Natick Labs designed the tropical combat jacket and trousers in 1962 following a request from Army Material Command for a specialized uniform for Special Forces personnel in Vietnam.

MACV-SOG would take these uniforms and remove labels for use in "over the fence" border operations. This is a recreated example of a typical SOG uniform with lower pockets removed and placed on the sleeves and with black spray paint camoflage.

The following information was supplied by SOG expert and collector Paul W Miraldi (an honory member or Modern Forces Living History Group)

The appearance of Recon men assigned to SOG varied form year to year and from camp to camp. What some recon men did in CCN was not copied in CCC or CCS. The basic SOG uniform was the standard issue cotton poplin/cotton rip stop jungle fatigues. This is the basic guide to what uniform compositions worn at which years. Although some uniform variations do overlap. Uniforms were worn devoid of any patches and or rank. By 1971 teams serving out of CCN wore name strips with either “NO-PEN” or “NO-ALLERGIES” along with blood types, such as “A-POS” or “A-Negative” these were ONLY worn in CCN. Another CCN innovation was the spray painting/stenciled Team name across the back of the Recon members shirt, such as RT VIPER. Again, this was only done by some teams of Command & Control North.

A replica of John "Tilt" Meyers SOG Jacket, though his jacket had vertical zips on the middle pockets and I think the zips were black from the photographs I have seen.

WEARING OF INDIVIDUAL UNIFORM: General. There are three considerations in the wearing of the uniform. First, the equipment in the uniform should be worn in the same manner throughout the team, so that if it becomes necessary to retrieve a particular item from a dead or wounded team member, time is not lost in searching for it. Second, mission and survival gear should be carried in the pockets of the uniform so that the individual is self sufficient even if he loses his web gear and or rucksack. The third point is that equipment and the uniform should be arranged so as to permit comfort and ease of access and handling. With the above points in mind, following is a recommended way of carrying equipment in the uniform.

Detail shot of the arm pocket on the John "Tilt" Meyer jacket

(1) Individual Uniform.
(a) Trousers are held up by threading a triangular bandage (cravat) through the belt loops. Another bandage can be worn around the neck for use as a drive on rag. The trousers are not tucked into the boot tops.
(b) The jacket is worn with sleeves rolled down and buttoned at the cuffs in order to provide protection against thorns and brush and to camouflage the skin. The collar can be worn buttoned or unbuttoned. The jacket should fit loosely to facilitate ventilation.

SOG Modfied jacket with pockets moved to the sleves but not spray painted

(2) Equipment carried in the individual Uniform.
(a) Lower left leg pocket. Insect repellant in plastic bottle.
(b) Right leg pocket. One prepared meal; (LRRP ration) or an emergency ration, signal panel, pen flare with flares.
(c) Upper left pocket. RT-10 Survival radio.
(d) Right hip pocket. Six foot nylon cord or para cord.
(e) Left breast pocket. SOI and KAC code books, maps, notebook and pencil* *NOTE: The above three items are carried in a plastic bag or other water proof container. Signal Mirror attached to uniform with 550 cord or worn around the neck, (NOT attached to LBE)
(f) Right breast pocket. Pen light, Pilots type, compass attached to uniform with 550 cord or worn around the neck also, Morphine syrettes in a crush proof box.

Some SOG recon teams dyed their fatigues black for better camouflage in dark triple-canopy jungle.