Nevada soldiers mark end of era with retro-BDU days

Click to Enlarge Steve Ranson • LVN file photo Nevada Army National Guard soldiers paid their farwells alst week as the end of an era, the issuance of the tradtiional Battle Dress Uniform, came to an end. Browse and Buy Lahontan Valley News Photos

Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka
Sgt. 1st Class Erick Studenicka
May 6, 2008, 12:05 AM

Comments Print Email

Soldiers in the Nevada Army Guard marked the end of an era lask week by reaching deep into their closets to wear the iconic woodland-camouflage patterned uniform, known as "battle dress uniform" or BDU, one last time.

"Saying goodbye to BDUs is like saying goodbye to the old Army," said Staff Sgt. Elias Perez of the counterdrug task force. "Nowadays, we have new uniforms, new tactics and new deployments. We have to keep up with the new Army."

BDUs served as the standard military uniform for the Army for about 30 years. They were first issued to recruits in 1978 and later distributed to all soldiers in late 1981. The Army announced it would replace BDUs with the Army Combat Uniform on the Army's 229th birthday, June 14, 2004, and subsequently began distributing ACUs in April 2005.

In the interim transition period, soldiers have been authorized to wear either ACUs or BDUs. Wednesday was the last time soldier could sport the popular camouflage that covers everything from tanks to helmets.

Dozens of soldiers across the state this week pressed their BDUs and polished their boots for the final days of wear.

The highest percentage of soldiers who wore BDUs at any one armory was at the Plumb Lane Armory in Reno. That armory houses the state's counterdrug staff as well as recruiting and medical soldiers.

Counterdrug Sgt. Eric Hintermeyer said the final day for the BDU created opinionated discussion about past and present Army uniforms.

"The BDU was a landmark uniform that we will never see again," Hintermeyer said. "Some people prefer the ACUs while others felt the BDU was a more professional uniform. The BDU was the standard uniform everyone associated with Army for decades."

Wednesday also marked the end for other Army wardrobe staples: the Desert Battle Dress Uniform first pulled out during the Gulf War; brown T-shirts, black leather combat boots, black rigger belts, and green and black jungle boots.

Although now nearly just a memory alongside the olive-drab "OD" uniforms and Ike's jackets of President Truman's era, there are still a few opportunities for authorized wear of the woodland camouflage pattern. Reserve Officer Training Corps students may wear BDUs through April 2009 and the cold weather woodland field jacket is authorized through Sept. 30, 2010.

Next up on the Army endangered uniform list is the Army Green service uniform. The new blue Army Service Uniform is set to replace both the Class A green uniform as well as the Army white uniform and will be adopted Army-wide in 2011.