Air Force Space Command to Stop Wearing Flightsuits and Jackets

[sardak]

An Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) policy letter issued April 10 states that starting October 1, military personnel in any Air Force Specialty Code assigned to an AFSPC unit will no longer be authorized to wear the flight suit and green flight jacket, unless they are engaged in flying operations, nor are they authorized to wear the A-2 Leather Jacket.

"Between the expense of purchasing these items, and the fact that our operations don't involve flying, this recommendation was good common sense," General Shelton (commander of AFSPC) said.

Full article here: http://www.afspc.af.mil/news1/story.asp?id=123297976

Mike

[PHall]

What!!!!  Common sense in the Air Force!!! Say it isn't so!

[AngelWings]

What!!!!  Common sense in the Air Force!!! Say it isn't so!

It is the end of the world as we know it 

[NCRblues]

What!!!!  Common sense in the Air Force!!! Say it isn't so!

It is the end of the world as we know it 

Na, the biggest culprit in the "I shall wear my flight suit everywhere all the time" is still running wild. Air Combat Command - where even finance troops feel like fighter pilots

[AngelWings]

What!!!!  Common sense in the Air Force!!! Say it isn't so!

It is the end of the world as we know it 

Na, the biggest culprit in the "I shall wear my flight suit everywhere all the time" is still running wild. Air Combat Command - where even finance troops feel like fighter pilots

You'd think Finance would cut their own flightsuits to try to save money and get more Dunkin Donuts in the office or something...

[MSG Mac]

The DOD was ordered earlier this year to cut expenditures by 10%-OR ELSE!! This is one of the results of that edict. But there are so many other things that can be cut that this is a mere drop in the bucket. Too bad they didn't ask my opinion I have a Billion dollars in cuts I could recommend.

[arajca]

The DOD was ordered earlier this year to cut expenditures by 10%-OR ELSE!! This is one of the results of that edict. But there are so many other things that can be cut that this is a mere drop in the bucket. Too bad they didn't ask my opinion I have a Billion dollars in cuts I could recommend.

It's a drop in the bucket, but alot of drops fill the bucket.

[JeffDG]

The DOD was ordered earlier this year to cut expenditures by 10%-OR ELSE!! This is one of the results of that edict. But there are so many other things that can be cut that this is a mere drop in the bucket. Too bad they didn't ask my opinion I have a Billion dollars in cuts I could recommend.

It's a drop in the bucket, but alot of drops fill the bucket.

[Silent Panther]

What!!!!  Common sense in the Air Force!!! Say it isn't so!

It is the end of the world as we know it 

And I feel fine! - REM

Sorry, I couldn't resist.  If stuff keeps getting crazier, drivers across the nation will put down their phones and drive. Pigs will fly before that day, I am sure. 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

The DOD was ordered earlier this year to cut expenditures by 10%-OR ELSE!! This is one of the results of that edict. But there are so many other things that can be cut that this is a mere drop in the bucket. Too bad they didn't ask my opinion I have a Billion dollars in cuts I could recommend.

As long as those cuts don't include US.

[MSG Mac]

The DOD was ordered earlier this year to cut expenditures by 10%-OR ELSE!! This is one of the results of that edict. But there are so many other things that can be cut that this is a mere drop in the bucket. Too bad they didn't ask my opinion I have a Billion dollars in cuts I could recommend.

As long as those cuts don't include US.

Our budget is probably less than the costs of the pickle suits that were just outlawed, and is a seperate line item from the USAF. 

[flyboy53]

Guess I'm not surprised, but I see it more as a smoke screen.

Eventually there will be a call to adopt some sort of special duty uniform, budget contraints or not, and I wonder if this means they'll go back to blue flight suits or coveralls and/or blue BDUs.

Gee, then guess what comes after that....don't worry about ABUs for CAP.....

[abdsp51]

Or they will just wear the ABU like everyone else.

[flyboy53]

Or they will just wear the ABU like everyone else.

I won't say it won't happen, but I strongly doubt it because it's a mission thing, and there's tradition and morale factors. Missileers, especially, have always had a distinctive uniform. Sometimes those uniforms were even white and then they went to blue coveralls. The only ones I ever saw wearing fatigues or BDUs in those environments were the SPs or the site support teams. I'm sure the flight suit thing was suggested out of comfort and durability, because wearing a dress uniform in those environments can be uncomfortable after a number of hours.

Sure AFSC space mission crews and missileers might end up wearing ABUs, but there are also decades of tradition of missileers wearing something distinctive, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone isn't already considering other options.

[Pylon]

Or they will just wear the ABU like everyone else.

I won't say it won't happen, but I strongly doubt it because it's a mission thing, and there's tradition and morale factors. Missileers, especially, have always had a distinctive uniform. Sometimes those uniforms were even white and then they went to blue coveralls. The only ones I ever saw wearing fatigues or BDUs in those environments were the SPs or the site support teams. I'm sure the flight suit thing was suggested out of comfort and durability, because wearing a dress uniform in those environments can be uncomfortable after a number of hours.

Sure AFSC space mission crews and missileers might end up wearing ABUs, but there are also decades of tradition of missileers wearing something distinctive, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone isn't already considering other options.

Don't missileers have the pocket rocket?  That's fairly distinctive, even from other AFSC and rated-type badges/wings.

I believe the article suggested this change would save the USAF something like $600k/year.  Not huge, but makes good fiscal sense if nomex isn't required in the execution of their daily duties.

[RogueLeader]

Or they will just wear the ABU like everyone else.

I won't say it won't happen, but I strongly doubt it because it's a mission thing, and there's tradition and morale factors. Missileers, especially, have always had a distinctive uniform. Sometimes those uniforms were even white and then they went to blue coveralls. The only ones I ever saw wearing fatigues or BDUs in those environments were the SPs or the site support teams. I'm sure the flight suit thing was suggested out of comfort and durability, because wearing a dress uniform in those environments can be uncomfortable after a number of hours.

Sure AFSC space mission crews and missileers might end up wearing ABUs, but there are also decades of tradition of missileers wearing something distinctive, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone isn't already considering other options.

Don't missileers have the pocket rocket?  That's fairly distinctive, even from other AFSC and rated-type badges/wings.

I believe the article suggested this change would save the USAF something like $600k/year.  Not huge, but makes good fiscal sense if nomex isn't required in the execution of their daily duties.

My Sq/CC is Missle Mx, wears the Pocket Rocket and ABU's

[MIKE]

I saw something a while back that mentioned launch crews tend to change out of their uniforms into more comfortable clothes while they sit on alert.

[sardak]

The ICBMs belong to Air Force Global Strike Command, not Space Command.

AFGSC gained three missile wings, one each at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo.; Malmstrom AFB, Mont.; and Minot AFB, N.D., with the assumption of the entire 20th Air Force mission, including that organization's responsibility for all of the United States' 450 ICBMs. The 576th Flight Test Squadron at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as well as the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron at Offutt AFB, Neb., also now fall under AFGSC. Previously all of those units were part of Air Force Space Command.

The alert crews will get to keep wearing whatever is that they're wearing down there.

Mike

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

The ICBMs belong to Air Force Global Strike Command, not Space Command.

When did that change?  About five or so years ago I knew a young airman at Minot (actually, went to church with his father) who worked in the missile silos and I am almost sure he belonged to Space Command.

Then again, the AF has so many commands now (which doing away with SAC, MAC and TAC was supposed to alleviate!) I couldn't name them all if I tried.

[sardak]

AF Global Strike Command was organized in August, 2009 and picked up all the ICBMs on December 1, 2009. AFGSC, along with AFSPC, is one of the service components of STRATCOM. It's an interesting chain of custody on how the missiles got from SAC to Space to Strike, back to STRATCOM (SAC Deluxe).

Mike