Why does the Army insist on M4s being black when everything else is camouflaged?

Why not just have them original manufactured in OCP or FDE? Then there would be no more need to change the color of the rifle than there would be to change the OCP uniform as environments change.

MSgt Kurt S. - They are similar for sure.

I always thought UCP meant "Useless Camouflage Pattern"

MAJ (Join to see) - I've seen a few that you couldn't have stood out more unless You wore white and there was no snow. Some of the camouflage patterns sure didn't blend very well. UCP as You mention sure fits some of those. I love that reference term You made for UCPs, LOL. With the woodland camouflage that was i think hte last pattern that all services were wearing for a while. The post MSgt Kurt made shows the Marine WWII pattern (which was fine) but also a lot of others as well, seems a lot of money was wasted on a lot of them.

Woodland works well in forested environments. It's a bit too "green" for arid environments. Interestingly, it's not that different from the late Vietnam War jungle camouflage pattern (remember the old slant pocket blouses?). My recollection is that the Marine Corps WWII pattern had a larger pattern and was more suited to a sandy / arid environment than to forests because of the lighter, browner color scheme. It worked well in the environments where the Corps was deployed. One of the problems with camouflage is that everyone is trying to invent a better mousetrap to sell to the DoD (either from the procurement side or from the vendor side, and sometimes from both). Until we have reliable, lightweight, active camouflage, there aren't going to be any huge leaps in concealment.

MAJ (Join to see) - Is it because they sold enough cookies? Or because they learned to "hooooah" with a French accent while they twirl their handle bar mustache?

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I know... they are former Marines who want nice quarters.

Ba dump tsss I got a million of em.

I never had a problem when i had to under field conditions but then why would i want to ? I'd rather be comfortable. My new roughing it is a hotel that hasn't got a pool. I'm NOT a former Marine, started and stayed Air Force, no regrets about that. I'm not into discomfort. Former training before the Air Force was Army Infantry at a Military Academy as a Cadet, (not a member of the US Army) There is nothing wrong with nice quarters, I made the right choice !

In Vietnam however We did live and work with Marines working base perimeter, making out own sweep outside the wire, QRTs, Quick reaction teams and the Marine unit had no dogs, all 45 dogs and all German Shepard's, in our unit the 366th SPS, were with Air Force handlers.

SMSgt Lawrence McCarter - I had a Surveillance and Target Acquisition Plt, (where the scout snipers are.) We aggressed USAF dog unit from Kadena. We did not win.