More US Troops Outfitting Themselves for Combat

US troops are increasingly augmenting their military-issue gear with higher-end commercial products to gain an extra edge—and look sharp, the Christian Science Monitor reports. The military has encouraged the trend, perhaps in response to the equipment shortages that have dogged the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts, loosening procurement rules that previously stopped troops from providing their own equipment.

"The idea now is, 'If it helps Joe do the mission, let him have it—as long as it's not hot pink,'” one manufacturer said. Critics charge that the trend is the result of government abandoning front-line troops, but much of the extra gear is purchased with units’ discretionary funds or by supply initiatives outside the traditional chain. (More Iraq stories.)