CHAPTER 45-THE UNIFORM

Amendments

2011- Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title V, §505(a)(2), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4210 , added item 777a.

1996- Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title V, §503(a)(2), Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 294 , added item 777.

1992- Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title III, §377(b), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2387 , added item 775 and redesignated former item 775 as 776.

1987- Pub. L. 100–180, div. A, title V, §508(b), Dec. 4, 1987, 101 Stat. 1087 , added item 774 and redesignated former item 774 as 775.

1968- Pub. L. 90–235, §8(1)(B), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 764 , added item 771a.

Policy on Ground Combat and Camouflage Utility Uniforms

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title III, §352, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2262 , provided that:

"(a) Establishment of Policy.-It is the policy of the United States that the design and fielding of all future ground combat and camouflage utility uniforms of the Armed Forces may uniquely reflect the identity of the individual military services, as long as such ground combat and camouflage utility uniforms, to the maximum extent practicable-

"(1) provide members of every military service an equivalent level of performance, functionality, and protection commensurate with their respective assigned combat missions;

"(2) minimize risk to the individual soldier, sailor, airman, or marine operating in the joint battlespace; and

"(3) provide interoperability with other components of individual war fighter systems, including body armor and other individual protective systems.

"(b) Comptroller General Assessment.-The Comptroller General shall conduct an assessment of the ground combat uniforms and camouflage utility uniforms currently in use in the Department of Defense. The assessment shall examine, at a minimum, each of the following:

"(1) The overall performance of each uniform in various anticipated combat environments and theaters of operations.

"(2) Whether the uniform design of each uniform conforms adequately and is interoperable with currently issued personal protective gear and body armor.

"(3) Costs associated with the design, development, production, procurement, and fielding of existing service-specific ground combat and camouflage utility uniforms.

"(4) Challenges and risks associated with fielding members of the Armed Forces into combat theaters in unique or service-specific ground combat or camouflage utility uniforms, including the tactical risk to the individuals serving in individual augmentee, in-lieu of force, or joint duty assignments of use of different ground combat uniforms in a combat environment.

"(5) Implications of the use of patents and other proprietary measures that may preclude sharing of technology, advanced uniform design, camouflage techniques, and fire retardence [sic].

"(6) Logistical requirements to field and support forces in varying combat or utility uniforms.

"(c) Report Required.-Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2009], the Comptroller General shall submit to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives] the results of the assessment conducted under subsection (b).

"(d) Requirement for Joint Criteria.-In support of the policy established in subsection (a), the Secretaries of the military departments, consistent with the authority set out in subtitles B, C, and D of title 10, United States Code, shall establish joint criteria for future ground combat uniforms by not later than 270 days after the Comptroller General submits the report required under subsection (c). The joint criteria shall take into account the findings and recommendations of such report and ensure that new technologies, advanced materials, and other advances in ground combat uniform design may be shared between the military services and are not precluded from being adapted for use by any military service due to military service-unique proprietary arrangements."