Battle Dress Uniform The Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU ) are fatigues that were used by the United States Armed Forces as their standard uniform for combat situations from the early 1980s to the mid - 2000s . Since then , it has been replaced or supplanted in every branch of the U . S . Armed Forces , except for certain elements of the U . S . Coast Guard , which still use them as of 2013 . The U . S . Navy currently authorizes wear of the BDU uniform at locations such as at the U . S . Special Operations Command and other ground - based naval units , such as Seabee s . U . S . Coast Guard personnel overseas and working with other military services may wear Woodland BDUs , and the Desert Camouflage Uniform ( a variation of the BDU ) but known by another name . BDUs are also still worn by officers of the U . S . Public Health Service in dirty or austere environments , and they are often the prescribed uniform for any deployment activities . BDU - style uniforms and derivatives still see widespread use in other countries ( some of them being former U . S . surplus stocks transferred under U . S . security assistance programs ) , while others are still worn by some U . S . federal , state and local law enforcement agencies or activities who may work in tactical situations , such as the DEA FAST and SWAT teams . Description and adoption . These uniforms are called " battle dress " uniforms because they are intended for use during " battles " , as opposed to " garrison " " dress uniform s " worn at parades and functions . The general design and configuration of the U . S . BDU uniform was similar to that of Vietnam - era jungle fatigues , which were in turn similar in configuration to specialty uniforms worn by U . S . paratroopers during World War II . The Battle Dress Uniform ( BDU ) first appeared in September 1981 in the woodland camouflage pattern . It was based primarily on the woodland colors of northern Europe . It used shades of green , brown , tan , and black , initially printed onto cotton - nylon blend twill cloth , known as the " Temperate Weight " uniform . A lightweight " Tropical Weight " BDU uniform was introduced in 1987 with the pattern printed on 100 % rip - stop poplin cloth . The tropical weight uniform was not as durable as the temperate weight uniform . The topical uniform would only last for 4 – 6 months of use when rotating four uniforms for duty , while the temperate uniform would last over a year under the same conditions . It was the first camouflaged uniform approved by the Army since the U . S . withdrawal from Vietnam , where the ERDL pattern was in limited use . The BDU soon replaced all earlier camouflage pattern uniforms for all wooded , jungle , and tropical environments , and , by 1989 , had completely replaced the standard olive drab uniforms that had been used since 1952 . Modifications . Since 1981 , changes included the addition and subsequent elimination of buttoned waist adjustment tabs , the size reduction of the collar , and refinements in stitching and fit . BDUs were initially only issued in a 50 / 50 nylon and cotton twill blend ( the Temperate Weather BDU ( TWBDU ) ) . Complaints regarding the heat retention of these uniforms , especially following the invasion of Grenada in 1983 , led to the introduction of the Hot Weather BDU ( HWBDU ) . The Hot Weather BDU coat and trousers were constructed of 100 percent ripstop cotton , in a four - color woodland camouflage pattern . However , after complaints of shorter wear and frayed cuffs , along with requirements imposed by unit commanders to starch the all - cotton uniform for parade , the Enhanced Hot Weather BDU ( EHWBDU ) replaced the HWBDU commencing in 1996 . The EHWBDU are made with 50 / 50 ripstop nylon and cotton poplin blend . BDU ' s are printed with infrared - brightened dyes . Near infrared ( NIR ) Signature Management Technology is used in the uniforms to help prevent detection by NIR Image Converters . These photocathode devices do not detect temperatures , but rather infrared radiation variances . NIR - compliant uniforms use a special fabric that allows soldiers to appear at the same radiation level as the surrounding terrain , thus making them more difficult to detect . It is advised not to use starch when cleaning or ironing BDU ' s , since starch weakens the fabric and ruins the infrared protective coating . A pair of BDU ' s that has been starched even once should not be worn in combat . History of camouflaged battle uniforms . While the Italian Army was the first military organization to issue camouflaged clothing , the Germans were noted for their efforts in this field before the Second World War . After much trial , the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( abbrev . OKW ) authorized Heeres - Splittermuster 31 , more commonly known as " splinter pattern " , for use in shelter - quarters ( " Zeltbahn en " ) in the 1930s . In 1940 , SS - Verfügungstruppe ( abbrev . SS - VT ; renamed Waffen - SS ) designed , tested and issued its own distinctive patterns and layout not long after . The United States Marine Corps received its first military camouflage pattern in 1942 , when the reversible , beach - jungle , three - and five - color frog - skin pattern uniform was issued , based on a 1940 trial design . The U . S . found it to be ineffective and the pattern was withdrawn in 1944 — in part because of anticipated friendly fire incidents before D - Day . Camouflaged helmet covers and shelters were issued in the 1950s in " wine leaf " and " brown cloud " patterns . The U . S . Army also tried a lesser - known camouflage uniform on D - Day and throughout the Normandy operations , like the Marine Corps ' uniforms , but it was replaced by the M43 uniform before being used much . During the Vietnam War , the United States military ' s four - color ERDL pattern saw limited use amongst specialist units in the U . S . Army , though most were issued the solid olive green OG107 sateens or jungle fatigues , while the Marines adopted the pattern service - wide after 1968 . The ERDL pattern fatigues were identical in cut to the third - pattern OD jungle fatigues , and were available in both a highland pattern ( more brown ) , and a lowland pattern ( more green ) , though the lowland pattern was eventually phased out . Other , unofficial , patterns utilized in Vietnam included black - dyed or spray painted jungle fatigues , often used by special purpose forces , and various Vietnam ese Tigerstripe patterns ( themselves being based on French Army airborne and Foreign Legion patterns and a British design utilized in Malaysia ) , or commercial " duck hunter " patterns . Derivatives . The U . S . military has run trials of many camouflage patterns ( some being used by foreign militaries ) , and issued environment - specific uniforms , notably the six - color " chocolate - chip camouflage " or Desert Battle Dress BDU designed in 1962 , and the " nighttime desert grid " ( NCDBDU ) . Both uniforms were used in 1991 , during the Persian Gulf War . During that war , after initiatives by General Norman Schwarzkopf , the six - color Desert Battle Dress uniform was produced in 100 % cotton poplin without reinforcement panels in order to improve comfort in hot desert conditions . All of these Desert BDUs were discontinued after the war . The Desert Combat Uniform ( DCU ) in three - color desert camouflage were introduced in 1992 , and was utilized in operations in Somalia ( 1993 ) ; it was in service in Afghanistan and Iraq from the start of hostilities , but the U . S . Army and U . S . Marine Corps have both replaced the DCU with newer uniforms ( ACU and MCCUU , respectively ) . The DCU is colloquially called " coffee stains " by the soldiers wearing it . In testing , U . S . Army researchers found that , as in other environments , the color of desert terrain varies , and can range from pink to blue , depending on the minerals in the soil and the time of the day . Since patches of uniform color in the desert are usually 10 times larger than those in wooded areas , it was decided to alter the existing six - color DBDU pattern . This led to the development of a three - color pattern DCU , which was adopted . Three - color DCUs replaced the six - color DBDU pattern of the 1990s , although six - color desert camouflage helmet covers have continued in use with some U . S . troops since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 . Interestingly , the reformed Iraqi Army , trained by U . S . and multinational forces , wore surplus six - color DBDUs ; likely because much newer Iraqi Army materiel is donated American and Coalition surplus equipment . U . S . Marine Corps . With the development of modern camouflage patterns and the rising desire of the various U . S . military branches to differentiate themselves from each other has resulted in new patterns for uniforms . The U . S . Marine Corps was the first branch to replace their BDUs . The Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform uses the computer - generated MARPAT pattern and several other enhancements . It was approved for wear in June 2001 , and the changeover was completed by October 1 , 2004 . However USMC Special Operations units or MARSOC recently have issued M - 81 woodland pattern uniforms to supplement MARPAT uniforms , making MARSOC a unit to return to woodland BDU pattern uniforms for special missions . U . S . Army . A U . S . Army program running from 2005 to 2007 has replaced the BDU with the Army Combat Uniform ( ACU ) . The ACU uniform uses a digital pattern known as the Universal Camouflage Pattern . It is similar to MARPAT , but uses less saturated colors . The neutral colors , foliage green and sand , are designed to be used in desert , woodland , and urban combat situations and is known as the Universal Camouflage Pattern ( UCP ) . The ACU is used in all environments except for areas with snow , as the ACU works poorly against white . An all - white BDU and the ECWCS are used instead . U . S . Navy . In 2007 , the U . S . Navy began issuing a digital pattern Navy Working Uniform ( NWU ) in blue and gray on an experimental basis . While it is neither a tactical uniform nor a battle dress uniform , the NWU is intended to take the place of many existing work ensembles ( utilities , wash khaki , coveralls , woodland green , etc . ) . The disruptive pattern is primarily intended to complement U . S . Navy ship colors and to hide stains and wear , and supposedly to make the wearer a less obvious visual target for hostile forces while working aboard a naval vessel in port . To meet the Navy ' s cold - weather requirement , the NWU set will include a fleece jacket , pullover sweater , and parka options . U . S . Navy SEALs , Seabees , and other U . S . Navy personnel deployed ashore under the cognizance of U . S . Naval Forces Central Command still use older woodland and / or three - color desert BDUs for outdoor operations or activities in specific areas of responsibility ( AOR ) . U . S . Air Force . In 2004 and 2005 , the U . S . Air Force experimented with , but rejected , a blue - toned tigerstripe uniform . In 2006 , a new BDU - style uniform called the " Airman Battle Uniform " ( ABU ) was adopted , using a semi - pixelated tiger pattern with four soft earth tones consisting of tan , grey , green and blue . It failed , however , to incorporate many of the significant improvements of the ACU and MCCUU . By 2007 , it was in current production . In 2008 , responding to criticism that the new Airman Battle Uniform was too heavy and hot in high - temperature environments , the USAF ' s 648th Aeronautical Systems Squadron at Brooks City - Base revealed plans to switch to a lighter , more breathable fabric for the combat blouse section of the ABU . The original heavyweight nylon / cotton blend was changed to a lighter - weight nylon / cotton poplin material . Priority will go to those serving in the Middle East or other hot - weather theaters . U . S . Coast Guard . The U . S . Coast Guard has introduced the new Operational Dress Uniform ( ODU ) uniform in 2004 to replace the winter and summer " Undress Duty " uniform . Resembling the BDU fatigues , the new ODU uniforms retains the basic design of the old - style BDU uniforms , but with the lower pockets on the blouse being eliminated . The sleeves can be worn " folded up " in a manner similar to the old U . S . Army and U . S . Air Force BDUs ( since disallowed with the new Army ACU ) and the trousers " bloused " into the boots ( unless boating shoes , especially for the U . S . Coast Guard Auxiliary , which patrols for the Coast Guard aboard privately owned watercraft ) , with the ODU black belt and blackened buckle being worn with the metal tip 2 to 4 inches from the buckle . The dark blue Coast Guard unit baseball - style cap is worn with this uniform . The ODU also has all of its allowable insignia sewn on , eliminating the chance of puncture wounds created by the pins if the individual suffers a blow to the chest while wearing a PFD or body armor . The ODU is not intended to be worn by Coast Guard units which engage in combat operations or are deployed overseas . These units continue to wear older woodland BDU and DCU uniforms for USCG units overseas or part of other DoD operations . With the few wear - out date exceptions for USAF and USN personnel described above , BDU in MultiCam woodland camouflage is in use today mainly by the public , public service persons , and some foreign military units . BDUs can also be purchased from civilian vendors in the UCP pattern analogous to the ACU as well , though they are not authorized for wear by U . S . Army soldiers . One continuing criticism of the BDU was that as a general - purpose battledress designed to save costs and promote durability , it lacked suitability for a number of specialized extreme environments and conditions . Uniform weight , along with heat and perspiration retention have been especially criticized . The extensive incorporation of uniform reinforcement panels and the large number of oversized pockets , utilized primarily for reasons of durability and convenience , tend to increase heat retention in hot - weather environments , mitigate the beneficial effect of the open - weave cloth , and increase the risk of skin diseases and inflammations in humid environments , especially in the thigh and groin areas , where double and even triple thicknesses of cloth are used . In jungle and tropical regions , the carrying of large amount of gear in trouser and shirt pockets is generally unknown among other uniformed military forces , as the practice retains excessive body heat and promotes corrosion of carried items through perspiration . The open - weave cloth construction of the BDU is also easily penetrated by insect bites in tropical , jungle , and other malarial environments , causing an increased risk of transmitted diseases such as malaria , even when pretreated with permethrin or other repellent . Since World War II , the U . S . Military has been aware of the problem of insect penetration of loosely - woven fabrics in tropical and jungle environments , issuing a tightly - woven Byrd Cloth ( in Britain , " Grenfell Cloth " ) tropical uniform of single - layer Egyptian cotton for jungle troops in 1943 . Users . Turkey has used a new nano - camouflage BDU since 2008 The Soviet Afghanka uniform was largely based on the BDU ' s overall design . Initially produced in one colour it now comes in several solid colours and in several different camouflage patterns .