My Report on the ABUs

[Stonewall]

I got issued one set of ABUs and have worn them for about 6 days total.

• Wash, dry, hang up....wear.  No ironing (I did iron the stripes before sewing them but that's it).


• They fit great.  I was told the tops were small so I ordered 1 size bigger and it fits nicely.  The pants fit great in the waist, but they're long as all get out.


• It hasn't been hot yet so I don't know how that'll be, but they're otherwise comfy.


• I don't much care for the sage boots so I'm wearing desert colored 8" Oakley SF Assault boots.  Click here to see how to get them about 1/2 price.


• I don't think they look bad, but other than what I described above, they're the same as BDUs, except we don't have woodland and desert options.


• I think it's stupid to have tigerstripe nametapes but the skill badges have a solid background.  Not to mention, the nametapes I got were obviously made from a different manufacturer because they are much darker, almost a brown, than the ABUs themselves.

[Cecil DP]

I have 4 sets issued before I went to Iraq in 2006. They are good and don't get too hot. But I hate the velcro, if you rub against something the insignia can get moved or removed and of course, everytime you change uniforms or wash them you have to completly remove all insignia and reset them.  Also unlike BDU/DBDU, etc you can't roll the sleeves up.

[MIKE]

^ ABU, not ACU.  Different uniform, different service.

[Stonewall]

^ ABU, not ACU.  Different uniform, different service.

LOL...but I'd rather have ACUs 

[DNall]

The ANG cops at the gate were in ABUs for the first time this wknd. They look a little weird, but okay I guess. The boots look dumb, and expensive. The sand background badges look silly. I haven't heard from anyone else about how they wear yet. Have heard they're hot, but that's about it. I'm not a fan of 2-pc flight suits, but the A2CUs we have for aircrew are really nice & present a good uniformed appearance.

[mikeylikey]

The ANG cops at the gate were in ABUs for the first time this wknd.

Same here.....not too bad looking.  I did see them walking around about 6 months ago, and the pants and shirt did not match.  I suppose they worked that out. 

As far as they go, I think they could have designed something a little more "fieldy" than "garrisony".  They look sharp walking around base/post, but we shall see how they hold up in year rolling around in the sand. 

Kirt.....take note, you will have to keep us all updated on how they hold together under "normal" living conditions when you deploy!

[Hawk200]

The ANG cops at the gate were in ABUs for the first time this wknd. They look a little weird, but okay I guess. The boots look dumb, and expensive. The sand background badges look silly. I haven't heard from anyone else about how they wear yet. Have heard they're hot, but that's about it. I'm not a fan of 2-pc flight suits, but the A2CUs we have for aircrew are really nice & present a good uniformed appearance.

"Sand" background badges? Like a tan or khaki color? The cops at our base are wearing badges with a grey background to them.

[Stonewall]

Kirt.....take note, you will have to keep us all updated on how they hold together under "normal" living conditions when you deploy!

Didn't you get my PM?  I thought you responded.  As of now I'm an alternate (if someone ends up not going).  Since my wifey is preggo and will give birth smack dab in the middle of the deployment date, the Chief made a decision to not make me and 2 others alternates.  Yep, 3 of the 26 are expecting.

"Sand" background badges? Like a tan or khaki color? The cops at our base are wearing badges with a grey background to them.

Nah, they're the AF greenish-tannish-greyish background on the badge with blue embroidery.  I just think it looks silly when the badges are that solid color and name tapes are tiger stripe.

[ddelaney103]

Nah, they're the AF greenish-tannish-greyish background on the badge with blue embroidery.  I just think it looks silly when the badges are that solid color and name tapes are tiger stripe.

I know all the cool kids are doing it, but I wish we could have skipped the AFPAT nametapes.

Fortunately, they're not nearly the eyetest that woody MARPAT nametapes are.

With any luck, I'll get my new suits  next month.  After all the spinup on an "all but certain" 6 month TDY, I'm an alternate as well.  I really need to get the new 5 levels downrange for a turn in the barrel.  I just feel funny staying home.  Maybe something will come up.

[DNall]

Nah, they're the AF greenish-tannish-greyish background on the badge with blue embroidery.  I just think it looks silly when the badges are that solid color and name tapes are tiger stripe.

Forgive the dumb army guy, but I don't know what greenish-tannish-greyish means. It looks sand to me. Pretty much like this:


The really high contrast looks weird, both badge to background & background to ABU. With ACUs we use black metal, so it's kind of like ACU background but more of a pain in the butt. Just be thankful you got sewn on stuff.

The stripes I saw looked real good on there though. Didn't really pay attention to the name/branch tapes so guess they were okay.

[adamblank]

The badges look a little lighter than the DCU background.  I think it is nowhere near as bad as Kirt mentioned with the nametapes/matching uniforms.  At our MCSS there a few different "colors" of the ABU.

[lordmonar]

DNALL,

I think your ANG types may have the wrong badges on the ABU's.  The correct badges should be on a green back ground.

I have the ABU's too.  I got them last Aug just as it was cooling off here in Vegas.  They are not too bad...but they don't breath as well because of the map pockets in the coat.

The next set I buy...I'm going to cut out the map pocket panel and use the material for the name tapes to solve the fabric mis-match.

Overall I like the ABU's better because of their low maintenance.  Also they travel well.  I have been TDY with my ABU's several times in the last year and I roll up my uniform in my bag.  I take it out and hang it up and it looks like it just came out of the laundry.

[Stonewall]

DCU Insignia


ABU Insignia


ABU Stripes


DCU Stripes

[Stonewall]

Here, judge for yourself.

[DNall]

Okay. That's not what our folks were wearing. : They were wearing these. Which are described on that site as ABU insignia. That's all I've seen on the seven people I've seen in ABUs so far. Thx for the clarification. The stuff you posted looks fine to me. Much better than when we first went to ACUs with OD background tapes/grade.

I got some complaints about ACUs, that I'm interested in knowing if ABUs will avoid. ACUs are ok for wash & wear at first, but after several washes they just look a bit wrinkly all the time (like you're in the field), the collars in particular. I'd like to see if the thicker ABU material avoids that. Also, ACUs get tons of cables after you wash them, and the light colored material fades bad & stains easy from mud, not to mention mustard, which is real obvious.

[NIN]

At my senior meeting last night I gave my officers a thumbnail sketch of what I knew went on from National Board.  I started out with  "There were 14 agenda items pertaining to 'other business,' and then they got down to the nitty gritty of the meeting: the 7 agenda items pertaining to uniforms.." (Everybody laughed)

My supply officer asked "When will CAP transition to the new Air Force uniform?"

Before I had a chance to answer, my AEO who is a retired O-6 F-15 driver and currently the PMS (or whatever word they use) for an AFJROTC unit nearby, piped up and said "When hell freezes over!"

I had to laugh. I seem to recall this exact same statement made when BDUs were the "uniform in question."

IIRC, the first year we could wear BDUs was 1991 (I could be wrong, BTW... I don't seem to have any photos from the 1991 encampment, only 1992, where we're definitely all in BDUs. My faulty remembery says that we were in BDUs in 1991, too, but I don't trust that..<GRIN>).  I'm not sure how many years that was after the "official wearout date" of the pickle suit in AF service.  But what I do remember about the transition was that every service was in BDUs, and pickle suits had disappeared from the shelves at AAFES.

And that was pretty much a deciding factor: Availability of uniforms.

Nowadays the Marines, Army, Air Force and Navy have moved away from BDUs.  In a year or two, nobody will be wearing them.  AAFES has already stopped stocking BDUs in the MCSS.  When my supply officer goes down to Hanscom AFB to pick up stuff, she is having a harder and harder time obtaining uniform items.  Pretty soon, it will be darn near impossible to pick up, for example, a BDU cap and a blue web belt with black buckle thru the AAFES supply chain.

So we're in that period where BDUs have become the pickle suit of old.  (yeah, yeah, they're available thru surplus places, online vendors and such, but the fact remains: nobody in the US military is wearing them. Eventually, we will stick out like a sore thumb in our unique "woodland-ness")  Eventually, the Air Force is going to say "Alright, CAP, you need to look more like us again.."  and *poof* we'll be in ABUs.

And when that order comes down, much like the move to BDUs, I expect it will be a very fast transition.  Like the move from pickle suits to BDUs.

(then again, if you have to pay big $$$ for your boots, unlike the transition from pickle suits to BDUs where black boots were still part of both uniforms, maybe the move won't be quite as quick.)

[O-Rex]

Like NIN, I think it's all about availability: when surplus stocks of BDU's dwindle, the USAF will eventually acquiesce.

As for sticking out like a sore thumb, unless you hang out at an AFB, it's no big deal.

At lease we'll look like a number of third world armies that have adopted the woodland pattern.....

Boots are definitely gonna hurt the wallet, but think of what you'll save on kiwi: over the course of about 45 years, the boots will pay for themselves.

[Hawk200]

I just think it looks silly when the badges are that solid color and name tapes are tiger stripe.

Know what you mean, it looks like the badges are kinda floating too high. It's a wierd look. Pin on badges on the ACU look OK, mostly because the Army tape stands off the uniform a bit due to the Velcro, so you can tell the badge is sitting over something.

Okay. That's not what our folks were wearing. : They were wearing these. Which are described on that site as ABU insignia. That's all I've seen on the seven people I've seen in ABUs so far.

That's what I thought you meant. Monar is right, those guys are wearing the wrong stuff. I could understand it though, the current version of 36-2903 (the one with the 2007 Change 1 added) says that the insignia are tan. You'd think that in adding Change 1, they could have updated that too. I don't even think there is a current message concerning what is to be worn on the ABU. The only official stuff out there that I've seen so far says to wear the tan. If anyone has a copy of a message specifying the grey background, could you post it up?

I got some complaints about ACUs, that I'm interested in knowing if ABUs will avoid. ACUs are ok for wash & wear at first, but after several washes they just look a bit wrinkly all the time (like you're in the field), the collars in particular.

Mine stay wrinkled too, especially when I've packed them in my ruck for drill. The only thing that seems to work is to roll them real tight when I pack them. It minimizes the wrinkles but doesn't eliminate them.

[DNall]

Are the A2CUs pretty much the same deal too? Mine are on order but I hadn't gotten them yet.

Far as ABUs making it to CAP. Obviously that's a function of when the AF supply chain gets them taken care of & enough surplus capacity builds up to subsidize CAP cadets with. Everything I've heard says that transition for the AF will be pretty fast. When it reaches the right point, then CAP will be authorized. BDUs are fine till then. Hopefully we can get white on the AF backgrounds & finally get rid of glow in the dark blue.

[Hawk200]

Are the A2CUs pretty much the same deal too? Mine are on order but I hadn't gotten them yet.

Actually, no. They're actual Nomex, and I don't think I'ver gotten wrinkles in them. Pull them out, shake them, good to go.

As for you having them on order, you flying now too? Or are you a fueler?