ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Woodland Pattern Camouflage

The Woodland pattern camouflage was the standard issue camouflage pattern of the United States Armed Forces from 1981 to 2012 in various pieces of clothing, including the Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and other military attire. The pattern was designed to provide effective camouflage across a range of environments, particularly in woodland and forested areas.

The Woodland pattern is an adaptation of the earlier ERDL (Environmental Resistance, Low-Drag) camouflage pattern, which was used by the US military since the Vietnam War. However, unlike its predecessor, the Woodland pattern features larger, more voluminous colored spots that are designed to reduce the merging of colors at a distance. This results in a greater contrast between the camouflage and the surrounding environment.

The Woodland pattern was officially accepted by the US military in 1981 and remained in use until it was replaced by the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) in 2005, which was later phased out in favor of the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). Despite its replacement, the Woodland pattern is still used on some limited level for specific equipment and personnel, such as MOPP suits and vests.

The Marine Corps initially phased out the Woodland pattern with the introduction of the MARPAT uniform in 2002. However, it was reintroduced for use by certain special operations forces, including the US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), in 2011. The Air Force also briefly used the Woodland pattern on its civilian auxiliary uniforms until June 2021.

The Woodland pattern has been adopted by several state defense forces and is still used today as part of their standard issue camouflage attire. In Canada, it was formerly used by the Canadian Forces for helmet covers on various military helmets.

History

The development of the Woodland pattern can be seen as an evolution of earlier US military camouflage patterns. The ERDL pattern, which preceded the Woodland pattern, featured a four-color high-contrast design from irregular green, brown, pine, and black colors. In contrast, the Woodland pattern features larger, more voluminous colored spots that are designed to reduce color merging at a distance.

The introduction of the Woodland pattern in 1981 marked an important shift in US military camouflage design, as it was specifically tailored for woodland and forested environments. The increased size and volume of the colored spots were intended to improve the effectiveness of the camouflage across longer distances, while also reducing