Why ‘military grade’ is just another way of saying ‘cheaply made junk’
I do not think it means what you think it means.
BY JEFF SCHOGOL | PUBLISHED MAY 4, 2022 4:14 PM
ANALYSIS
Universal Camouflage Pattern
The Army's Universal Camouflage pattern was one of the least functional uniforms ever issued to U.S. troops. (Pfc. David Hauk/U.S. Army).
When advertisers describe their products as “military grade,” they may not realize that troops and veterans have a vastly different understanding of the military industrial complex than consumers who look at MOLLE, picatinny rails, and abundant camouflage like tacticool accessories rather than products that serve a specific purpose. And sometimes, they don’t even do that right.
To wit: Your average American may think that a product that is “military grade” must be tough or efficient. Whereas troops and veterans assume that the military often awards contracts to the lowest bidder. For those who have been issued gear only to see it fall apart after the most gentle of wear and tear, something that is “military grade” is “a piece of shit.”
Just ask any veteran who has fought in Iraq and Afghanistan how well the earplugs they were provided worked. The military also has a track record of buying absurdly useless camouflage uniforms, including the Army’s “Universal Camouflage Pattern,” which made soldiers actually stand out from the terrain, and the Navy’s blue Type I Navy Working Uniform, which sailors dubbed the “blueberries” and “aquaflage.”
https://taskandpurpose.com/culture/military-grade-products-junk/
