Question on bdu

[Stout]

Hello friends,

I think that the woodland BDU was officially adopted for the army in October 1981. A friend from another forum, also ex us soldier, told me that he received his first bdu in the summer of 1982 and that most soldiers received the bdu in between 9 and 12 months, i.e. until September/October 1982 at the latest. Nevertheless, I wonder when the coexistence of green uniforms and bdu was finally prohibited. Does anyone know the army regulations?

kind regards

[easterneagle87]

I'm not sure. I was a Freshman ROTC cadet in the fall of '83 and they made us wear those stupid OG-105's with the ridiculous baseball cap through that 83-84 school year. I joined the Ranger Challenge Club and bought myself my own set of camo BDU's in the Spring of '84.   

[atb]

I wore both OG fatigues and BDUs in Korea in 1983-1984. I think by the end of 1984, it was all woodland BDUs. Maybe Google "wear out date for olive green fatigues?"

[hardstripe]

I have several editions of AR 670-1 in my collection. The 1 Nov 1981 version has no mention of the BDU uniform. The next version I have is dated 1987.  Paragraph 31-1 of that version states:

"The utility (OG-107) and durable press utility (OG-507) uniforms are authorized for year-round on-duty wear by all personnel as long as the uniforms remain serviceable or until 30 September 1987, at which time these uniforms are no longer authorized for wear."

I served from July 1973 to Aug 1999 and was able to purchase the new BDU at Fort Riley Kansas in 1981. I think by the end of 1982 no one at Fort Riley was wearing the old Fatigue uniform.

 

[Stout]

Thank you guys for the great input ! 

So 30 September 1987 is the date 👍

Out of your posts I read, that changing from green to bdu was completed in the stateside units until around end 1982 (except training or schools) and in the foreign stationed units until around end 1984, right?

best regards 

[atb]

1 hour ago, Stout said:

Thank you guys for the great input ! 

So 30 September 1987 is the date 👍

Out of your posts I read, that changing from green to bdu was completed in the stateside units until around end 1982 (except training or schools) and in the foreign stationed units until around end 1984, right?

best regards 

I interpret his experience as being the case at Ft. Riley. My own recollection is that most troops switched over by 1984-85. The newer soldiers had been issued the camo BDUs at initial entry training. Us "old timers" (I was in from Jan 1970 to Sep 1991) had to buy the new uniforms. Some of us tended to hang on wearing the old OG uniforms until the wear out date. Not me. I gradually switched over completely by around 1985.

[Stout]

Thank you for sharing your experiences, atb ! This is all very interesting for me.

best regards 

 

[Rakkasan187]

In August 1984 I was issued 4 sets of BDUs (Cold weather) with the button tabs on the backs. When I got to my first duty station at Ft Campbell Kentucky in November that year, I was issued 4 sets of OG107 Jungle fatigues. These were considered our "deployment" uniforms" since we were part of the RDF (Rapid Deployment Forces) and the BDUs were essentially only worn on a few occasions as well as in Garrison, but it was not uncommon to see a mixture of BDUs and OG 107s in company formations. The BDUs were packed in our duffel bags for deployments. In 1985 I was issued 3 more sets of OG 107s and 2 pairs of Jungle Boots when I deployed to Panama for Jungle School. When I returned from Panama the light weight BDUs were starting to become available, and I purchased a few sets since the winter weight BDUs were much too hot in the Kentucky/Tennesse Humidity and Heat and I started to wear them on occasion, but I preferred (as many others did as well) to continue to wear the OG 107 Jungle Fatigues. We were even allowed to wear our Jungle Expert patches on our pockets of both BDUs and Jungle Fatigues (until a new Commanding general came along and told us all to remove them)

 

It was not until I went to Berlin in late 1986 did I start to wear the BDUs again. Since arrived in Berlin in the winter the cold weather BDUs were more appropriate and in the summer months the light weight BDUs were preferred. The Jungle Fatigues were not an authorized duty uniform in Berlin.

 

Leigh 

[Vanderbilt]

....was stationed at Ft Hood (guess that's what it still is) I in 1981 with the 2/7 CSC 1 Cavalry Div. We rec'd 2 BDU sets sometime around Aug-Sept. I was sent to Germany in Mar 82, sometime later in the year we were issued two more sets of BDU's. We got the BDU field jacket sometime in 1983.

I know when in Texas, after receiving the cammies. At first command didn't want us wearing them unless it was posted as uniform of the day. Then new recruits started filtering in. Some came with half and half ( 2 pickle suits-2 cammies), some came with BDU's only.  Command threw up their hands and said wear whichever you want.

From the time I was issued the BDU until I left the Army in July 84, most of us that had both BDU's and the OG-107's. Would wear both. I personally most often wore the pickle suit in garrison. Then would wear the cammies in the field or on border duty.

[easterneagle87]

15 hours ago, easterneagle87 said:

I'm not sure. I was a Freshman ROTC cadet in the fall of '83 and they made us wear those stupid OG-105's with the ridiculous baseball cap through that 83-84 school year. I joined the Ranger Challenge Club and bought myself my own set of camo BDU's in the Spring of '84.   

Good correction I should've said OG-507. In the end.. they were awful.

[Stout]

Wow, thank you Leigh and Vanderbilt for your great posts and sharing your experiences ! 🙂

Its highly interesting for me to read ! 

best regards

[Martinjmpr]

1987 is correct.  I was stationed in Germany from July 1987 to July 1989 and I clearly remember seeing one person wearing the old OG 105 "Pickle Suit."  It was very odd because everybody else was in BDU's.  

 

Apparently, the guy was close to his ETS and didn't want to have to buy new uniforms, which I understand.  

 

EDITED TO ADD:  While 1987 was the final "wear out" date I can tell you that BDUs were pretty much all I saw, even in the National Guard, after about 1983.  Maybe one soldier out of 500 would still be wearing the old Pickle Suit.  Most of us were glad to change to the BDU as it was more comfortable and easier to maintain (no gig line to keep straight, no tucking the shirt into the pants, etc.  The BDU was quickly adopted because it was a much better uniform than the old green fatigues.  

 

So the one guy in Germany still wearing the green fatigues REALLY stood out from the rest of us.  I mean, by 1987 the BDU had been the standard for more than 5 years.  They had even gotten rid of some of the problems with the earlier BDUs like the too-short jackets and the "elvis collar" and the chest pockets being pleated to the inside rather than the outside.  

[Stout]

Thank you a lot for your great answer, Martinjmp ! 🙂

Interesting additions !

best regards

[The Rooster]

In basic Jan 82. Issued all BDU's except the filed Jacket.

Thats was OD. I got my BDU field jacket about a year latter from my unit.

The winter pile cap was OD also. I didnt see those in BDU cammo for like 10 years.

But it was the guard and we were slow to get new things. When I got out in the late 90's,

we still carried M16-A1's Still had the M60.

[atb]

More memories. I wore both OG107and 507 fatigues, and BDUs in Korea in 83-84. That's where I got the woodland field jacket, too.

 

Before the introduction of the lightweight BDUs, we could acquire OG107 "Jungle" fatigues to wear in the summer. That was an Army-wide policy. I believe it was the result of the realization during the Grenada operation that the BDUs were too hot in the warm weather.  Jungle fatigues were the only work clothing on which I had sewn-on rank insignia on the collar.

[Stout]

Thank you both @The Rooster and @atb  !

These are great informations ! Really interesting getting them from first hand !

kind regards