'New Utes' Designed by Marines for Marines.

• Author: Book, Elizabeth G.
• Position: Combat utility uniform

Battle garments meet demands for comfort, durability, less maintenance

The Marine Corps is testing a revamped combat utility uniform, known affectionately as the "new utes," which Marines expect to start wearing within the next year.

"Marines have looked the way they do now for decades, but now that image is changing," said Marine Corps spokesman 1st Lt. Burrell Parmer.

"Marines tend to feel strongly about their uniforms. Since this is a move to a Marine-specific uniform, rather than the current service-wide uniform, I predict that Marines will feel just as strongly about this uniform as they do about their current one," said Mary Boyt, civilian program manager for the Marine Corps Uniform Board.

"No one really likes change, but the initial feedback I'm getting is, 'hey this is great," Parmer said.

The current utility uniform is more than 20 years old, and changes have been made to reflect technological improvements in fabric and features, increasing both mobility and utility. A task force made up of active-duty Marines set priorities for what they wanted in the new uniform. The new garments have completed a 90-day test phase.

The decision to let Marines from all ranks design and test the uniform came from the top. The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. James L. Jones, "expressed his desire to involve all Marines in the determination of the final prototype design. He tasked the team to find out a way to personally involve as many Marines as reasonably possible," said a uniform board spokesman.

New Features

To increase the durability of the uniform, the Corps is making a variety of design and material changes. The modifications were entirely "based on the individual Marine's needs and wants, Boyt said. The Marines also plan to unveil a new camouflage pattern.

"With improvements in technology, you get better equipment, and we need something combat-oriented," said Parmer. "This is just another piece of equipment that we need to make correctly, and our goal here is to make our Marines comfortable and happy," he said.

Since the Marines are "a force suited for every clime and place," the new camouflage Marine Pattern (referred to as MarPat) has been tested extensively and has been proven to be the most effective tactical camouflage, he said. There are two versions of the camouflage-woodland and desert patterns. The new patterns are "a customized digital pattern using optimized colors," according to the Web site dedicated to the uniform...