BDUs (Part 1): Temperate
Above: The ERDL 'Highland' pattern.
Prior to the introduction of the BDU, camouflage uniforms had been worn by American troops on a very limited basis. A pattern commonly known as the ‘ERDL’ - short for Engineering, Research and Development Laboratories, the US Army Corps of Engineers agency which had designed the pattern - was created in 1947, but did not see use until Vietnam. ERDL is a pattern made in four colors - Light Green shade 354, Dark Green shade 355, Brown shade 356 and Black shade 357. The pattern had organic shapes in olive green and brown with black branches and light green twigs, and initially was made in a green-dominant shade. The original version was known as ‘ERDL lowland’. ERDL was tested against green, olive green, khaki and the ‘Mitchell’ leaf camouflage pattern at Fort Benning in 1962, and it was agreed that the pattern was superior to solid-color uniforms.
The original ERDL was originally designed for verdant terrains and not those of tropical regions, such as Southeast Asia, but still had some advantages over the OG-107 uniforms. In November 1965 the Army decided the OG-107 was preferable for use in Vietnam. However, a month later, in December, US Army Headquarters in Vietnam requested 300 uniforms in the ERDL pattern from Natick Labs for evaluation by specialized units. These uniforms were essentially a version of the 3rd, 4th and 5th variants of the OG-107 Tropical Combat Uniform (TCU), better known as jungle fatigues, in the ERDL pattern and were made with cotton poplin, with later versions being made with ripstop cotton. Long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs) from the 101st Airborne Division and 173rd Airborne Brigade tested it in 1966, and it was determined there was a definite need for camouflage uniforms.
In February of 1967, US Army Vietnam (USARV) requested more than 18,373 sets of them. Helmet covers, boonie hats and ponchos were made in the pattern in limited numbers. The Navy also used a very limited number of flight suits in ERDL as well from 1967 to 1968 as the Nomex coveralls were already in use. The Marines adopted the ERDL-pattern jungle fatigues for use in 1968. It was common at the time for Marines to wear a mix of ERDL and OG-107 uniforms due to periodic shortages. The ERDL uniform was also worn by Australian and New Zealand SAS members. Following the withdrawal of American forces from Vietnam in 1973, routine issue of camouflage uniforms and equipment ceased. The pattern would continue use with the Marines for many years afterward, becoming standard issue and replacing the OG-107.
A brown-dominant variant known as ERDL lowland was made for elements of the Rapid Deployment Force (RDF), the precursor to the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Uniforms in this pattern started to be used from the mid 1970s onward until the introduction of the BDU, most notably by Marines guarding the American Embassy in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis and by RDF personnel on tropical missions. In the late 1970s, the RDF brown-dominant pattern would be slightly altered, being enlarged by more than 60% and the colors adjusted, resulting in the creation of the new 'Woodland' pattern, also referred to as 'M81'. Work on a new uniform to replace the olive green utilities began in the late 70s, with designers looking at the Jungle Fatigues and RDF blouses for inspiration, adopting many of the features of these uniform cuts.
In use: 1981-2005
Official designation: (COAT / TROUSERS,
WOODLAND CAMOFLAUGE PATTERN, COMBAT)
Materials: 50% Nylon, 50% Cotton twill blend
Pattern: 4-color Woodland
The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) was introduced in October of 1981 as a replacement for the older OG-107 utility uniform. The original uniform is commonly referred to as the ‘Temperate’ or ‘Type I’ BDU as it was the first version to enter production. Soon afterwards, patrol caps, boonie hats, helmet covers - initially for the vintage M1 and later for its replacement, the PASGT - and a variant of the M65 Field Jacket in the new Woodland pattern began to be issued. The camouflage pattern was made to be compliant with Near Infared (NIR) technology to match the surrounding environment and minimize detection by night vision devices. First pattern BDUs would set the standard for future variants, following the same basic design features: felled seams, reinforced elbows, and cargo pockets on the chest and pants each secured by two buttons.
During the transitional period, the OG-107s were still authorized for wear, and it was not uncommon for soldiers in the early ‘80s to wear a mix of both fatigues and BDUs. The green fatigues were not completely phased out until the late 1980s, though as the years went by they became a more uncommon sight, with Reserve and National Guard units being the last to turn in their fatigues in exchange for BDUs. The Type Is would first be used on a wide scale during the deployment of Marines to Lebanon in 1982 and in Operation Urgent Fury, the 1983 invasion of Grenada. They would later fall out of use and would be replaced by the ripstop HWBDUs in the late 1980s. In the 1990s, the Enhanced Hot Weather and Enhanced Temperate Weather BDUs were adopted and remained in use until their replacement by the ACU in 2004.
COAT
BDU, DBDU and DCU coats are buttoned up with a flap to protect the buttons, with type I tops having the standard four front pouch type pockets. The outside edge of the top pockets are sewn flat with the inside and bottom edges bellowed and the bottom pockets have bellowed edges on both sides and bottom. Unlike tropical uniforms, the mounting angle of the pocket is horizontal. The Woodland BDU coat is a typical button-front long-sleeved shirt with a wing-type collar. Unlike the green fatigues, the buttons on the center were hidden. The cuffs on the sleeves are a single type and can be adjusted in three stages. Pockets are placed on the chest and waist. Distinguishing features of the Type I uniform include the wide ‘Elvis’ Collar, also used in DBDUs and 1st and 2nd pattern DCUs, low profile sleeve cuffs and adjustment tabs, and the camouflage being less saturated. The coats are buttoned up with a flap to protect the buttons, with type I tops having the standard four front pouch type pockets.
All other buttons are designed to hide under the camouflage fabric, preventing them from going missing and the shape of the flap is the same as the chest pocket, but the size is larger. The cufflinks increased from two to three buttons. In addition, the zipper that fixes the cuffs was changed to a pull-tab type that is separate from the clothing. Unlike the ‘RDF’ ERDL uniforms, the chest pockets did not have slits in the middle. The outside edge of the top pockets are sewn flat with the inside and bottom edges bellowed and the bottom pockets have bellowed edges on both sides and bottom. In addition, gussets are installed on the left and right sides of the pocket and the bottom, making it possible to put in larger equipment. Drain holes were placed on the left and right of the bottom. The ‘subdued’ insignia used on the green fatigues from the late 1960s onward, including name tapes and patches, were also adopted for wear with the BDU, and tan versions would be introduced for the desert versions in the 1990s. The OG-107 style tapes were later swapped in favor of full-length nametapes by the mid-1980s which covered the top of the chest pockets.
TROUSERS
The trousers are characterized by loose workmanship and large cargo pockets on the thighs, similar to the tropical uniforms provided during the Vietnam War. The waist is equipped with a waist fine-tuning function for the buckle & strap in addition to the 7 belt loops. This design has been adopted as an improved version of the tropical uniform - originally introduced in the late 1970s for the Type III OG-107 - and is still used. The pockets are arranged with open top pockets on the front left and right of the waist, pockets equipped with flaps on the left and right of the back, and large cargo pockets on the thighs. The buttons in the rear pocket have increased to two.
A draw cord is placed at the hem to prevent foreign objects from entering. The zipper part is opened and closed with 4 buttons on the front of the button. A nylon drawcord is placed at the hem, and by squeezing the left and right sides, it prevents foreign objects such as mud and pests from entering through the gap between the hem of the boots and the trousers. The RDF pattern has a cotton rope style similar to the tropical uniform used during the Vietnam War, while the BDU uses a flat nylon strap. Nylon is resistant to corrosion, and in particular, it is thought that the material has been changed because it is easy for water and mud to adhere to this position.
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