Camouflage Uniform

One Combat Camouflage Uniform for all Services
$1.8 billion, that is how much the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Army spent on uniforms the last 10 years. Senior enlisted leaders need to be leading the change and helping ensure that the services are doing their part to help the economy and eliminating wasteful spending.   This paper will provide an understanding of the background, discussion, and provide a recommendation on the need for the Armed Services to collaborate on the development of one universal camouflage uniform.
Background
          Each component of the Armed Services is afforded discretion regarding the development and acquisition of uniforms.   As a result the armed services continue to implement incomplete procedures for uniform development and acquisition, and therefore do not consistently develop effective camouflage uniforms (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2012).
          Each service has introduced at least one uniform in the last ten years.   The Department of Defense spent over $1.8 billion between 2001 and 2010 on the development of service specific uniforms (Flood, Ballou, Blando & Rhodes, 2012).  
          The Army spent more than $4 billion on the development and production of the Army Combat Uniform only to decide on the pattern before testing was complete (Pincus, 2012).   In 2009 the Army decided the pattern chosen did not provide concealment and in 2010 began outfitting their soldiers with another camouflage uniform.   This new uniform cost an estimated $3.4 million to develop and over $300 million to procure (Pincus, 2012).
The Army is not alone in the spending on uniforms.   In 2002 the Air Force ordered the development for a new combat uniform that would be distinct from the Army.   The Air Force spent about $3.2 million developing the Airman Battle Uniform.   The uniform was only available in one fabric weight. This created a problem in hot weather with heat build up and determined by Air Warfare Center...