The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides funding for the Department of Defense (DoD) as a whole, and all six branches compete for funding from Congress. Each service branch performs a specific function in the modern American military, from ground forces (Army) forces on, above, and below the ocean (Navy) amphibious operations and power projection from sea to land (Marine Corps) coastal forces (Coast Guard) air and space capabilities (Air Force) to satellites and space command-and-control (Space Force). Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force, in order of establishment. The armed forces of the United States are presently organized into six branches-the U.S. Because of the time and resources that have been wasted in the development of defunct camouflage uniforms, it is critical that this process be reformed before disaster strikes again. Finally, Part IV discusses proposals to reform the schism in American military uniform development and provide a framework to reform this broken system. Part II will dive into the statutory law and caselaw governing the intellectual property associated with uniforms and military equipment while Part III discusses the Marine Corps’s strategy, in particular. Part I of this Note will first trace the development of digital camouflage uniforms in the American military. These follies drew the ire of those within and outside of the federal government and shifted focus away from combat readiness. ![]() military have wasted substantial time and resources on the development of separate camouflage utility uniforms, many of which were discontinued after a lifetime of less than ten years. In the past twenty years, individual service branches within the U.S. military over digital camouflage uniforms. The evolution of military uniforms in the twenty-first century has produced a curious (and unexpected) result: economic and political fratricide within the U.S. Especially in the United States, these uniforms are often a potent symbol of military power and pride. military uniforms, the descendants of which are the military uniforms of the twenty-first century. Washington’s garb spawned a multitude of U.S. This blue uniform stood in stark contrast to the scarlet jackets worn by the British Army “red coats” during the American Revolution. George Washington’s blue overcoat has been described as the genesis of U.S. Externally, this function of standardization is joined by an element of legitimatization: military members in uniform are seen as professionals, as opposed to a ragtag band of mercenaries. The removal of individual distinction assimilates military members into a group, reinforcing the subordination of individuality while emphasizing respect for the hierarchical chain of command. They also provide a variety of inter- and intraorganizational functions, from stripping an individual’s familial and socioeconomic status to providing legitimacy to military action. Uniforms hold a special significance in the human race’s collective psyche. Military uniforms have been employed in theaters of war for over 5,000 years. One of these options should be selected before such a uniform arms race occurs once again. Each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. Finally, Part IV provides three potential options to restructure and reform the military’s current intellectual property protection scheme. The Marine Corps’s intellectual property protection of the MARPAT uniform is then discussed and analyzed in Part III. Part II traces the history of uniform intellectual property protection in the United States. In Part I, this Note delves into the history of military camouflage uniforms, discussing the key factors and decisions that led to the twenty-first century’s camouflage arms race. As there is a dearth of legal scholarship addressing this issue, this Note provides the first foray into this murky territory. ![]() Some twenty years and billions of taxpayer dollars later, most of the other service branches’ hastily developed camouflage uniforms have been abandoned. In its quest for distinctiveness, the Marine Corps initiated a power struggle for unique uniform designs with its intellectual property protection of MARPAT, its proprietary digital camouflage uniform. Individual military service branches use military uniforms to distinguish each from the other. In the United States, they are a ubiquitous symbol of patriotism and military might. Military uniforms serve a multitude of purposes in the twenty-first century.
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