Last month, the United States Air Force announced that its new physical training (PT) uniforms, which were first unveiled in March 2021, had been delayed until at least November. It was the second time the official introduction of the PT kits had been pushed back.
Perhaps U.S. Army officials have been following the progress and could take some cues as the land service has now announced plans to introduce its own PT uniform next year.
“We’re redesigning the Army PTs,” Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer said on Tuesday at the Association of the U.S. Army’s Annual Meeting and Exposition.
“We’re not going to get locked into the same T-shirt… everyone is just going out and buying a T-shirt anyway for their unit,” the top enlisted soldier added, stating the PT kit is part of the essential gear of the U.S. warfighter.
The current PT uniform fails to “represent who we are as warfighters,” said Weimer, and further suggested, “If we’re going to be fit, then we’re also going to look good at the same time and rep the Army brand.”
Out With the OldEr PT Uniforms
The call for a new U.S. Army PT uniform may come as a surprise to some observers, as the current fitness uniform was only rolled out in 2017. Though there have been some complaints about a lack of pockets in the shorts, the feedback has been positive.
It was seen as a marked improvement over the previous PT gear, which received widespread criticism for its materials and fit. The old black and gray uniforms were swapped out for ones with a black and gold color scheme.
However, as reported by Defense News, the new gear comes as the service has put greater emphasis on total health via the Holistic Health and Fitness program (H2F). It was introduced last year to help soldiers take charge of their health, fitness, and well-being to optimize individual performance while preventing injury and disease.
It isn’t clear if the Army will follow the lead of the Air Force and U.S. Space Force – which is also beginning to roll out its own PT uniform along with its new dress uniforms – in providing attire that is more breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying. Both the Air Force and Space Force PT uniforms are being made in men’s and women’s sizes, rather than unisex to provide a better fit.
Another Uniform Change For the U.S. Army
This is just the latest about-face for the U.S. Army, which has gone through several uniform changes in short order. As Military.com also reported, the frequent changes have been the butt of jokes online as the service seems to be constantly changing what it is wearing.
However, there are a few factors at play.
The U.S. military had developed a woodland camouflage pattern following the Vietnam War in anticipation of a conflict with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact in Europe. The desert variant – known as “chocolate chip” because it resembled cookie dough – was developed in the rocky desert of California and it was found during the Gulf War that didn’t blend into the sandy desert of the Middle East.
The U.S. Army responded with a three-color pattern for its Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU), and it quickly earned the nickname “coffee stain.” While it actually proved fairly well-suited to 2003’s Operational Iraqi Freedom, the Army sought to standardize the camouflage, resulting in the Army Combat Uniform – which became known as “digital camouflage” as it resembled computer pixels. Yet, it was far from effective and some mocked it for suggesting it would only blend in with an outdated couch!
The Army then returned to the drawing board yet again, adopting the Operational Camouflage Pattern in 2014, which has been seen as a 21st-century version of the Battle Dress Uniform’s “Woodland” pattern.
The situation with dress uniforms has seen similar changes with the service retiring the blue Army Service Uniform (ASU) in favor of the Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU), a modern take on the “pink and greens” worn by the Greatest Generation during the Second World War.
As everything old is new again – at least with uniforms – perhaps the Army’s PT kit will also take on a retro vibe!
