TRU Combat Shirt

Airsoft Equipment Reviews by Rogue Element

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TRU Combat Shirt

Postby Rogue Element » Tue Jan 27, 2009 3:02 pm

Approximately a decade ago, the US Army implemented a well funded research and development program, then known as the “Scorpion Program.” It's evolution, from the “Objective Force Warrior” to the current “Future Force Warrior” Program, continually seeks to adapt advanced technologies and designs to the combat needs of US Military infantrymen.

During the early stages of R&D, Natick Labs (aka the US Army Soldier Systems Center) worked with an industrial design firm, Crye Associates on a number of projects. This resulted in such innovations as the famed MultiCam camouflage pattern and the new Army Combat Uniform design (not to be confused with the disruptive Universal Camouflage Pattern / ACUPAT used on the current ACU).

Another result of Crye Associates' R&D was the design of the Combat Shirt. Currently fielded as the Army Combat Shirt, this uniform piece evolved from soldiers' need for body armor in the modern warfighting environment.

Prior to the Combat Shirt, soldiers wore body armor carriers in addition to uniform coats/shirts and moisture “wicking” base layers. Given the average climate where the bulk of US Military forces have been recently deployed, this triple layer of clothing had obvious disadvantages. These included heat exhaustion, excess weight and bulk, and loss of functionality / mobility.

The TRU Combat Shirt is TRU-SPEC / ATLANTCO's take on the original Crye Associates design.

“The Combat Shirt concept improves the design of the tactical uniform by reclaiming cargo pockets and placing them on the sleeves in a more practical arrangement, reducing weight by eliminating excess uniform material and need for separate base layer and creating a comfortable, durable and naturally thermal resistant body that also wicks moisture.”

The Tactical Response Uniform Combat Shirt has the following design details:

50/50 nyco rip-stop sleeves with 60/40 cotton nylon no melt, no drip Cordura® brand Baselayer (ACUPAT/Foliage and MULTICAM®/Sand)
65/35 polyester cotton rip-stop sleeves with 60/40 cotton nylon no melt, no drip Cordura® brand Baselayer (Black/Black, Khaki/Khaki and Olive Drab/Olive Drab)
Moisture wicking torso
Lightweight and breathable
No shoulder seams to minimize rubbing and chaffing
Mock turtle neck
Zippered sleeve storage pockets
Anti-abrasion padded elbow patch
Gusseted sleeves
Glint tape holder for IR tape
Loop on sleeve pockets for attaching name, rank and flag
Hook-and-loop cuff closures
Sizes: S – 2XL
Colors : ACUPAT/Foliage, Black/Black, Khaki/Khaki, MULTICAM®/Sand or Olive Drab/Olive Drab

The TRU Combat Shirt fits like a t-shirt (not to tight or loose) and the Cordura brand Baselayer feels as soft as cotton next to skin. It obviously has better quality control in manufacturing than many Asian made copies. This includes attention to stitching details, genuine Crye Precision MultiCam cloth, and industrial grade Velcro brand hook-and-loop. Additional features include underarm gussets and "tagless" shirt label for comfort. Though I would personally prefer the torso Baselayer section be in a Coyote Tan or Ranger Green color, the “Sand” color becomes a negligible objection when an armor carrier is donned.

I really have only a few real objections to the TRU Combat Shirt's design:

Cuff Closures – they are a little small. The cuff closures on the original TRU / ACU uniform coat are large and easy to grab / adjust, especially when wearing gloves. The TRU Combat Shirt does not retain the same feature, opting for longer, smaller width closure tabs. This can be a minor frustration when adjusting “in-the-field.”

Pen Pockets – these pockets, usually found on the left forearm of TRU / ACU uniforms have become very functional. Unfortunately, the TRU Combat Shirt does not retain this design feature

IR “Glint” Tape Holder – the flap that is meant to conceal the IR “glint” tape has no hook-n-loop retainer for it's open position. You have to take the fabric cover piece and unnaturally secure it to the loop patch panel to keep it out of the way.

Arm Pockets – though well designed and spacious, they are secured with a thin zipper. Consequently, the zipper pulls are very small and hard to grasp, especially with gloves. The addition of integrated, corded zipper-pulls would be advised for ease of opening and closing.

Despite these objections, overall, I am satisfied with the TRU Combat Shirt. It stays true to the original function of Crye Associates design, retains the flame retardant features of the official Army Combat Shirt by Massif Mountain Gear, yet is offered at a high-quality but reasonable price through TRU-SPEC.

The TRU Combat Shirt can be found at US CAVALRY (http://www.uscav.com). It retails for $50.99 for solid colors (Olive Drab, Black, Khaki) and $70.99 for MultiCam and ACUPAT. Please note that the torso areas on all shirts are Fire Retardant. The ripstop 50/50 Poly-Cotton blends in MultiCam and ACUPAT patterned sleeves are also Fire Retardant. The ripstop 65/35 Poly-Cotton blends in Olive Drab, Black, and Khaki colored sleeves ARE NOT Fire Retardant.


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"TAGLESS" LABEL
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ORIGINAL TACTICAL RESPONSE UNIFORM (TRU) - Obviously based on the ACU design.
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TRU COMBAT SHIRT (FRONT VIEW)
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TRU COMBAT SHIRT (BACK VIEW) - Note the back shoulder reinforcement panel.
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COMBAT SHIRT W/ Armor Carrier
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AUTHENTIC MULTICAM 50/50 Poly/Cotton RipStop material
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RIGHT ARM DETAIL - Hook-n-Loop attachment points for nametape, rank, and Flag.
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LEFT ARM DETAIL - Hook-n-Loop attachment panel for IFF "glint" tape (underneath concealment tab) and unit patches.
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UNDERARM GUSSET DETAIL
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STITCHING DETAIL - Flatlock seam stiching near ripstop cloth, torso baselayer, and mock neck.
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REFERENCE / COMPARISON PICS of NAVY / AIRFORCE Personnel utilizing Crye Precision Combat Wear in-theater (Africa).

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"Strike with Chaos!" -Sun Tzu
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Rogue Element
 
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Postby Rogue Element » Thu Mar 12, 2009 7:53 pm

UPDATE

TRU SPEC has recently released 4 new color patterns for the TRU Combat Shirt - (Arms/Body) Navy/Navy, Urban Digital/Black, Woodland Digital/Black, Desert Digital/Sand.

Truspec.com > Tactical Public Safety Apparel > Shirts > TRU Combat Shirt

The Desert Digital/Sand is particularly interesting for AirSoft / Mil-Sim as it allows you to to sport the most modern and up-to-date look - in particular the Fire Resistant Organizational Gear (FROG) shirts currently manufactured by Propper, licensed by Crye Precision, for in-theater deployed US MARINES.
"Strike with Chaos!" -Sun Tzu
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Posts: 681
Joined: Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:01 am
Location: TN State - Nashville Based


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