Personal Guard--- On The Battlefield I

        The U.S. Navy plans to phase out active land combat training uniforms starting on October 1, 2016. As the "personal protection" of soldiers on the battlefield, camouflage combat uniforms can not only improve the concealment of soldiers, but also provide convenience for soldiers to fight and greatly increase the survival rate of soldiers.

       The color of military uniforms should meet the needs of covert operations and should also be an important symbol to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy. Camouflage uniforms meet these needs well. It allows soldiers to better blend into the surrounding environment, making it difficult for the enemy to distinguish, thereby achieving the purpose of concealment. The commonly used camouflage uniform is a military uniform that uses different color strips to make the appearance of the soldier's body blend into the hiding place. The widespread application of camouflage uniforms on the battlefield has greatly enhanced the concealment of troop operations and reduced casualties. In peacetime, well-made camouflage uniforms have also become the objects of pursuit and collection by many military enthusiasts.

      Camouflage can be divided into three categories: protective camouflage, deformed camouflage and imitation camouflage. Protective camouflage is a single-tone camouflage, such as green, khaki and other camouflage colors; deformation camouflage is a multi-color camouflage composed of a variety of irregular spots, mainly used for moving targets; imitation camouflage refers to imitation of the surrounding background spot pattern Multi-color camouflage, only suitable for fixed targets.

       Humans have a long history of using camouflage in military operations. According to historical records, light cavalry in ancient Rome were issued uniforms made of animal fur in order to confuse the enemy. However, the earliest military uniforms did not have uniform color requirements. For example, during the Middle Ages in Western Europe, private armies belonging to the nobility appeared. They provide their own clothing, there is no unified military uniform, and the colors of the clothing are also varied. When fighting, it is often difficult to distinguish between ourselves and the enemy, and our own people are often accidentally injured, which is not conducive to combat. In the 15th century, mercenaries appeared in Western Europe and military uniforms appeared.

      During the Louis XIV period, France formally stipulated uniform military uniforms, and the colors of the uniforms of different arms were different. The Praetorian Guards wore white uniforms, the dragoons wore red uniforms, and the infantry wore gray uniforms. At the same time, the accessories on various military uniforms are bright and eye-catching.

      As early as before the Spring and Autumn Period, the prototype of military uniforms appeared in our country. However, due to the inconsistent styles, most of them chose what they liked, and the concept of military uniforms was not formed. The official use of the term "military uniform" dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period, when King Wuling of Zhao promoted the "Hufu riding and shooting" program in 307 BC. It has a history of more than 2,300 years.

   Next time I will tell you about the development history of modern camouflage uniforms!