So, what do you think? Let us know, and create your own. Feel free to post a link to it in the comments section.

“The improvements to the ABU are a continuum of the Air Force Chief of Staff’s initial direction to ‘fix what we have’ with regard to uniforms,” writes Michael Dickerson, chief of media relations for USAF. “The number one complaint about the ABU was that it was too heavy and too hot. We lightened up the fabric to help alleviate those issues.”

This newer, lighter ABU fabric will be a ripstop weave composed of a 50/50 nylon-cotton blend. Found in the ABU and other military uniforms, Near Infrared Compliant (NIR) technology allows soldiers to appear at the same radiation level as the surrounding terrain, which makes it much harder for enemy forces to detect them. In addition, the NIR technology makes the uniforms less visible in low-light environments by reducing the reflection of light.

The 50/50 nylon-cotton ripstop is much more breathable than the original ABU fabric, a 50/50 nylon-cotton twill weave that has been found especially ineffective in war environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, Army servicemen have been wearing nylon-cotton ripstop uniforms for years. Following suit, Airmen stationed in hot climates will happily embrace this change, as the new fabric is much more comfortable and will allow them to do their jobs more effectively.

The very first ABU prototype was unveiled in 2003. After extensive wear testing and several updates, the Air Force began issuing ABUs to those enlisted in basic training at Lackland AFB in 2007.

The fabric will be machine washable and wrinkle resistant. The ABU can only be worn inside the wire in a war zone. Incoming recruits will be the first ones to receive one of the ABUs in the new fabric because it will be issued during basic training. For everyone else, it will be phased in eventually; until then Airmen may continue to wear the original weight ABUs.

If you just can’t stand the heat anymore, you can pre-order the nylon-cotton ripstop ABU coats (MSRP $59.99) and ABU pants (MSRP $59.99) at BDU.com. The first orders are expected to ship by April 16, 2012.

This past Saturday, St. Louis hosted the first official welcome home parade for Iraq War veterans. Thousands of people lined mile-long route to celebrate veterans during the January 28th Welcome Home the Heroes event.

The brainchild of two local men, Craig Schneider and Tom Appelbaum, the parade was organized grassroots style. In a little over a month, the event became a reality thanks to a number of individual donations, a partnership with the Mission Continues and corporate sponsors like Anheuser-Busch and Mayflower Moving Company.

Hundreds upon hundreds of veterans from the area walked the route. Some walked with their loved ones. Others walked with fellow soldiers. All of them were greeted with applause and heartfelt thank yous.

The overwhelming amount of support for this event made it possible. Even the fickle Missouri weather cooperated to ensure the parade went on smoothly and without any hiccups.

Several of the floats were dedicated to celebrating individual returning veterans. The fallen were not forgotten. Photos of those brave soldiers who gave their lives were proudly displayed on various posters and floats throughout the parade.

Veterans from past conflicts and wars, like the Vietnam veterans pictured below, showed their support for those soldiers just returning home.

While the parade was starting, the Veterans Resource Village was in full swing inside of Union Station. Approximately 50 organizations were present to assist returning servicemen and women with their transition into civilian life. One of those organizations was The Mission Continues, which is a national nonprofit dedicated to challenging post 9-11 veterans to rebuild their sense of purpose through service.

“These veterans didn’t ask for a parade, or a community show of support, or a gathering of people and organizations specifically focused on easing our warriors’ transition back into civilian life. We’re throwing one anyway,” said Schneider, parade organizer.

Welcome home soldiers! We thank you for your service, loyalty and commitment to this great country. 

MilitaryGear.com is excited to announce its partnership with The Mission Continues, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that helps returning veterans become active in their communities.

Founded in 2007, the organization helps returning veterans serve again as citizen leaders and honor the fallen by living their values through service. It all began when returning Navy SEAL Eric Greitens visited with wounded Marines at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. He discovered that, without exception, each Marine wanted to continue serving his country.

“One young Marine even said this: ‘I lost my legs—that is all. I did not lose my desire to serve or my pride in being an American,’” reads its website. Spurred to action, Greitens used his combat pay to start The Mission Continues. To make sure it became a reality, two friends decided to pitch in their disability checks as well.

So how can you help? MilitaryGear.com has recently launched a special feature that offers the opportunity to make a donation. It’s easy to contribute. After you’ve completed shopping at MilitaryGear.com, you’ll see The Mission Continues option during checkout. It will be visible after you have entered your payment information. It’s located at the bottom of the checkout menu. From this box, you can select your donation amount.

Currently, suggested amounts range from $.50 to $10. Your donation will ensure returning veterans find purpose through service and strengthen communities nationwide.

Other Ways to Help

Developed for post 9/11 veterans, Mission Continues’ fellowship program typically includes 28 weeks of volunteer work. Participants are provided a living stipend during this period.

“To date, we have engaged nearly 200 post-9/11 veterans in six-month fellowships in local nonprofit organizations, mentoring at-risk youth, training guide dogs for disabled Americans, coordinating housing builds or doing disaster preparedness work,” states the website. “We have seen these communities improve as a result of their efforts and seen those veterans grow and successfully transition to meaningful careers, further education or an ongoing role of service.”

STORY: Reservist Treks Across Country For Military Families

The Service Projects Program brings civilians, veterans and active-duty volunteers together through community-based projects. More than 16,830 volunteers have completed hundreds of service projects across the nation. These service projects either honor fallen service members or support fellows who are serving in the volunteers’ communities.

Want to get involved? Tons of volunteer and fellowship opportunities are available.

Image via Flickr

The Winner

Amy B. will be taking home the prize. The photo was taken mid-climb, as she conquered the Matanuska Glacier in Alaska this past July.

Operator Badassness

The assorted photos below were submitted by a couple of former Marines.

[Guam 1981.]

[Two real operators from back in the day. They were getting ready to go on a little post-dinner walk.  Taken in Republic of Vietnam in 1969.]

[Submitted with following caption "No one got the memo 'never getting out of the boat.'" There might be a Apocalypse Now reference in there...]

STORY: Contest – Submit Your Adventure Photos

Hiking Dudes

Let’s not forget our hiking friends.

[Pic snapped during a hiking trip along Oregon Trail. Submitted by David S.]

[Taken this past September, this photo depicts a walk through Bentson State Park in Mission, Texas. Submitted by John L.]

[Norm White pictured at 9,200 feet at Carr Peak near Sierra Vista, Ariz.]

Norm White (pictured above) is a blogger for the Normanomicon and Keystone Guns, Gear and Guides wrote that this hike in particular “gave me the bug for hiking and camping.” He decided to hike while he was in the area on business. “We drove up to the halfway point and climbed and hiked around 5,000 feet to the top of the peak. From there we were able to see everywhere, including into Mexico with binoculars.”

Norm explains that he was 40 years old at the time. ” The most memorable part of the entire trip though was when I spoke to my son via cell phone,” shared Norm. “I couldn’t believe I was able to get cell reception up there, but I was able to tell him good night that evening from almost 10,000 feet above sea level.”

Thank you for all the submissions!

Seeing as my hands are not quite large enough to fit the gloves, I had a former Marine put them to the test. We’ll call him Jon, because that is his name. He did a stellar job too, as he wore the Combat glove ($82.41) in a number of situations, including riding his motorcycle and shooting on the range.

[The knuckles of the gloves are protected by polymer plated aramid.]

“The gloves are very grippy and tactile,” said Jon. “They allow for fine manipulation.” Basically, you won’t have to worry about feeling the trigger. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. “I wore them when firing a pistol, shotgun, rifle and carbine. They performed well during all of the firing exercises.”

Not satisfied with just donning them on the range, Jon decided to try them out during his weekend motorcycle trips. “They also made killer riding gloves as they were warm enough, but could breathe when the temps spiked in the 80s and 90s,” he said. “They shed enough wide at 50ish degrees to be comfortable while on the bike at freeway speeds.”

STORY: 5.11 Tactical, Ironclad Team Up

He went on to explain that they were water resistant. And apparently they don’t catch fire easily. I’m curious as to how he learned the latter trait, but he would not disclose his exact method for testing for fire resistance.

“Very nice combat gloves and I may buy another pair with longer cuffs,” he shared.

“I just couldn’t kill them,” joked Jon.

[Palms of the Combat glove are made of reinforced leather. The leather is digitally patterned and flame resistant.]

Features:

• Constructed using flame resistant materials and components
• Ergonomically designed trigger finger and thumb
• Lightweight Mil-Spec Kevlar provides cut protection (back of hand and fingers)
• Gusseted cuff with hook and loop
• Engineered knuckle guard includes second layer of polymer plated aramid
• Water resistant treated leather and Kevlar

The gloves meet the manufacturing and performance testing requirements as authorized by PEO Soldier, Authorization Nos. CG090406-01.1 & CG090406-2.1

Shared via Facebook photo album, A-TACS FG Camo images are starting to make their rounds. For quite some time, people have been requesting a green variant of the original pattern. It may have taken longer than most would have hoped, but A-TACS refused to take the faster, easier path of recoloring the existing pattern.

“The characteristic environmental elements and shapes found in greener, more temperate settings needed to be addressed,” reads the photo album’s caption. “The answer was found in the creation of an entirely new pattern based on the A-TACS Camo’s unique ‘pattern within a pattern’ concept. The addition of simulated depth was also necessary in order to add visual disruption to further break up the human silhouette.”

More photos will be released as specific gear is produced by various A-TACS manufacturing partners. We suggest you check its Facebook albums religiously.

It’s been in development over a year and has had tons of input from industry and tactical professionals. It utilizes shades of green that have been “sampled from forested and transitional terrain elements combined with various shades of earth.”

Designed to be effective in a wide range of temperate environments, the FG pattern is composed of organic pixels. These pixels are grouped in micro patterns that are then arranged in macro shapes. In combination with strategically placed shadows, this creates a unique 3-D effect.

Are you a fan of the new FG variant? 

[Image via Metro Milwaukee Living]

On this day, we thank our military personnel. Their courageous decision to enlist has taken them away from the comforts of their homes, families and friends. While they may have had different reasons for serving, they share the common goal of protecting our nation.

We also remember all those fallen soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Freedom does not come free and we are immensely grateful for their service to the United States.

We salute you!

We’ve posted a poem you may have read before. It was penned by soldier John McCrae during World War I. It’s the reason why volunteers and veterans sell plastic poppies every November 11.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly.
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Thank a veteran or take a moment to remember the fallen.

Marines will soon be bidding a fond farewell to the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon, more affectionately known as the M249 SAW. According to Marine Corps Times, it looks like all infantry battalions will be fielding the M27 Infantry Automatic Rifle by the end of next year.

“Leaders recently awarded a contract worth up to $23.6 million with the maker of the 5.56mm machine gun, Heckler & Koch Defense of Ashburn, Va.,” reports the Marine Corps Times article. “The company plans to begin delivering more than 3,600 IARs to the Corps early next year, said Robert Reidsma, who oversees the IAR program for HK.”

[Photo by Rob Curtis]

As part of the experimental fielding phase, 458 weapons were delivered starting late last year. For upwards of 10 years there has been arguments for replacing the belt-fed M249 SAW. While packing quite the proverbial punch, it’s heavier and not as accurate as the M27 IAR.

Over this summer, Commandant Gen. Jim Amos approved full fielding. The IAR will replace the M249 SAW for all Marine rifle squads and light armored reconnaissance scout sections. “In conventional infantry battalions, virtually every four-man fire team will have an IAR, with three per squad, 28 per company and up to 4,476 across the Corps, Marine officials said,” continues the article.

The IAR will be fielded with 30-round magazines and MantaRail rail guards will be incorporated. While some have voiced concerns over firepower, military officials state that the auto-rifle’s positives far outweigh the negatives. The M27 IAR is more accurate and “improves automatic rifleman and small-unit lethality, mobility and survivability,” said 1st Lt. Jamie Larson, spokesperson for the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, Va.

Do you think the IAR is more fitting for Marine use than the SAW? 

Never fear, you can send those photos our way. It may even win you a brand new bag—a khaki Sitka Gearslinger (valued at $129.99) to be exact. Perfect for everyday carry needs or more extraordinary travels, this pack is courtesy of Maxpedition.

Whether you snapped a photo while serving overseas or on that last European vacation, we want to see your best photo. While there will be only one winner, we will feature our favorites in a future post on Military Gear News.

Now that we have your attention, there is the matter of guidelines. You have to be 18 or older and a U.S. resident. Please send photos as JPEGs and only send up to two submissions. Also, we ask that you include a brief description of the photo. A picture maybe worth a thousand words, but a sentence or two would be mighty helpful in determining the lucky winner.

STORY: Transformers 3 Features Maxpedition Pack

Send photos to: editor [at] cat5 [dot] com. Deadline to enter is Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011. We will be selecting the winner; Maxpedition is not involved in this process. All submissions must include a name, location and date the picture was taken.

Do you happen to have a picture of yourself with a Maxpedition product? These photos are eligible to be added to the Maxpedition photo gallery.

STORY: Maxpedition Sitka Gearslinger Review

***By emailing us your photo you’re authorizing that Military Gear News can use it. You understand that the picture maybe featured in a following post. You’re also stating your ownership of the photograph. Please do not submit any work that you don’t own or have permission to share.