a. The PM-Soldier (SEQ), Bldg. 328, 5901 Putnam Road, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060â5852, in conjunction with the textile technology team at the Natick Soldier Center, Natick, MA 01760, is responsible for the operation of the Uniform Quality Control Program. That office will do the following:
(1) Prepare and maintain military specifications, purchase descriptions, and master patterns for optional uniform items, as approved by HQDA.
(2) Publish and disseminate periodic bulletins to the textile and garment industries to provide guidance and information about changes in military specifications, uniform regulations, or adoption of new optional uniform items. (3) Furnish specifications, purchase descriptions, master patterns, shade standards, and other information about
optional uniforms to industry when required.
(4) Receive and examine samples from custom tailors, military tailors, and others producing optional uniforms and
uniform items.
(5) Issue certificates of authority to manufacturers whose samples meet or exceed standards established by specifica-
tions of purchase descriptions. Certificates will be supplemented by documents showing the specific item of optional uniform clothing the manufacturer is authorized to produce. A list of certified manufacturers will be furnished to AAFES. Certificates may be revoked or suspended when it is determined by the textile technology team at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center that the certificate holder has violated any of the expressed conditions under which the center granted the certification.
b. The UQCP will be monitored overseas as follows:
(1) Overseas MACOM commanders will establish a service point of contact (POC) to provide local textile and uniform producers with appropriate information on optional uniforms, uniform items, and the UQCP certification procedures for manufacturers desiring to sell these items to soldiers within the theater.
(2) The overseas service POC will provide information and requirements to manufacturers and will receive for inspection an 8-by-10 inch sample of fabric, together with an independent laboratory test report from textile manufac- turers, and samples of uniforms and uniform items from garment markers. The overseas POC will send these items to the textile technology team at the Natick Soldier Center for evaluation, and the team will issue appropriate quality control certificates if the samples are approved.
c. Manufacturers and suppliers of uniform clothing items will do the following:
(1) Obtain certification required under the UQCP from the textile technology team at the Natick Soldier Center before manufacturing any optional uniform items for sale.
(2) Affix a label with the following information certifying the uniform items were manufactured in accordance with the UQCP prior to offering the items for sale: âThis garment is warranted to meet or exceed the standards of specification number … and was produced under certificate number … from basic material warranted by the manufac- turer as having been produced in accordance with the sample under current certification.â
(3) Familiarize themselves with Army specifications, purchase descriptions, shade standards, and other pertinent information for optional clothing, and submit required samples and information to the textile technology team for approval.