If the Air Force has switched to ABUs, why does CAP still need blue name tapes?

[Extremepredjudice]

It's on the agenda for the board meeting for this summer, the worse the AF can say is no. 

And as far as looking like "ghetto kid" if the uniform is maintained properly and to standard or above standard then that is a non issue.  Unfortunately how you dress is one of the biggest things that a person or an organization is based on.  A key reason we(AF) went from the BDU to the ABU was to be able to better asses an individual on their EPR.  And I am not trying to stir a pot or bring the age old argument up of appearance vs performance, but I have had many people in my flights who had that honor guard crisp look to them but didn't do the job and relied on the appearance to get by.

All we have to do is ask the AF to wear the ABU but in doing so we need to have a plan in place for phase what will and will not be allowed to be worn on the uniform, tapes, headgear and cost per set for members to obtain the uniform.

It was an exaggeration to get his point across.

Service first everyone!!

Not for me. Grades are first. Then service.

[SARDOC]

Having said all of this...  now that the Air Force (and all other branches of the military) have stopped wearing BDUs, it does not seem that blue name tapes are needed anymore. 

The US Coast Guard Port Security units and Navy Seabees are just two examples I can think of off the top of my head that still wear BDU's

[supertigerCH]

Come to think of it... you're right about the Coast Guard security units.

Didn't the Navy change its camo pattern and colors recently (along with a lot of their other uniforms)?  I might be wrong about the details of that.

[SARDOC]

Come to think of it... you're right about the Coast Guard security units.

Didn't the Navy recently change its camo pattern and colors recently (along with a lot of their other uniforms)?  I might be wrong about the details of that.

The Navy in General did...except for what are typically seen as Ground Combat Units...Including Seabee's and some Special Warfare types...because the Blue/Gray camo of the NWU really stinks in the woods.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

We should keep the BDU's the same, and revamp when we get the ABU's. No sense augmenting change for a uniform on its way out.

It was done for the CSU...remember the switch to CAP's-ever-favourite non-colour grey rank slides and nameplates?

The blue nametapes will stay because of those who holler about "distinctiveness" and those who worry that somehow looking more like the AF will tick the AF off.

[RiverAux]

Switching to a dark blue background with white letters makes sense to get in the pipeline now no matter what happens to the BDU.  Why?  Because it would make immediate sense on the Blue BDU.  If we get a name tape that matches that uniform color it will look great on that uniform and will also look great on the BDU or any possible successor. 

So, why not start the transition now?  Give it a 4-5 year phase in date so that those with the old uniforms will most likely get to wear them until we switch.  And if we don't switch in 4-5 years, maybe we're not going to and making the BDU look good will be worth it.

[NCRblues]

For those that say "it is on the agenda for the summer NB"...

Can you give us a site on that please? I know that uniforms in general are going to be on the agenda, but I have yet to see ANY real agenda so...just wondering how you all KNOW that CAP will ask for ABU's.

[Sapper168]

....Dark blue seemed to be the best, since we are already using rank... name tapes... and CAP tapes that color for some uniforms.  It also matches a color that the Air Force (our military counterpart) uses on some uniforms.

Can you tell me which uniforms use a dark blue name or CAP tape?  The only uniforms i can find that use the dark(navy) blue background for embroidered rank is the Corporate Flight suit and Utility uniforms.   

[supertigerCH]

Hi Ground Pounder,

I stand corrected.  What I should have said was...

Dark blue is the color of certain CAP cloth rank... that Civil Air Patrol is already using.  As you mentioned... this includes the Corporate Flight Suit and Utility Uniform.

This color would work just as well on name tapes, CAP tapes, and cloth rank... for the CAP Field Uniform (and BDU when worn by CAP).



Forgive me if it sounded like my words meant... that the Air Force uses dark blue CAP name tapes.  Of course this is not the case.

[wuzafuzz]

I'm all for nametapes and insignia backing that properly match the BBDU.  I understand tradition but Ultramarine Blue is horrid on BDUs.  Its particularly bad on the BBDU where it looks like we simply couldn't pull off successful color matching.

ABU?  Meh...I'd go BBDU in a second if Ultramarine would just die.  The only reason I'm currently wearing BDUs is they were free.

[Ned]

For those that say "it is on the agenda for the summer NB"...

Can you give us a site on that please? I know that uniforms in general are going to be on the agenda, but I have yet to see ANY real agenda so...just wondering how you all KNOW that CAP will ask for ABU's.

Well, there is no agenda for the summer Board meeting as yet.  Normally the agenda isn't set until about 4-6 weeks out from the meeting.  I suppose individual NB members may well be considering any possible agenda items they would like to propose, but there aren't any yet being circulated for staff comments or analysis.

The NEC is meeting in about a month and their agenda is up on eServices.  If there was anything urgent that requires national-level action, at this point I would expect to see it on the NEC agenda rather than waiting for the full Board meeting in August.

That said, we can be fairly sure that there will be one or more uniform items on the agenda if for no other reason than the National Uniform Committee report is due.  As we have discussed in other threads, the NUC will make recommendations to the NB which the NB is free to adopt, revise, or ignore at their option.  If the NB decides to make requests to the AF concerning our uniforms (ABUs, nametape colors, or whatever), there would be a period of time for the staff to create the packet that would go to the AF.  Once the AF receives any requests that the NB chooses to make, they will go through their own staff analysis and approval process as it works it way up the chain from CAP-USAF to the Air Staff level for final decision.  I would expect that to take some time.

Ned Lee
Member, NUC

[Smokey]

Ultramarine has got to go.......it ranks right up there with shag carpets, advocado kitchen appliances and disco.   

That color is so................(fill in the blank)

[Eeyore]

That color is so................(fill in the blank)

Retro

[supertigerCH]

Thanks moderators... for the correction/edit on the title of this forum thread!


You guys are a great help.

[Ford73Diesel]

Having said all of this...  now that the Air Force (and all other branches of the military) have stopped wearing BDUs, it does not seem that blue name tapes are needed anymore. 

The US Coast Guard Port Security units and Navy Seabees are just two examples I can think of off the top of my head that still wear BDU's

The PSU's are about to begin switching to the NWU type 3 (green digital) I have seen plenty of people (Navy and CG) still wearing BDU's and DCU's. Some Navy SEALS I've seen recently are still wearing the woodland BDU's.

[titanII]

Some Navy SEALS I've seen recently are still wearing the woodland BDU's.

Not doubting, just curious: Where do you go that you frequently see Navy SEALs?
Or is that classified 

[shlebz]

Come to think of it... you're right about the Coast Guard security units.

Didn't the Navy recently change its camo pattern and colors recently (along with a lot of their other uniforms)?  I might be wrong about the details of that.

The Navy in General did...except for what are typically seen as Ground Combat Units...Including Seabee's and some Special Warfare types...because the Blue/Gray camo of the NWU really stinks in the woods.

The navy actually phased out the BDUs to the best of my knowledge. They are now wearing the NWU. It's a green digi camo uniform.

[Ford73Diesel]

Come to think of it... you're right about the Coast Guard security units.

Didn't the Navy recently change its camo pattern and colors recently (along with a lot of their other uniforms)?  I might be wrong about the details of that.

The Navy in General did...except for what are typically seen as Ground Combat Units...Including Seabee's and some Special Warfare types...because the Blue/Gray camo of the NWU really stinks in the woods.

The navy actually phased out the BDUs to the best of my knowledge. They are now wearing the NWU. It's a green digi camo uniform.

To the best of my knowledge, as of today, they are still wearing both.

[shlebz]

Come to think of it... you're right about the Coast Guard security units.

Didn't the Navy recently change its camo pattern and colors recently (along with a lot of their other uniforms)?  I might be wrong about the details of that.

The Navy in General did...except for what are typically seen as Ground Combat Units...Including Seabee's and some Special Warfare types...because the Blue/Gray camo of the NWU really stinks in the woods.

The navy actually phased out the BDUs to the best of my knowledge. They are now wearing the NWU. It's a green digi camo uniform.

To the best of my knowledge, as of today, they are still wearing both.

I have been corrected haha

[titanII]

All about the NWU: https://portal.navfac.navy.mil/portal/page/portal/navfac/nwu
The NWU type I (digital blue/gray camo) is currently being given to sailors in their seabags when they enlist. The NWU Type II and III (digital desert and woodland camo, respectively) are for expeditionary sailors (sailors on the ground).
All about NWU Type II and III: https://portal.navfac.navy.mil/portal/page/portal/navfac/nwu