A new Army Physical Fitness Uniform will become available service-wide, beginning in October next year.
Its design is based on Soldier feedback, said Col. Robert Mortlock,
program manager, Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment, Fort
Belvoir, Virginia.
There's a three-year phase-in program and the cost will be about $3 less
than the current IPFU, or Improved Physical Fitness Uniform, he said.
The Army Physical Fitness Uniform, or APFU, program was actually
initiated because of Soldier feedback. A February 2012 Army Knowledge
Online survey of some 76,000 Soldiers found that Soldiers had issues
with the IPFU, he said. They liked its durability but believed the
IPFU's textiles had not kept pace with commercially-available workout
clothes. They also had concerns with other things, particularly modesty
issues with the shorts, especially in events like sit-ups. Those
concerns were expressed by males as well as females.
The issue was of such concern that Soldiers were purchasing spandex-like
under garments to wear beneath the trunks, Mortlock said.
Another issue was that there were not enough female sizes in the IPFU,
he said, meaning IPFUs that would fit all shapes and sizes.
PEO Soldier worked closely with the Natick Soldier Research Development
and Engineering Center to develop a new PT uniform that met Soldier
concerns but did not cost more than the IPFU. The APFU met the goal of
controlling costs and improving performance by adopting lighter high
tech moisture wicking fabric. The APFU introduces multiple sizes,
including female sizing, and has solved the modesty issue, Mortlock
said.
The fabric of the trunks will continue to be made with durable nylon
fabric, but it is lighter than and not as stiff as the IPFU trunks.
Also, there will be a four-way stretch panel inside the trunks, sort of
like bicycle pants, which eliminates the need for Soldiers to purchase
their own under garments. The trunks include a bigger key pocket and a
convenient and secure ID card pouch.
In all, some 34 changes were made to the new APFU,
The APFU has five parts: the jacket and pants which resemble warm ups,
trunks or shorts, and the short- and long-sleeve T-shirts, he said. The
ensemble is modular; meaning parts of the APFU can be mixed and matched,
for example, short- or long-sleeve T-shirts with the pants or trunks.
During PT formations, the platoon sergeants will determine the
appropriate combo.
Soldier feedback not only determined the form, fit and function of the
APFU, it also determined its look. The Army made prototypes of the APFU
in a variety of colors and designs and taken to a series of Soldier town
halls at Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Washington. Soldier feedback was solicited about the
design features as well as the preferred color scheme.
Then, the Army launched a second AKO survey, in which more than 190,000
responded, Mortlock said. Soldiers overwhelmingly favored a black
T-shirt with gold lettering and a black jacket with gold chevron and the
Army logo.
Then it was on to testing.
About 876 Soldiers at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, Join Base Lewis-McChord,
Fort Bragg, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Fort Hood and Fort Jackson, South
Carolina, wore the APFU during PT for a three-month period, providing
feedback on form, fit, comfort and so on, Mortlock said. The APFU also
was tested for things like durability, laundering, fiber strength, color
fastness and color maintenance after laundering.
A key part of testing addressed the concern of some Soldiers that a
black shirt may cause over-heating. Instrumented tests showed that the
lighter weight material and superior moisture wicking fabric more than
compensated for any increased heat from the dark material.
The response to the APFU was "overwhelmingly positive," he said, particularly with the trunks.
Not only that, Soldiers said they wear the APFU on weekends and off-duty
outside the installations, Mortlock said, adding that many said they
wouldn't wear the current IPFU off-duty. That means communities across
the country will soon see Army pride as Soldiers do their workouts.
The APFU will come in two types, the Clothing Bag variant, and the
Optional APFU, which will be visually the same as the APFU Issue
variant, but uses some different materials. The individual items of the
two variants can be mixed together. The Optional APFU variant will
become available first when it arrives in Army military clothing sales
stores sometime between October-December 2014.
The Clothing Bag issue variant will be issued to Soldiers from the
clothing initial issue points, starting between April to June 2015, and
to Reserve, National Guard, and Senior ROTC from July-August 2015. The
APFU will be phased in as the IPFUs are used up and worn out. The
mandatory wear date will go into effect approximately October 2017, or
about three years after the APFU is introduced.
In conclusion, Mortlock said the Army reached out to Soldiers at
"multiple touch points to ensure we got this right. The message is we're
listening to Soldiers. We're continuing to listen to Soldiers, and this
is the Soldiers' selection and Army leaders went along with this."
http://www.army.mil/article/131411/New_Army_PT_uniforms_result_of_Soldier_feedback/
By David Vergun
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