Edited for brevity.
The new boots donÂ’t need a shine. The new uniforms donÂ’t need to be dry cleaned and they come complete with velcro for patches that once had to be sewn on by hand. The ArmyÂ’s new wash-and-wear combat uniform is great for soldiers, but a nightmare for the nearly 60 small shops around Fort Bragg that offer dry cleaning, pressing, alterations and boot shining. At least three have closed since the debut of the new Army Combat Uniform, and the owners of several others say their business has been cut in half. There isnÂ’t much hope for improvement, either. A little less than a third of the 45,000 soldiers at Fort Bragg, the sprawling post thatÂ’s home to the ArmyÂ’s Special Operations Command, the 82nd Airborne and a variety of other units, are still wearing the old uniforms. TheyÂ’ll soon make the switch. |