November 1, 2009: Six years after the U.S. Army Stryker wheeled armored vehicle entered combat, it will be painted tan (instead of green), to blend in with the desert terrain of Afghanistan and Iraq, where the vehicle operates. Other American armored vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan are painted tan, but not the Stryker. Apparently it has something to do with the manufacturing contract, because Strykers will continue to arrive from the factory painted green. These will then be repainted at maintenance facilities (as will existing Strykers, as they are sent in for repairs) before reaching the troops.
Users have not complained a lot about the green color of their Strykers, even though it clashed with the local tan desert. One reason for the lack of complaints was because the Stryker operated a lot at night, where the green paint job was less visible under the stars, or a full moon. For that reason, some troops will miss the green color. But in Afghanistan, where Strykers began operating this year, there are fewer night operations, compared to Iraq.
