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Recently, I picked up this Seabee DCU with submarine and Seabee Combat Warfare Enlisted Badge (thanks Kevin for the ID!). I normally don't buy DCUs without the nametape, but the insignia combination made it a must-have. I believe that the vet was with NMCB-25 or NMCB-26 which were reserve units in the Indianapolis area. If anyone has thoughts on identifying the vet, please feel free to post.

 

Erick - Happy to help out. It looks like you are on the slippery slope to desert uniform collecting, they are like potato chips, you can't have just one. lol

 

In "Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignia of the US Armed Forces" we have a Chapter devoted to Navy and Marine Corps DBDUs and DCUs which includes Seabees. You will see several Seabee DCUs from my collection as well as an example of the tan "hard hat' the Seabees often wore with it.. A few years ago there seemed to be an endless supply of Seabee DCUs, probably because they were worn until 2012-13 when the Navy switched to the NWU (Navy Working Uniform) Type I, II and III. Now they don't appear to be quite as easy to find.

 

Kevin

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Found a pair of these DCU uniform tops at the flea market for 5 dollars apiece. Believe it or not the DCU pants are harder to come across and more expensive than the DCU shirts at flea markets because the pants are very durable and worn by landscapers, fields worker, etc.

 

 

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Found a pair of these DCU uniform tops at the flea market for 5 dollars apiece. Believe it or not the DCU pants are harder to come across and more expensive than the DCU shirts at flea markets because the pants are very durable and worn by landscapers, fields worker, etc.

 

 

 

Nice jacket!

 

I agree with your statement about the pants. It's not uncommon to see surplus stores asking 2X as much for the pants compared to what they ask for the jackets. Several surplus dealers that frequent the local gun shows ask $20 for pants and $10 (or less) for the jackets.

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Here are two 4th Infantry Division DCU's from Iraq 2003. The Bell DCU have theater made name/branch tapes.

 

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The last picture was the bdu used Alot r a rare thing never seen a picture like this before Thanks to the people who can help me out

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The last picture was the bdu used Alot r a rare thing never seen a picture like this before Thanks to the people who can help me out

 

BDUs were worn by several units early in OIF and OEF because of a shortage of DCUs early in these conflicts. We talk about it in our new book, "Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignia of the US Armed Forces". http://www.facebook.com/groups/DesertUniform

 

Kevin

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  • 2 weeks later...

I usually dont get DCUs with patches removed, in this case the 1st Cav patches and ranger tab have been stripped, but it has a theater made CIB and a theater Embroidered boonie so I bought it.

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I just purchased a nice 82nd/ 101st DCU top and it reminded me of one that I have been meaning to post on here for years.

 

The DCU has a very unusual "reverse polarity", theater made patch. I am not sure if the patch is in the new DCU reference work.

 

I will post the other DCU shortly.

 

Scott

 

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Here is the recent 82nd/ 101st DCU:

 

I am not really a DCU collector, but this one was so cheap that I had to buy it.

 

Scott

 

 

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Beautiful DCUs Scott!!! Especially the one with theater made patches! Does it have also an arabic name?

 

 

Thanks Roby. Yes, the DCU has the name in arabic as well.

 

Scott

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Awesome DCUs! I really like the one with the two theatre made 101st AB patches.

 

 

Thanks picker-- the reversed colors are unusual and the "open" eye on the eagle gives it a great look.

 

I'd be interested in knowing if similar ones are shown in the new DCU book.

 

Scott

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I just purchased a nice 82nd/ 101st DCU top and it reminded me of one that I have been meaning to post on here for years.

 

The DCU has a very unusual "reverse polarity", theater made patch. I am not sure if the patch is in the new DCU reference work.

 

I will post the other DCU shortly.

 

Scott

 

 

Scott, It's a very interesting and unique DCU. We don't have this type of 101st Airborne Division desert patch in "Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignia of the US Armed Forces" simply because the variations of 101st theater made desert patches are endless. I've seen the patch loose before, but this is the first time I've seen it on a DCU. The qualification badges are interesting too. I don't recall seeing the Air Assault Badge worn above the Parachute Badge before. Was that a 101st thing in some units? Kevin

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Scott, It's a very interesting and unique DCU. We don't have this type of 101st Airborne Division desert patch in "Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignia of the US Armed Forces" simply because the variations of 101st theater made desert patches are endless. I've seen the patch loose before, but this is the first time I've seen it on a DCU. The qualification badges are interesting too. I don't recall seeing the Air Assault Badge worn above the Parachute Badge before. Was that a 101st thing in some units? Kevin

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, Kevin. I don't believe there were too many folks in theater wearing this type of patch.

 

As far as the badges, both ABN and AASLT are in the same group, so they can be worn either way. Most folks wear the ABN on top, EVEN in the 101st.

 

Scott

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The 101st patches came out of Eskan Village in Saudi Arabia-- there were a handful of advisors to the Saudi Military who had follow on assignments to the 101st in 2002 (Afghanistan) and 2003 (Iraq) and wore these patches into theater.

 

Scott

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Scott, It's a very interesting and unique DCU. We don't have this type of 101st Airborne Division desert patch in "Desert Uniforms, Patches, and Insignia of the US Armed Forces" simply because the variations of 101st theater made desert patches are endless. I've seen the patch loose before, but this is the first time I've seen it on a DCU. The qualification badges are interesting too. I don't recall seeing the Air Assault Badge worn above the Parachute Badge before. Was that a 101st thing in some units? Kevin

 

That DCU is very interesting. Also of note is the fact that it lacks a US flag. I wonder if this particular jacket would be a pre-GWOT item?

 

I also wonder, out of curiosity, what the contract number is for this jacket. It's a neat uniform, for sure!

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Seems perfectly reasonable to me. There can't be too many prior-enlisted 1LTs who were Ranger, Master-Blaster (Master Parachutist Badge), 2x CIB AND drill sergeants so if you have a picture of one, that's likely him. That seems to be a very unique and collectible DCU and I would think it wouldn't be too hard to figure out who it was. Whoever that 1LT was he's likely retired now, probably made it to at least Major or even LTC. Since he has two awards of the CIB that means he'd be a Desert Storm vet as well as OIF/OEF.

 

I was in OIF in 2004 (in Kuwait) and can absolutely verify that the DCU was the uniform we wore. I didn't even see an ACU until we were getting ready to leave country around the end of November-December of 2004.

Thank you for your answer Martin. Unfortunately the picture is not that clear and shows the Lt by side so that only half of the DCU is visible and both the drill sergeant patch, the name tape and the 82nd patch are not visible. Moreover In the picture the DCU has a CIB single award only but in the website were I found the image (is the page of another Lt who deployed in 2004 with 2-7 cavalry) is explained that at the end of the tour the entire company was awarded with a CIB so that that Lt would have a CIB second award at the end of the tour, matching my DCU. Moreover the Lt is not so young to be a lieutenant and this can be right with the hypothesis of a prior enlisted.

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That DCU is very interesting. Also of note is the fact that it lacks a US flag. I wonder if this particular jacket would be a pre-GWOT item?

 

I also wonder, out of curiosity, what the contract number is for this jacket. It's a neat uniform, for sure!

 

 

I was issued the uniform in 2001 in Saudi Arabia, where I served as an adviser to the Saudi Arabian military (OPM-SANG).

 

I purchased and added the combat patch (for Desert Storm). I got the combat patch at the Eskan Village sew shop. At the end of my tour, I did a direct deployment to Afghanistan to join the 187th (3rd BDE, 101st).

 

I also wore the uniform in Iraq during OIF.

 

Scott

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