U.S. ARMY ACU SERVICE TAPE

To reflect changes in Army uniform policy over the past several years, we offer four types of U.S. Army tapes for wear on the Army Combat and utility uniforms. With the introduction of the Army Combat Uniform in 2004, the Army allowed only tapes, rank insignia, and badges with hook-and-loop fasteners (Velcro) to be worn on it and various utility uniforms, with the goal of making uniform care simpler. But numerous complaints about the system arose, ranging from the noise made should a tape or badge be inadvertently pulled off in an area with nearby enemies to the failure of Velcro in dusty conditions.

In 2010, the Army reversed itself and allowed Soldiers to once again sew on all these items—even those that had hook-and-loop fasteners. With this decision, uniform accessory manufacturers began making these items available without Velcro, while also producing hook-and-loop versions (yes, they did and do have fans). Be aware that if a Soldier decides to sew on badges, then the nametape, U.S. Army tape, and the grade insignia must also be sewn on.

Another addition was the introduction of a new camouflage system, the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP), in July 2015, in response to negative feedback regarding the efficacy of the Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) that had debuted along with the Velcro attachments. Please be sure to choose your service tape’s camouflage pattern so it matches the uniform on which it will be worn: there are still a great many personnel wearing ACUs made with the UCP, and placing an OCP service tape on such a uniform lessens the chances of achieving stealth.