Fort Benning Public Affairs is reporting that 150 female Soldiers from the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, have begun testing the new Women's Army Combat Uniform.  Each Soldier received two sets of the new ACU on 23 Feb, 2011.

Soldiers will wear the female ACUs and provide feedback to the Soldier Colothing and Individual Command at Fort Belvoir.  Items evaluated will include durability, functionality, laundering and comfort.

Maj. Sequana Robinson, the assistant product manager assigned to Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, said "The ACU uniform came out in 2005 and the Army has since found out how it was functioning and worked to make changes. One of the things we found out in the feedback was that the current uniform didn't fit as well on female Soldiers."

The new female ACU features narrower shoulder width, an added elastic waistband, adjusted chest, waist and sweep ratios, repositioned elbow and knee patches, longer top length on the front and back of the uniform and adjusted sleeve length and width.

450 female Army ACU uniforms will be issued to Soldiers at Fort Benning, Fort Jackson, Fort Carson and the Joint Base Lewis-McChord for testing and evaluation.  The uniform is still in the testing phase and has not yet been approved by the Army Clothing Board.