Piczookery - Latvian troops in Diwaniyah

01/12/07 - Latvian soldiers climb out of the back of a humvee at the conclusion of an electronic warfare counter-measures class near Diwaniyah, Iraq, Jan. 12, 2007. The Latvian soldiers are part of a maneuver group that will be providing security and conducting patrols in the Diwaniyah area. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Rob Summitt) (Released)

Note the Latvians' digital camo, which to Murdoc's naked eye looks like a good pattern and color scheme, though maybe not quite so good in urban areas. It's got a lot of "color" to it, which at first glance seems better than the US Army's new Army Combat Uniform. The ACU does not incorporate the color black. ACUs, which are pretty light-colored in the first place, often appear to be pretty faded.

There's a good post up on the ACU over at Defense Tech: New Army Camos: No Place to Hide?. It's got some good pics.

Good discussion in the comments section, too, so check it out. One commenter notes that washing the ACU with the wrong detergent can contribute to the "faded" look.

Piczookery - ASROC
A port view of the guided missile cruiser USS LEAHY (CG 16) launching an RUR-5A ASROC anti-submarine rocket. Camera Operator: PHC T. AHLGRIM Date Shot: 7 Jan 1983 This is a shot of the old, out of service Mk112 ASROC launcher, commonly known as the "Matchbox" because many of...[READ]