said.

The ACU’s “digitized” pattern is also far superior to the ink pattern of the BDU and DCU, Preston boasted.

“The digitized pattern works well in forest areas and works well in desert areas,” he said. “But where it works especially well is in urban areas.”

He added that the black coloring was taken out of the camouflage pattern because it gives away a soldier’s position unless he or she is in front of a black background.

Preston said that the Marine Corps has already been wearing the new uniform, which was designed by the Army’s Natick Laboratory in Natick, Mass.

While the new ACU may cost soldiers a little more – Preston estimates a set of ACUs will be $72 compared to about $56 for a BDU set – but it will end up saving them money in the long run. Because of the new design featuring Velcro to attach nametags and patches, soldiers won’t have to pay to sew those items on every set of uniforms.

The patches and nametags will also be interchangeable with other uniform items like raingear and jackets that will be phased in with the ACU, he said.

The new uniforms are also wrinkle free so soldiers don’t have to pay to have them pressed and dry cleaned if they want a set of “pretty” fatigues, he said. In fact, the tag explaining care instructions says the ACU shouldn’t be ironed or starched.

Preston said testing on the new uniform began more than three years ago as it was issued to some troops in the field. Based on their recommendations, the ACU has evolved into what it is today.

“It’s totally different from the original design,” he said. “The Army Combat Uniform is designed by soldiers for soldiers.”

A large batch of ACUs will hit the exchanges on Jan. 1, Preston said. Soldiers going through basic training are already being issued the new uniforms. By May 2007, soldiers are expected to have two sets of ACUs and four sets by May 2008.