Heavily Modified Woodland BDU - Whose Is It?

[Celduin]

Every time I swing by the surplus store, I go through the uniform racks to see if there are any modified BDUs. I bought this example today for the princely sum of 9 dollars, but it is so heavily modified that I can't quite pin down its provenance.

 

 

The front of the jacket is completely sterile. There are no visible velcro areas to place name tapes, unit, or flag patches. However, there is plenty of other velcro throughout. Every pocket closes with velcro, as well as the wrist cuffs. The collar is completely unlike any other BDU collar I've seen, but it seems ideal for body armor.

 

 

The rear of the jacket is largely unremarkable but for two features at the bottom. First is a drawstring that goes around the lower hem of the BDU. It looks exactly like that on the woodland M65 jackets. Second are three press studs near where the wearer's butt would be. They remind me of the studs on WWII British Denison smocks where the Paras would fasten a crotch flap to prevent their smocks from getting the Marilyn Monroe treatment during a jump. But what purpose would they serve on a modern US uniform?

 

 

The jacket material is normal 50/50 NYCO, nothing unusual. All the buttons have been replaced with a OD YKK zipper. The black material you see lining the collar and the zipper is some sort of stretchy synthetic material not unlike what you would wear to the gym. I guess it would be for wicking away sweat.

 

 

[Celduin]

Moving on to the pockets...

 

 

The chest pockets are quite spacious. They each have a canvas pull tab and a velcro closure and resemble the chest pockets on the CCU. My gym notebook is provided for scale. The interior of each pocket is lined with a gray rubberized material, as if the tailor had cut up an old GI poncho and sewed it into the BDU.

 

 

The side pockets are doubly interesting too. The top velcro flap opens to a crudely done slash that goes through the garment, presumably to allow access to a shirt worn under the BDU. While the rest of the BDU top is professionally stitched, this area is remarkably crude. The bottom velcro flap opens to a conventional slanted pocket that is lined with the same gray rubberized material as the chest pockets. You can catch a glimpse of it in the photo within the open pocket. The right arm has the exact same shoulder pocket setup, albeit mirrored of course.

 

I would imagine, given all the extensive modifications and shoulder pockets, that this BDU top isn't just Bubba's hunting coat produced after a few days hunched over the Singer. The BDU top has mods that are consistent with the SF-modified uniforms I've seen posted on this forum (velcro, Mandarin collar, shoulder pockets), yet in other aspects is extremely unusual (unique chest pockets, rubberized pocket liners, YKK zipper, 3 press studs near the butt).

 

Who or which unit would have likely used this BDU top?

[PATCHRAT]

that is a chem suit top with the liner cut out

[easterneagle87]

I saw the black lining on the inside of the collar, in the first shot, and thought immediately the same thing.

[Rakkasan187]

+2..

 

This is a chemical Protective suit top, aka MOPP suit. In addition to the black collar the give-away were the three black snaps on the back bottom. These snapped to the mop suit pants..

 

So basically you could say this was Bubba's hunting coat....

 

Leigh

[Celduin]

That would explain the interesting features. Thanks for the identification, guys.

[Martinjmpr]

Yup, first thing I thought when I saw it was: CPOG (Chemical Protective Overgarment.) The buttons are a key they keep the top and bottom from separating.