UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform

Various iterations of the Marine BDU.

Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) is a broad term describing any of several standard-issue combat uniforms worn by members of the UNSC Marine Corps. Though it provides less protection than more sophisticated armor suits such as the body armor worn by the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers or the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor worn by the Spartans, it is very durable and versatile. Ushuaia Armory performed a substantial amount of work on at least some versions of the BDU.

Overview

Unlike the Marine Corps Dress Uniform, which is worn at parades and functions, the BDU is intended for use in combat situations. As a large fighting force, the UNSC Marines use a great variety of different BDUs. Standard Marine Battle Dress Uniform consists of armor plating over camouflaged combat utilities and includes a number of ammunition pockets, holsters, and other features.

Unlike the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor worn by the Spartan supersoldiers, the Marine BDU does not include a dynamic recharging energy shield, providing far inferior protection against directed energy and projectile weapons.

Components

Fatigues

Non-standard fatigues with a soft armor vest.

Main article: Fatigues

Camouflaged combat utilities are worn under the armor plating. The UNSC is known to use a variety of camouflage patterns depending on the environment, including all-grey fatigues and woodland, urban, or winter camouflage.

Combat boots

Combat boots such as the VZG7 armored boots are worn with the uniform. They are sometimes equipped with different types of additional armor to provide greater protection to the lower leg.

Armor

The Marine BDU is equipped with one of various models of ballistic armor at multiple points, including the torso, the shoulders, and the shins. Some versions incorporate armor for the forearms and thighs as well. The armor is resilient against traditional ballistic weaponry. However, it is easily damaged by plasma weaponry. Though different iterations of the BDU feature different armor models, all possess roughly equivalent durability. Lighter body armor, such as the ballistic assault vest, is used in lieu of standard-issue gear during some operations.

Headgear

Main article: CH252 helmet

All iterations of the BDU feature the CH252 helmet, the standard-issue helmet of the UNSC Defense Force, which is painted to match the corresponding body armor. The helmet may be mounted with various accessories, such as a holographic tactical eyepiece, a helmet recorder, a boom microphone, polarized tactical goggles, a flashlight, or a night vision device. Tactical goggles are also used by some Marines; Marines often wear balaclavas with their helmets, both in frigid and temperate climates. In hazardous situations, gas masks such as the S90 gas mask are worn.

Marines on field operations in more humid locales sometimes choose to wear Boonie covers. Marine non-commissioned officers are easily recognized by the cover that they wear, which features the UNSCDF insignia, although they often substitute this soft cover for a more practical protective helmet.

Primary models

There are at least three major models of the BDU, one of which is shared with the Army and the Air Force. All three saw contemporaneous service during the Human-Covenant War, with issue depending on environmental conditions, combat type, and the wearer's role.

Insurrection and early Human-Covenant War

Marines wearing the both the standard and winterized versions of the early BDU.

The earliest known iteration of the Marine Corps BDU was in use during the Insurrection and continued to see service well into the Human-Covenant War. The standard version of this model features gray fatigues and brown armor covering most of the body; cold environment versions feature white fatigues, a white helmet, and light gray armor plating. When wearing this model, Marines often sport polarized tactical goggles and balaclavas, even in temperate environments.

The chestpiece used with this model is comprised of very heavy plating. The forearms, shins, and boots are fully armored. Some users wear tactical thigh rigs or holsters, while some wear armor covering the thighs. Often, the left thigh is armored, while a holster is attached to the right thigh.

A Marine wearing the BDU with an M52B chestpiece.

Another view of the same BDU.

BDU with M52B body armor

This version of the BDU was in service as early as 2531. This version served as the standard BDU for Marine forces on Earth, Kholo, Algolis, Sigma Octanus IV, and numerous other planets, and saw comparatively limited issue on Reach. This model features the M52B body armor, which can be outfitted with various accessories, such as utility webbing and ammunition pouches; the armor is supported by a black ballistic vest that extends to the arms. The armor and helmet used in conjunction with this model are almost universally painted olive drab, while the fatigues generally feature a woodland camouflage pattern.

This version of the BDU lacks the prominent shin armor used with other models, with only the upper shin being armored. This version also lacks thigh armor, though some Marines wear holsters on their thighs. The BDU has black knee and elbow pads, although they are only lightly armored. The uniform also includes armored pauldrons. The V7G7 boots worn with the system are covered in light armor plating. Marines often wear fingerless gloves with this iteration of the BDU.

The cross-branch BDU.

The A/X version of the cross-branch BDU.

Cross-branch BDU

This version of the Battle Dress Uniform is shared with the Army and, in a lighter format, the Air Force. It features gray fatigues, with dust brown or gray-brown armor plating covering the head, torso, shoulders, thighs, and shins. At times, Marines wear only their utilities and soft body armor, even forgoing helmets and body armor plating in hazardous combat operations, sometimes substituting their helmets for Boonie covers or bandannas. Some Marines have small medical packs built into their back armor plating. Many helmets worn with this system include a holographic tactical eyepiece.

This version's armor unit provides protection to the front and back of the torso, with added protection to the groin. GUNGNIR pauldrons are often worn on both shoulders, or, in some cases, only the left shoulder; the pauldron displays the UNSC logo and lettering and sometimes displays a diagonally crossed hexagon, which is also present on the Army BDU. The right shoulder pauldron is often the smaller UA/Base Security shoulder armor, which displays the Marine's blood type under UNSC lettering. For leg protection, wearers often utilize the UA/NxRA utility armor, which cover both thighs. Wearers often use heavily armored knee guards distinct from those worn by the Army. Some Marines wear heavier shin armor along with GUNGNIR knee guards. Marines who wear the pressurized Atmospheric/Exoatmospheric (A/X) version of this BDU, such as to mitigate the atmospheric hazards caused by nearby glassing, wear an enclosed ECH252 helmet derived from the Beta-5 Division MP helmet, as well additional collar armor similar to that worn by Air Force pilots.

Variants

Pilot variant

A Bumblebee pilot in standard battle dress and wearing a specialized helmet.

File:1213584262 Pilot helmet.jpg

Another BDU worn by Marine pilots.

Marine pilots usually wear a modified version of the standard Marine uniform, though they are known to utilize the BDU without modifications as well. Several helmet models are used by pilots, including one version with a fully covering flip-down visor, which likely provides a heads-up display; a similar model features a larger, gold-polarized visor. Other pilots wear more advanced equipment, including fully sealed helmets and an additional control panel on the standard chest armor piece. Each helmet bears a wing symbol, possibly denoting the pilots' particular specialty, though this may indicated unit affiliation.

Corpsman variant

While many Navy Corpsmen wear the standard BDU, some use a suit with charcoal fatigues and padding with white armor featuring red shoulder straps and caduceus symbols on the shoulder pauldrons for easy identification.

Other suits

While the standard BDU is most commonly seen in the field, there are multiple specialized combat suits worn by different branches of the UNSC Marine Corps. The armor system utilized by the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers is the most notable example, being a sealed full-body combat suit instead of a more conventional armored uniform. During operations in vacuum, Marines wear vacuum suits, often equipped with armor plating. One example of a vacuum-enabled suit is the black body suit, which is a lightweight, form-fitting suit of polymer body armor. Other task-specific suits exists, such as the fire-resistant full-body combat suit worn by the Hellbringers. Heavier armored variants of the standard BDU were worn on counterinsurgency operations by 2524, including a suit with charcoal fatigues and matte-black heavy impact plating covering most of the body and a helmet that fully encases the head. This suit may be similar to the ODST BDU.

Trivia

The iteration of the Battle Dress Uniform seen in Halo: Combat Evolved was heavily inspired by the armor worn by the Colonial Marines in the film Aliens, which greatly influenced the game.

Gallery

• HaloCE-Marine.png

  A Marine in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• Halo2-Marine.png

  A Marine in Halo 2.

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  A Marine in Halo 3.

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  A Marine wearing a BDU with an M52B chestpiece.

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  Another Marine wearing the same armor. Note the helmet's boom microphone and tactical goggles.

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  Marines wearing the cross-branch BDU.

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  Marines wearing the A/X variant of the cross-branch BDU.

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  Another view of the A/X cross-branch BDU.

• 600px-Halo Wars Marine BR.jpg

  Marines in cold environment BDUs.

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  Ngoc Benti wearing the Corpsman variant of the BDU.

• All.marines.jpg

  The BDU as it appears in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  More Marines wearing the BDU in Halo: Combat Evolved.

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  Concept art of the armor for Halo 3.

List of appearances

Halo: Combat Evolved Halo 2 Halo 3 Halo Wars Halo 3: ODST Halo: Reach Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance) Halo: The Flood Halo: First Strike Halo: Contact Harvest Halo: The Cole Protocol Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe Dirt Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian motion comic Palace Hotel The Mona Lisa The Return motion comic

Halo Graphic Novel Breaking Quarantine Second Sunrise Over New Mombasa Halo: Uprising Halo: Fall of Reach Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp Halo: Fall of Reach - Covenant Halo Legends Origins Homecoming Prototype Halo: Landfall Halo: Arms Race Halo: Combat Halo: Last One Standing Believe campaign (Non-canonical appearance)