Nearly Invisible

You may have noticed that the Army has changed it's camouflage in the last couple of years. Instead of green, brown and black splotches, it's now a greenish-grey digital pixel pattern, which is not universally loved or accepted. Under bright light and up close, the new uniform doesn't always blend in real well, especially in lush green environments like Ft Leavenworth (the area in which I see it most often). And after a few washes, some uniforms faded badly and they did stand out compared to other camouflage.

But I don't think it's so bad. The pattern and color scheme were meant to be a good compromise for all kinds of environments, a kind of "jack of all trades, master of none" approach. And it seems okay in the desert and urban environments of Iraq and Afghanistan, which is what counts right now. The pattern also seems to change hues based on the lighting and I've always wondered how it compares when observed through night vision equipment.

The best example, however, I've ever seen of the new uniform blending in is this one. A young soldier can rest assured that he or she is completely invisible… as long as he stays on Grandma's couch: