Army unveils new all-purpose combat uniform

The U.S. Army has released its new Army Combat Uniform, featuring an all-purpose "digital" camouflage pattern:

Hooah.

Instead of bold jigsaw swatches of colors, the new camouflage pattern uses muted shades of desert brown, urban gray and foliage green broken into one-centimeter segments. Black was eliminated completely because it catches the eye too easily. The resulting camouflage — similar to a pattern the Marines adopted two years ago — conceals soldiers in forest, desert or urban battlegrounds, said Sgt. 1st Class Jeff Myhre, the uniform's lead designer.

And they should make soldiers' lives easier, too. The fabric is wrinkle-free and machine-washable, and the new suede boots do not require polishing like the old black boots.

The Army claims the uniform is being well received, but some commenters are already criticizing the new threads. (Warning: Some of the language is...coarse. They're Airborne Rangers, after all.)