The U.S. Army had developed a number of foul weather uniforms. From the beginning of World War II, the form of foul weather uniforms changed significantly from a cowboy hat and coat set to a short hooded parka. It is thought that the emphasis was on the functionality of the short-length parka with hood that could protect the head and body in one piece during storms and heavy rain. This jacket is a late model Wet Weather Parka with ratchet clips that retain some of the details from the early model.