U.S. Woodland

The U.S. Woodland is a camouflage pattern that was used as the default camouflage pattern issued to the United States Armed Forces from 1981, with the issue of the Battle Dress Uniform, until its replacement in the mid to late 2000s. It is a four color, high contrast disruptive pattern with irregular markings in green, brown, sand and black. It is also known unofficially by its colloquial moniker of "M81", though this term was not officially used by the U.S. military. Although completely phased out of frontline use in the U.S. Armed Forces, US Woodland is still used on some limited level by some branches such as MOPP Suits, equipment and vests left over while some modernized uniforms (either BDU or commercial) are currently worn specifically by special forces such as USMC Forces Special Operations Command and United States Navy Seabees.
Development and history.
The woodland pattern is nearly identical to highland ERDL, only differing in that it is printed from an enlargement of the original. The woodland pattern was enlarged and the borders of the splotches were re-drawn to make them less regular. Part of the earlier pattern was left off the later pattern because the enlargement made them no longer fit on the width of the bolt of cloth. The pattern does not repeat horizontally across the width of the bolt, but only vertically along its length.
The effect of enlarging the pattern was to make the pattern more visible at a distance, avoiding "blobbing", where smaller areas of color seem to blend into larger blobs. This also gave the pattern a higher contrast, making it stand out more sharply at close distances and defeating the camouflage effect at closer range. Digital and Flecktarn camouflage patterns resolve this problem by using a range of blob sizes to give a similar effect whatever the distance.
These changes reflected a shift in the tactical focus of the United States military from fighting an extremely close-range war such as the one in South Vietnam to a longer-range one such as on the fields of Europe.
Usage.
U.S. Army.
In the U.S. Army, the woodland-patterned Battle Dress Uniform was replaced by the digital Universal Camouflage Pattern (UCP) found on the Army Combat Uniform, introduced in 2004. UCP itself was replaced by the Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP) in 2019. The pattern is still used on MOPP suits and some older models of body armor yet to be retired, such as PASGT vests and Interceptor Body Armor.
U.S. Navy.
The U.S. Navy retains the Woodland Pattern for specific units and organizations, such as the U.S. Navy SEALs and SWCC, who are currently the primary U.S. users of this uniform. Sailors have otherwise transitioned to the Navy Working Uniform. Otherwise, the pattern is still used today on personal body armor (such as the IBA and PASGT) aboard warships.
U.S. Marines.
The Woodland Pattern BDU was phased out by the Marine Corps with the introduction of the digital MARPAT Marine Corps Combat Utility Uniform in 2002, although it was reintroduced for the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command in 2011 and was also worn by MARSOC forces in the War in Afghanistan.
U.S. Air Force.
The Air Force phased out the woodland pattern battle dress uniform in 2011 when they went to the Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) which uses a pixelated incarnation of the Tigerstripe pattern, which in turn will be replaced by the Army's OCP by 2021. Also the Civil Air Patrol (the U.S. Air Force's civilian auxiliary) uses it on BDUs, which are being replaced by the ABU. Woodland patterned BDUs are authorized uniform wear for the Civil Air Patrol until 15 June 2021.
State defense forces.
Several state defense forces use the Woodland Pattern on their BDUs. The pattern also sees use among police departments, such as the Rhode Island State Police.