One problem that plagues militaries the world over is the effectiveness of their camouflage. Although invented in the 1800s, camouflage didn't first see extensive use until the Great War. Since then, countries have been trying to give their troops an edge on the battlefield with the use of the latest in camouflage. The seemingly random shapes and colors used in camouflage have the potential to confuse the enemy by hiding everything from soldiers and equipment to vehicles. The United States military has modified and outright changed which patterns they employed at least a dozen times since World War ll. There have been two overriding theories when it comes to camouflage usage in U.S. military circles. One is htat each environment needs its own pattern to be effective. The other is that there can be one pattern that can handle a variety of areas of operation.

The theory that each environment needs its own pattern is a sound one. If you are looking to blend into a jungle, a specific jungle pattern should be used. If you were hiding out in the desert, then a tan-based pattern would probably do it for you. That's all fine and dandy but hardly logistically feasible for a military as large as the armed forces of the United States of America. Take Operation Desert Storm, for example. Many troops fighting int he desert had to wear Woodland camouflage, which is a pattern primarily made up of green, brown, and black that began life as a jungle camouflage because there simply weren't enough of the desert “chocolate chip” – patterned uniforms and equipment to go around. As  you can imagine, Woodland in the desert is not an optimal setup.

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