ABUs

[Storm Chaser]

If science fiction has taught us nothing else, it is that soon we will all be wearing 1-piece jumpsuits in a shiny metallic color (or white), while the military
will primarily be dressed in battle suits over shorts and t-shirts.  So we might as well just accept that and make the necessary adjustments.
just accept that

Words of wisdom. 

[ol'fido]

Ever try to spot someone in the water who is wearing dungarees? It's really not much different.

As for going overboard in the first place, it is not a common thing, and those in danger of doing so in their normal course of duties are usually wearing flotation gear, anyway.

I wouldn't necessarily argue either, although saying "the other was bad too", isn't much of an argument.

The point being that the Navy has zero need for a camouflage uniform, and if they do, it should probably have been shades of gray, not blue, and for those
in a ground combat area, MARPAT like their Marine brothers and sisters.

There's reams of data and information about how and why a given pattern was chosen, and none of the reasons, except for the Marines, seem
purely based on function over form.

If science fiction has taught us nothing else, it is that soon we will all be wearing 1-piece jumpsuits in a shiny metallic color (or white), while the military
will primarily be dressed in battle suits over shorts and t-shirts.  So we might as well just accept that and make the necessary adjustments.

IDK, Bob, after seeing the latest Star Trek movie, I think the future has as many uniform issues as we do. Gray, red, colored shirts. Who knew that Starfleet will wear bus driver hats? OTOH, Admiral Marcus' uniform might be considered for a new version of the CSU for us heavy and hairys. It goes with the grays/white.

[ColonelJack]

IDK, Bob, after seeing the latest Star Trek movie, I think the future has as many uniform issues as we do. Gray, red, colored shirts. Who knew that Starfleet will wear bus driver hats? OTOH, Admiral Marcus' uniform might be considered for a new version of the CSU for us heavy and hairys. It goes with the grays/white.

Starfleet suddenly has more uniforms than all of our services put together ...

What I can't figure out is, when do these people have time to change clothes between so many action-filled adventures?  I understand "suspension of disbelief" - heck, I use it in my own work - but when do they find the time?

That being said, Admiral Marcus' uniform wasn't exactly regulation, was it?  (I'm talking about the one he wore on the Vengeance, not at Starfleet HQ.)  Those worn by admirals like Pike at Starfleet HQ sure did look like Admiral Kirk's uniform in ST-TMP.....

Jack

[NIN]

Thats why starships are so big in the future: gotta haul around all those uniforms.

[Luis R. Ramos]

And space for personnel to change...

Flyer

[ol'fido]

Apparently, there are a lot of people, er, beings, using Kirk's bedroom to get dressed if you saw the movie, hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

[ARandomCadet]

3. The USAF and US Navy still wear Woodland Camo.


Both are in phase out. The USAF replaced them with the ABU and the USN and USCG with the NWU. We will be one of the few who still wears them. (I think some SDF's still wear them?) I pray we just go back to OD Green. Wishfull thinking on my part I know, but its my dream so 

Actually the USCG isn't considering the NWUs and the desert camp is similar to the DCUs but are different, they are keeping the ODUs.

[AngelWings]

3. The USAF and US Navy still wear Woodland Camo.


Both are in phase out. The USAF replaced them with the ABU and the USN and USCG with the NWU. We will be one of the few who still wears them. (I think some SDF's still wear them?) I pray we just go back to OD Green. Wishfull thinking on my part I know, but its my dream so 

Actually the USCG isn't considering the NWUs and the desert camp is similar to the DCUs but are different, they are keeping the ODUs.

That post was dead for almost 2 years...

[Eclipse]

Marine Corps Times on the House Bill: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20130610/NEWS07/306100018/Lawmakers-make-new-push-single-combat-uniform
(probably a syndication of the other "times" sources)

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a lawyer in the Air Force Reserve, said the idea makes sense.

"I'm now in favor of having some common standards," said Graham, who has had brief combat-zone assignments.
"As much as I love the Air Force, I've grown to understand we have too many designs. I have four different sets at home because
I try to make sure I deploy with the uniform everyone else will be wearing. It seems excessive."

And technically the ABU is officially retired

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123351280
Exchange to transition to rip-stop airman battle uniform
Posted 6/5/2013       

"6/5/2013 - DALLAS (AFNS) -- As the Air Force transitions from the airman battle uniform, or ABU, to the rip-stop airman battle uniform, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service
will no longer be able to order the ABU once the Defense Logistics Agency's stock is depleted.

"While the ABUs will still be authorized for wear, they will not be carried in Exchange Military Clothing Stores as the RABU will completely replace the older, heavier ABU,"
said Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson, the Exchange's senior enlisted advisor.  The RABU is a lighter, nylon/cotton blend that has been available for Airmen at
Military Clothing Stores since June 2012. The RABU is also cooler than the ABU and features a wrinkle-resistant finish."

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

[A.Member]

And technically the ABU is officially retired

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123351280
Exchange to transition to rip-stop airman battle uniform
Posted 6/5/2013       

"6/5/2013 - DALLAS (AFNS) -- As the Air Force transitions from the airman battle uniform, or ABU, to the rip-stop airman battle uniform, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service
will no longer be able to order the ABU once the Defense Logistics Agency's stock is depleted.

"While the ABUs will still be authorized for wear, they will not be carried in Exchange Military Clothing Stores as the RABU will completely replace the older, heavier ABU,"
said Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson, the Exchange's senior enlisted advisor.  The RABU is a lighter, nylon/cotton blend that has been available for Airmen at
Military Clothing Stores since June 2012. The RABU is also cooler than the ABU and features a wrinkle-resistant finish."

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

That's a level of semantics that most who participate in these discussions don't/won't care about.  The only difference betwen the ABU and RABU is the lighter weight material used for construction.  Everything else is exactly the same.

[abdsp51]

And technically the ABU is officially retired

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123351280
Exchange to transition to rip-stop airman battle uniform
Posted 6/5/2013       

"6/5/2013 - DALLAS (AFNS) -- As the Air Force transitions from the airman battle uniform, or ABU, to the rip-stop airman battle uniform, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service
will no longer be able to order the ABU once the Defense Logistics Agency's stock is depleted.

"While the ABUs will still be authorized for wear, they will not be carried in Exchange Military Clothing Stores as the RABU will completely replace the older, heavier ABU,"
said Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson, the Exchange's senior enlisted advisor.  The RABU is a lighter, nylon/cotton blend that has been available for Airmen at
Military Clothing Stores since June 2012. The RABU is also cooler than the ABU and features a wrinkle-resistant finish."

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

That's a level of semantics that most who participate in these discussions don't/won't care about.  The only difference betwen the ABU and RABU is the lighter weight material used for construction.  Everything else is exactly the same.

Exactly, the ABU whether the original weight or the light weight is still the ABU,  and until 36-2903 is revised it will still be listed and referred to as the ABU.

[NIN]

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

Lost in the acronym soup is the fact that what they're saying is that they're no longer going to carry the "temperate"-weight ("twill") ABU uniform (which was a stupid fabric choice on the part of the AF for a new uniform, since the Army stopped issuing temperate-weight BDUs at some point in the early 1990s, and the ACUs have *always* been a lighter weight fabric than temperate uniforms too) in favor of the "Rip-stop" ABU, an ABU uniform made from the lighter-weight hot weather fabric.  Why they decided to complicate things with the acronym "RABU" is beyond me.

ABUs continue to be the uniform of issue in the AF, but now by default (and when the stocks run low of temperate-weight uniforms, only) they will be rip-stop fabric.

[Storm Chaser]

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

Well, considering that the Air Force phased out BDUs years ago and CAP still wears them, I wouldn't be so sure of that. Besides, other than the material, both ABUs and RABUs are practically identical. What do you think will happen with those used ABUs? Possibly the same thing that happened with many used BDUs; they were given to CAP.

I don't know if CAP will ever get ABUs (frankly I don't care one way or another), but I don't think we can make a blanket statement that "CAP will >never< wear the ABU". We just don't know.

I only own BDUs, but a part of me would prefer that CAP move to the BBDU as the sole utility uniform, at least for senior members. I really hate all these different types of uniform that prevent CAP from having any uniformity at all. And even more so, I hate the constant discussions about CAP and ABUs. Even if we ever get the ABU, the Air Force will probably move to another uniform sometime in the future and we'll spend years asking when CAP will get the "new" uniform.

[Luis R. Ramos]

I propose that further talk about the ABU, until and if finally approved by the CAP and USAF bigwigs, be declared TABU...

Flyer

[Critical AOA]

I propose that further talk about the ABU, until and if finally approved by the CAP and USAF bigwigs, be declared TABU...

Flyer

Too late.  It has already been called stupid, a dead horse, ridiculous and other things.  But hey, let's add tabu or even taboo for that matter.   

[brent.teal]

For that matter, why does the Navy?  (Though they don't wear the NWU aboard ship AFAIK).

4 letters....SEAL

I'm sure we will eventually switch to something else, at some point the decent supply of BDU's will run out.  That might take a while though. 

I'm probably the only one who thinks that the old maroon epaulets looked better, in the single instance of the class A's.  grey and dark blue just don't seem to mix too well. 

In regard to the last ST movie.  ICK, I really didn't like those dress uniforms.  They really could have gone for the maroon's from ST 2-6 with some slight mods.

[Eclipse]

4 letters....SEAL

They don't wear the blue, they wear the Type III greenies, that or whatever OEF varient is approved this week.
(And also the invisi-kilt we're not supposed to know about.

But regardless, you don't scale the uniform for an entire service based on your special forces.

[lordmonar]

4 letters....SEAL

They don't wear the blue, they wear the Type III greenies, that or whatever OEF varient is approved this week.
(And also the invisi-kilt we're not supposed to know about.

But regardless, you don't scale the uniform for an entire service based on your special forces.

Who will immediately determine it is not "good enough" for them and do what ever the hell they want anyways. 

[NorCal21]

"While the ABUs will still be authorized for wear, they will not be carried in Exchange Military Clothing Stores as the RABU will completely replace the older, heavier ABU,"
said Chief Master Sgt. Tony Pearson, the Exchange's senior enlisted advisor.  The RABU is a lighter, nylon/cotton blend that has been available for Airmen at
Military Clothing Stores since June 2012. The RABU is also cooler than the ABU and features a wrinkle-resistant finish."

So, regardless of >what< camo pattern the USAF or CAP eventually falls on or into, I was correct that CAP will >never< wear the ABU, since that uniform has already been officially retired.

Hm, that's interesting. I didn't realize that the AF was going to ripstop but first of all... duh. The ABU was entirely too heavy and hot. Second, to be honest I know the ABU is different than the RABU but for all intents and purposes it is the same uniform. I think the average person doesn't distinguish between warm weather ABU, standard ABU and ripstop ABU. Most people base it on color and pattern. My opinion anyway.

I guess with all the money the AF has they can keep changing their uni's.

[NorCal21]

I'm probably the only one who thinks that the old maroon epaulets looked better, in the single instance of the class A's.  grey and dark blue just don't seem to mix too well.

No offense, but yeah... you're the only one. Maroon epaulets looked extremely stupid, had no heraldry associated with them like the grey does for the AF, and it made CAP look like the Boy Scouts or the Salvation Army.

To be completely honest, you're the first person I've ever heard say this.