The Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) are fatigues that were used by the United States military 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. military, except for certain elements of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, which still use them as of late 2012.
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 Seabees. 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 is 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.
Read more about Battle Dress Uniform: Description and Adoption, Modifications, History of Camouflaged Battle Uniforms, BDU Derivatives, Criticism of The BDU, Users
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