when looking at photos from gulf wars or afghanistan you can see that soldiers wear mixed uniforms - desert and woodland patterns. can anyone explain why?
is it because of weather, camouflage or they just like it better that way?

Because some gear wasn't made in another pattern. I was issued Three Tone Desert BDUs. But my gear was a mixture of OD Green and Woodland pattern camo. I also purchased some equipment from a company called BlackHawk. That gear was what they called Coyote Brown (Desert Brown).

Also the mixing of different camo patterns work better.

wow good question... i'm not a great expert... infact my friend keeps me up to date on this stuff but yeah i would think the camouflage would have something to do with it....

MoRtArSnCaLiBeRs

The climate change quite a bit down there, from summer desert to snowy winter.

The Swedes down there use green M90, but they have or are been filded new desert cammo that was on trail a while back. Don't know if they use their winter cammo during the winter but i doubt it as its a peacekeeping mission, there there to be seen rather then the oposite (but they should have the ability to blend in if needed)

One reason you see mixed camoflage, is because some units haven't recieved some items in the appropriate color. When I deployed to Iraq the first time, we had DCU's, but Woodland IBA's. At that point in time, the army was'nt issuing Desert body armor. They're just now catching up. Also, it does help to mix it up a little. Like, if you have a mission in northern Iraq, where there's some mixed vegetation, it might help to throw in some woodland, or green.

good question, good answers!

Here are a few pics on the camoflage! The new digital prints and the woodland camo

Well it's a similar situation for the Aussies. But not to the same extent. Some of the soldiers are running their own chest rigs in Auscam due to personal preference of using non-issue equipment, not because of shortages. But then again most guys who use non-issue Auscam gear in Iraq end up painting it anyway.

hey, But those non-issue are they good? Most of the time the non-issue are often better than those issue by the various army!

SOmetimes you see soldiers wearing parts of their NBCW suits. A lot of the time you only get woodland cam ones. Thats why you see a lot of the mixed color. That and cold weather jackets don't always come in desert.