Multicam

• As of 2011, multicam is the camouflage choice for the U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Multicam is made of seven different colors and is intended to blend into almost any environment. This pattern was adopted, in part, because previous camouflage patterns were based around woodland backgrounds, not desert environments. U.S. military forces experienced problems with mismatching camouflage during the first Gulf War.
  
  

Universal Camouflage Pattern

• Universal camouflage pattern, or UCP, uses only three colors in a digital pattern; the different colored shapes are made from pixelated squares. Multicam replaced UCP in the Middle East, as UCP did not blend in particularly well in the region's mountains. Of several camouflage patterns tested, four performed better than the UCP pattern.
  
  

Chocolate Chip

• Introduced in the 1980s, the chocolate chip pattern was used primarily in the first Gulf War. This camouflage pattern, based around a beige, brown and gray palette, was meant to be effective in a desert environment. Black spots across the camouflage were the source of its "chocolate chip" and "cookie dough" nicknames. Chocolate chip was used only until 1992, when it was replaced with a lighter-colored camouflage pattern.
  
  

Woodland

• Introduced at the same time as chocolate chip, the woodland camouflage pattern was intended for use in different environments. The pattern was nearly identical to a previous pattern, except that the design had been enlarged and slightly more randomized. This camouflage used only four colors -- different shades of brown and green. Woodland camouflage was used in Grenada in the early 1980s.