USFIT Program Aims to Fit Soldiers

Sizing misfits in the Army’s clothing and equipment distributed at central issue facilities are expected to be eliminated by the new Uniform System For Improved Tariffs program. USFIT will replace the guessing game of small, medium, large or extra-large and the number of sizes available, says the Army. The USFIT program uses 3-D scanners to record and archive the shape of soldiers’ bodies. The first phase of USFIT created size-prediction algorithms for selected uniforms and equipment at Fort Bliss, Texas, where more than 3,000 deploying soldiers were scanned and fit-tested. During phase two, scanners will be distributed to 24 Army installations and mobilization centers. In phase three, head and foot scanners for sizing protective masks and footwear will distributed. The information may eventually be loaded onto common access cards so soldiers and supply sergeants can simply scan the card to obtain uniforms and equipment.