US Made Iraqi Uniform * Blue Digital (ACU Cut)

I found this one while "turning stones over" at a local surplus store.  This was labeled with a big tag that said " US NAVY UNIFORM". I glanced at it and thought to myself this is going to be interesting.

I figure it was US contract manufactured for the Iraqis (National Police)?

Any thoughts or pictures of this being worn are encouraged.

Thanks,
MZ♠

Great find!

100% Iraqi Police. I'll post pics from my deployment 08-09 showing these in use

Well at the moment it appears my pics didnt transfer to my new computer, so once I find them I'll be happy to post. For now, its going to be a wait.

These are Iraqi National Police, in eastern Baghdad in 2009. The second pic is of then disseminating PSYOP handbills.

In the last photo both of them have UCP knee pads around their ankles.

In 2008 and 2009, it was not uncommon to see the Iraqi Army, National Police, and Iraqi Police in a wide variety of uniforms and accessories. Especially the IA; I understand it was not uncommon to see woodland, 3 color desert, chocolate chip desert, and woodland and desert digital uniforms in the same formation (with accessories in all various patterns). The IA were pretty inconsistent in appearance, while the National Police (pictured above) were much more consistent with wearing 1 uniform pattern.

These two pictures are representative of the IA in 2008-2009. And yes, one guy is wearing kneepads with another set around his ankles.

Why are the Iraqi soldiers wearing the SSI of the 1st and 2nd Infantry divisions?

Cap, they were patch whore, would wear any patches to add cool factor including SSI of US units they worked alongside.

Fashion.

In some instances, it was a patch from a unit they worked alongside. In many other instances they were obtained through gift or trade from a US service member (often being different than their current assignment).

Kind of like how a guy has knee pads, and another set around his ankles - the IA did stuff because their US partners did it, without actually having any idea why things were done that way. Tactical fashion.

What's the point of kneepads around the ankles?

There is no point.

Kneepads (especially the kind pictured) are uncomfortable when worn for a long time. They're hot and they cut off circulation. Because some Commands require kneepads be worn, many guys end up pushing them down around their ankles. Other guys might wear one, with the expectation that if they have to pull security for an extended period of time, they can adjust it back up to their knee.

The Iraqi's don't understand any of this, and wear a pad on their ankles because that's what they see the US doing. Then, they wear a second set on their knees, to serve the intended purpose. It is comical.

Very nice matching those photos to the uniform. And I remember as a young soldier we did plenty of stuff we didn't fully understand at the time becasue that's what the "cool" guys did. Sometimes you still have to fake it till you make it! Thanks for matching all this up. Mark