Precise background matching is costly, so most soldiers use generalized camouflage.

Evidence

Special Forces snipers also rely on camouflage, choosing from among a selection of specialized suits the one most likely to match the particular background of each mission. Exquisite background matching is not cost effective for most other situations, and the majority of soldiers wear uniforms that provide only moderate camouflage—a universal color pattern designed to work reasonably well against a range of different backgrounds. — Emlen, Douglas J, Animal Weapons_ The Evolution of Battle, 953

Categorization

• XREF: Parallels the animal weapon trade-off between specialized and generalist camouflage — likely echoing themes earlier in this book about cost-benefit of extreme weaponry/specialization. — connects to: Specialized camouflage pays off only for snipers, not most soldiers

Related

• Specialized camouflage pays off only for snipers, not most soldiers (similarity 0.96)