Camouflage has been an important part of combat since the Prussian army adopted its feldgrau uniforms to blend in with Northern Europe's grayish fields in the 19th century. Armed forces have come a long way since then, using research tested patterns to break up the outlines of troops, trucks and aircraft, making them almost invisible.
Although the U.S. Armed Forces uses a digital camouflage pattern invented by a Canadian, U.S. Marine Corps Scout Snipers recently trained with the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force in Exercise Forest Light 12-01. Those are some pretty sweet Ghillie suits they're wearing on top of their multicam uniforms.
The Israel Defense Force has turned camouflage into blend of art and science. They've made soldiers look like rocks and planes look like desert, all with a sort of style that makes Fashion Week look cheap.
I can't wait to try some of this stuff on my beat-up Subaru. That way when I park it in front of my parents' house, their neighbors won't see it and won't complain about decreasing property values.
Photo credit: U.S. Marine Corps