By David Vergun, Army News Service (www.army.mil)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new Army Physical Fitness Uniform will become available service-wide, beginning in October next year.

Its design is based on Soldier feedback, said Col. Robert Mortlock, program manager, Soldier Protection and Individual Equipment, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

There’s a three-year phase-in program and the cost will be about $3 less than the current IPFU, or Improved Physical Fitness Uniform, he said.

The Army Physical Fitness Uniform, or APFU, program was actually initiated because of Soldier feedback. A February 2012 Army Knowledge Online survey of some 76,000 Soldiers found that Soldiers had issues with the IPFU, he said. They liked its durability but believed the IPFU’s textiles had not kept pace with commercially-available workout clothes. They also had concerns with other things, particularly modesty issues with the shorts, especially in events like sit-ups. Those concerns were expressed by males as well as females.

See photos of the new designs HERE.

The issue was of such concern that Soldiers were purchasing spandex-like under garments to wear beneath the trunks, Mortlock said.

Another issue was that there were not enough female sizes in the IPFU, he said, meaning IPFUs that would fit all shapes and sizes.

PEO Soldier worked closely with the Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center to develop a new PT uniform that met Soldier concerns but did not cost more than the IPFU. The APFU met the goal of controlling costs and improving performance by adopting lighter high tech moisture wicking fabric. The APFU introduces multiple sizes, including female sizing, and has solved the modesty issue, Mortlock said.

The fabric of the trunks will continue to be made with durable nylon fabric, but it is lighter than and not as stiff as the IPFU trunks. Also, there will be a four-way stretch panel inside the trunks, sort of like bicycle pants, which eliminates the need for Soldiers to purchase their own under garments. The trunks include a bigger key pocket and a convenient and secure ID card pouch.

In all, some 34 changes were made to the new APFU,

The APFU has five parts: the jacket and pants which resemble warm ups, trunks or shorts, and the short- and long-sleeve T-shirts, he said. The ensemble is modular; meaning parts of the APFU can be mixed and matched, for example, short- or long-sleeve T-shirts with the pants or trunks. During PT formations, the platoon sergeants will determine the appropriate combo.