Bad news for the Multicam community

[hawkdriver]

Friday, I went to Ft. Riley to have some ACU and MC name tapes and US Army made for a couple uniforms I recently picked up. When I got to the on post alterations shop, I noticed a conspicuous lack of MC anywhere. I asked the owner to have some tapes made and I was notified that he was no longer allowed to make them. I asked what he meant by "no longer able to make them" and he told me that the post put a moratorium on MC items, they are no longer able to make or sell any MC name tapes, US Army tapes, or any other MC items. I asked about another patch for a board member and the guy pulled out a box of left over items. I saw several name tapes and asked if I could buy those and he said no. I offered to over pay for some of my ACU items and he just give me the MC tapes and he still refused. He was told that if they were caught selling any MC items, they would loose their license. I thanked him for his time and left.

Doesn't bode well for us collectors. Anyone that is deployed or deploying, I would suggest that you scrounge any name tapes you can get your hands on to fill the upcoming void. If any of y'all need lessons on dumpster diving, let me know and I will help you out.

[Bob Hudson]

So why is this?

[hawkdriver]

He wouldn't say, but the Army is the one enforcing it. I asked where Joe is supposed to get his tapes and they are being told they will get them in theater. I believe that this is meant to curtail the MC popularity. I'm thinking that if they ended OEF tomorrow, so would MC.

[vzemke]

Maybe this is some weird FT Riley thing? The "powers that be" on some posts have been known to make crazy rules like this that defy logic. Do any of the off post shops in Junction City make them?

 

Looks like they are still available online here: http://www.1800nametape.com/multicam.htm

 

Vance

[hawkdriver]

The local surplus store has some US Army, but I didn't ask if they were making the name tapes. I didn't think to go check any of the off post alteration shops. You may be correct in that it is a local thing, Ft. Riley has always had a knack of cutting it's nose off to spite it's face.

Anyone know if any of the other bases have enacted this draconian rule?

[Bluehawk]

\.

Anyone know if any of the other bases have enacted this draconian rule?

I'll ask my cousin about Bragg...

[Bluehawk]

Hawk

 

Here is his reply:

 

"I have not heard of that. I hope that is not the case that they are banning it. TheArmy was thinking of switching over to MC. To be honest though, I have never seen MC sold in the post alterations shops on Fort Bragg, or anywhere else. Our unit ordered all of our MC, but I have never seen it sold on post. It could be because MC is not an official uniform and is only being issued to SOF troops or troops going to Afghanistan, never to troops who went to Iraq. ACU is still the only authorized pattern for wear in garrison. I will imagine that once the Army decides on a new uniform, post shops will only carry ACU, but off post shops will take any order someone is willing to pay for. Being in SOF, I was able to modify BDU and DCU patterns payed for by my unit and I was able to choose what uniform I wore on missions as long as it was BDU, ACU, DCU, or MC."

[hawkdriver]

Interesting, maybe others will chime in and we can get to the bottom of this scooby mystery. I know that at Ft. Drum, they were selling name tapes when I was up there in October, they had a cottage industry sewing name tapes on all the packs for deployment.

[PATCHRAT]

I was home for R&R in October at FT HOOD TX all the Surplus store that were makeing name tapes and selling patches, rank, etc prior to our deployment were still doing so in OCT. While we are deployed we can get additional issue unifroms and NAME / US ARMY tapes through ADO - Army Direst Ordering System.

[Sabrejet]

I was looking at a few custom-made MC name tape/insignia suppliers on eBay earlier today. Didn't save then though!

[148thSoldier]

I'm currently at Camp Shelby getting ready to go over and the alteration shop here is still making and selling them. Was just there today.

[hawkdriver]

I was home for R&R in October at FT HOOD TX all the Surplus store that were makeing name tapes and selling patches, rank, etc prior to our deployment were still doing so in OCT. While we are deployed we can get additional issue unifroms and NAME / US ARMY tapes through ADO - Army Direst Ordering System.

 

ADO, there is something I had forgotten about. I ordered a set of FRACU's while deployed, four separate times and each time, the jacket would come and the trousers would not. I came home with four spanking new jackets and no trousers. Never could get my IR flags.

[AustinO]

Sounds like something the post commander thought up to crack down on the wear of MC stateside (I know its not allowed but have heard of guys coming back and not having their ACUs) thereby keeping the Army "uniform."

[Spathologist]

Unless the Army adopts MC, I feel there won't be a lot around anyways. OEF ends in 2014, and the FRACUs in OCP are crap. The material fades really bad after just a couple of washes and lasts about a month for a staff fobbit like myself before getting rips and having armor wear holes through it, most line troopers I see have multiple patches on theirs. It's a good thing ADO comes through really well here, or a lot of Joes would be wearing rags. Can't believe the ADO price on these is over $160/set.

 

OTOH, the OCP A2CUs wear really well. I've flown for 7 months on three sets and they still look practically new. I really like the OCP A2CUs.

[Pops506th]

I know that this is kind of a necropost, but I just came back from Ft Riley. My son just depolyed and he had to go to the surplus store in Junction City in order to get some spare nametapes made up. Nothing in Multicam was avaliable at the Clothing Sales store on post.

 

When I was at Ft Hood in March, I didn't go to any of the on post stores, but all of the surplus stores in town that had the equipment, were making multicam name tapes.

[124cav]

Hmm

 

And a million people selling multicam on eBay

[hawkdriver]

Hmm

 

And a million people selling multicam on eBay

 

Yes, there is, but name one other place that is selling the stuff in any quantity. There still is not much of any out there but the occasional bits and pieces. What you are seeing on eBay is what people are skimming and this isn't enough to feed a population that wants it.

What is on eBay is what people are walking away from the military with and as soon as the deployments are over, this will rapidly dry up. Get it while you can, this will be a short lived pattern as I have heard the 3D digital is taking hold in acceptance as the replacement pattern.

[Sabrejet]

I don't understand the US Army's attitude to Multicam. I'm fortunate to have a complete 'stan bring-back set, complete with all patches and tabs etc., but I remember even then being told that returnees were not allowed to wear it stateside! That's the complete opposite to British Army policy. Returning troops wear their MTP (Multi-terrain Pattern ie "Multicam") as a badge of honour.

 

Below is 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards (The Welsh Cavalry) parading in theirs just a few miles down the road form here a few days ago.

 

[Sabrejet]

(Almost the) end of an era....?! :think: :crying:

 

[Rakkasan187]

I just went to a retirement ceremony on Wednesday at Fort Bliss, and there were several Soldiers at the ceremony wearing multicam uniforms. I have not seen them for sale on post at the clothing sales store. I will check the large Army surplus supply store "GI SUPPLY" that is located off post. I am sure they are making and have multicam items.

 

Leigh..

[redshift911]

My Buddy in Virginia Beach can make you anything you want, give them a call:

 

Ghost Tactical LLC

1329 Harpers Road

Suite 103,

Virginia Beach, VA 23454

1.757.301.8718

[hawkdriver]

I just went to a retirement ceremony on Wednesday at Fort Bliss, and there were several Soldiers at the ceremony wearing multicam uniforms. I have not seen them for sale on post at the clothing sales store. I will check the large Army surplus supply store "GI SUPPLY" that is located off post. I am sure they are making and have multicam items.

 

Leigh..

 

I just ran into four guys in uniform at the J.C. surplus store, two in MC and two in ACU. They told me that the policy is that if you are deploying into A-stan, you are issued the uniforms and can wear them once issued. As soon as you are REFRAD, you are not allowed to wear them once arriving back in CONUS. This was two PFCs and two speedy-4s, so don't take that as policy, but that seems to be what I see in my travels around Ft. Riley.

 

Ian: The reason the Army has a Hotel Oscar towards MC is that when they were first looking at it as a possibility, Crye Precision refused to release the rights to the pattern which the DOD requires so that they can contract it to other companies to meet demand quotas when the originator can't keep up. That is why the original survival tents in the aircraft survival kits died a quick death, the contractor wouldn't give up the pattern and his contract wasn't re-newed, aaannnd, we only have the tents we have on hand with no new ones available.

[VolunteerArmoury]

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I just ran into four guys in uniform at the J.C. surplus store, two in MC and two in ACU. They told me that the policy is that if you are deploying into A-stan, you are issued the uniforms and can wear them once issued. As soon as you are REFRAD, you are not allowed to wear them once arriving back in CONUS. This was two PFCs and two speedy-4s, so don't take that as policy, but that seems to be what I see in my travels around Ft. Riley.

 

I understand that is the policy per a couple mob sites however never seen written policy on it just practice. We had a few guys assigned to my WTU that wore them till they were issued replacement uniforms.

[Mercenary25]

Unless the Army adopts MC, I feel there won't be a lot around anyways. OEF ends in 2014, and the FRACUs in OCP are crap. The material fades really bad after just a couple of washes and lasts about a month for a staff fobbit like myself before getting rips and having armor wear holes through it, most line troopers I see have multiple patches on theirs. It's a good thing ADO comes through really well here, or a lot of Joes would be wearing rags. Can't believe the ADO price on these is over $160/set.

 

OTOH, the OCP A2CUs wear really well. I've flown for 7 months on three sets and they still look practically new. I really like the OCP A2CUs.

 

What, you guys threw away ripped OCP? I would love to have combat worn sets with holes and rips because it tells story. I'm not a fan of mint gear anyway.

[Brig]

What, you guys threw away ripped OCP? I would love to have combat worn sets with holes and rips because it tells story. I'm not a fan of mint gear anyway.

not worth hauling it back

 

We get replacement uniforms when ones get too torn up, our sea bags are crammed full as it is, not much room for more. I did bring back most of my unservicable FROG suit pieces (USMC, true, but I'm sure the Army's bags are just as full as ours!)