Desert Camouflage Uniform

Desert Camouflage Uniform
A folded and buttoned U.S. Navy DCU blouse.
TypeMilitary camouflage patterned uniform
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1991–2008 (U.S. Army)[1][2]
1993–2005 (U.S. Marine Corps)
1992–2011 (U.S. Air Force)
1993–2012 (U.S. Navy)
1993-present (SFOD-D)
Used bySee Users for other foreign military/law enforcement users
WarsGulf War (very limited use)
Battle of Mogadishu
War in Afghanistan
Faylaka Island attack
Iraq War
Production history
ManufacturerPropper[3]
Produced1989–2012
VariantsClose Combat Uniform[4][5]

The Desert Camouflage Uniform (DCU) is an arid-environment camouflage uniform that was used by the United States Armed Forces from the mid-1990s to the early 2010s. In terms of pattern and textile cut, it is identical to the U.S. military's Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) uniform, but features a three-color desert camouflage pattern of dark brown, pale olive green, and beige, as opposed to the four-color woodland pattern of the BDU. It replaced the previous Desert Battle Dress Uniform (DBDU) which featured a six-color "chocolate chip" pattern of beige, pale olive green, two tones of brown, and black and white rock spots. Although completely phased out of frontline use in the U.S. Armed Forces, some pieces and equipment printed in the DCU camouflage pattern are used in limited numbers such as MOPP suits and/or vests.

  1. ^ "Army to Retire BDUs".
  2. ^ "ACU changes make Velcro optional, patrol cap default headgear". www.army.mil.
  3. ^ "Propper Authorized Supplier - Propper ACU, BDU, Multicam, Military Uniforms from BDUDirect.com". www.bdudirect.com. Archived from the original on 2017-08-16. Retrieved 2017-05-04.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference CCU was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference CCUMk2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).