How the U.S. Army Developed the PCU Combat Uniform
By: U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center (Natick)

Calling from a bomb crater in Afghanistan in the winter of 2002, the Special Forces Soldier had a pointed request for the Special Operations Forces (SOF) Special Projects Team at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.: Send warm clothing.

About one year later, special operators working in frigid battle zones got what they wanted in the Protective Combat Uniform (PCU), an interchangeable 15-piece, seven-level ensemble that can be worn in layers appropriate for the mission.

“He said ‘We’re cold. You gotta do something to help,’” said Richard Elder, an equipment specialist on the Special Projects Team and project officer for the PCU, recounting the conversation that started the process. “It’s exciting that in less than 12 months, the system was fielded into theater. That’s never been done before.”

The PCU will replace the existing Lightweight Environmental Protection (LEP) developed under the Special Operations Forces Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR), a program to produce modular equipment systems that focus on mission tailoring, enhanced survivability, and enhanced mobility while reducing weight, bulk and heat stress.

The LEP consists of light and mid-weight underwear, medium stretch bib overalls, pile jacket and wind-resistant jacket along with the outer water-resistant shell of the Extended Cold Weather Clothing System parka and trousers. Special operators’ other option was to purchase commercial items on their own.

The PCU takes cold-weather gear to the highest level.

“The goal is to give the special operators a system as good or better than anything commercially available and build a system that stays with the commercial market instead of falling behind so you’re not getting six-year-old technology,” Elder said.

In place of gathering and assessing clothing sold in stores, the Special Projects Team started from scratch. The team consulted with extreme alpinists and outdoor apparel companies, and followed recommendations from a joint panel of special operators to introduce a product the Special Operations community would approve.

“We wanted to make sure we didn’t overlook anything. As a system, we wanted it competed nationally,” Elder said. “This acquisition model has proven itself to be extremely efficient. To build something in real-time to meet users’ needs is how it should be done all the time.”

Wearing the PCU is a matter of mixing and matching the gray garments according to the anticipated conditions and activities of the user. Comfort levels range from minus 50 to 45 degrees F, and although there are seven levels of protection, Elder said clothing in each level is not progressively added or removed the colder or warmer the environment.

“We actually get more out of fewer pieces by training the SOF operator how to pack and because of the efficiency of the clothing itself,” he said.

He said the key to staying warm is moisture management. The latest Polartec fabrics by Malden Mills insulate and wick moisture away from the skin, while outer garments made with silicone-encapsulated fibers by Nextec Applications, Inc. allow sweat to escape while being highly water and wind-resistant. The idea is to remove moisture faster than he can produce it.

The product also breaks new ground for military protective clothing with anti-microbial fibers, a stretch shell, and a design that functions as a complete system through its seaming, grading and fabrics.

Army Rangers, Marine Force Reconnaissance, Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs successfully evaluated the uniforms in Alaska in August 2002. By the time the uniform officially fields in 2006, the product will have been upgraded several times with another shell system and alternate vest as part of a catalog of components to further adjust to the specific mission. Until full fielding, those who need the uniforms are getting them and are involved in the evolution of the design with their comments from the battlefield.

“They like it. They’re taking it as soon as they can get it,” Elder said. “It was exactly what they were looking for. They’re even wearing it outside of the profile it was designed for. It speaks well to the system that they’re even doing that.”