Iraqi 36th commando Battalion uniform
Established on December 26th, 2003 shortly after the fall of Saddam, the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion was formed. Trained by US Special Forces, it quickly gained a reputation of being a fierce and effective unit.
The 36th Battalion wears a distinct camouflage uniform type, based slightly off the Lithuanian M05 camouflage uniform. Most are manufactured in Lithuania and come in 2 camo variants, the earliest being a 3 color camo, and the later one being 4 color. These uniforms are highly sought after.
The 36th Battalion wears a distinct camouflage uniform type, based slightly off the Lithuanian M05 camouflage uniform. Most are manufactured in Lithuania and come in 2 camo variants, the earliest being a 3 color camo, and the later one being 4 color. These uniforms are highly sought after.
4 color 36th BN uniform
PRE ISIS (2003 - 2013): YES
WAR ON ISIS (2013 - 2019): YES
POST ISIS (2019 -): very lIMITED USE
This is the later 4 color variant and has been slightly modified with the addition of velcro on the shoulders and a rank square on the front. Because of the rank square, this uniform was likely worn by a US Special Forces advisor to the 36th Battalion. The velcro above the pockets are originally present on these uniforms.
4 color 36th BN uniform by Rockwell tac gear
PRE ISIS (2003 - 2013): YES
WAR ON ISIS (2013 - 2019): YES
POST ISIS (2019 -): VERY LIMITED USE
This 4 color 36th BN uniform is made by a different manufacturer, Rockwell Tac Gear. It is pretty much identical to a regular 36th BN uniform, but on this example, the shoulder pockets are messed up. The wearers right sleeve (your left) is on both sleeves, meaning there is 2 right sleeves and no left sleeve. As you can see in the photos, this anomaly positions the wearers left sleeve pocket behind them. This is just a factory defect.
4 color 36th Bn uniform by browning
PRE ISIS (2003 - 2013): no
WAR ON ISIS (2013 - 2019): unknown
POST ISIS (2019 -): unknown
One of the most unusual 36th BN uniforms I have encountered is this one, made by the company Browning which is based in Canada and the U.S. and specializes in hunting gear. The camo pattern is largely the same as the uniforms above, but the design is very different. Although this set came directly out of Iraq in 2019, no photos of it in use have been located so far.