ABUs

[lordmonar]

Judging from the transition from Fatigues to BDU, the effective rate of ABU adoption will be about 18 months, as you want.  I predict that In 2 years, BDUs will be rare in most places, and in 3 almost forgotten.   When the phase-in periods ends, it will be with a wimper and everyone will have been in ABU for some time.

Mark: you beat me to it! 

I only wore my OG-107 jungle fatigues right up to the last minute, just cuz I wanted to be that cool one last time

I expect that this will be the case. I imagine a day five years from now when all of the cadet officers are still wearing their BDUs as a mark of how long they've been in the program. It's like a red service ribbon you can see from a mile away.

Well...that's easy to fix.   Because local commanders can move up the required by date.  It is within their authority.

I see no delegation of authority in that document to local commanders to override the National Commander's directed wear-out date of 2021.

Local commanders always have the authority to make thing more restrictive.   Heck they could go the other way as well....and not allow their people to wear the ABUs until the sunset date.     

[KASSRCrashResearch]

Heck, back in 1992 at Summer Encampment I stood in the Clothing Sales Store at Wurtsmith AFB while the encampment commander, holding up a BDU shirt, said "You won't catch me dead in this uniform. EVER."

That's when you bury him in it just to make a point. 

Like when I worked part time at a funeral home.  There was a really nice older couple in town that I knew through my grandmother.   He was a Purdue fan, she was an IU fan (which is basically the modern Indiana equivalent of having family on both sides of the Civil War).  Apparently it was a long running joke that he said he'd be dead before he ever put on an IU shirt or hat. 

He died suddenly one night of a massive heart attack.  She held him to his statement.  She buried him in an IU hat and sweatshirt.   According to their son, both of them had been planning to pull something along this line so it was really quite hilarious.  I wore a University of Tennessee tie with my suit while working the door that day.   If a funeral can be fun or jovial, that was probably it.

[Storm Chaser]

Wing patches are not intended to be "optional at the member's discretion" but rather "optional at the wing's discretion" nationally.

You can have 100 guys standing in formation and not everybody is wearing all their qual badges (those are a "personal" qualification).  Some people may not possess qualification badges, even.  But they should all have the same shoulder patch (an "organizational" qualification if you will..)

I don't know of any (off the top of my head) wing that has eliminated wing patches entirely, or has made them "member optional." (there may well be, but I can't point to one at the moment).

Cite please. I know of several wings that have not eliminated the wing patch, nor made it mandatory (which is AKA optional).

[Storm Chaser]

Judging from the transition from Fatigues to BDU, the effective rate of ABU adoption will be about 18 months, as you want.  I predict that In 2 years, BDUs will be rare in most places, and in 3 almost forgotten.   When the phase-in periods ends, it will be with a wimper and everyone will have been in ABU for some time.

Mark: you beat me to it! 

I only wore my OG-107 jungle fatigues right up to the last minute, just cuz I wanted to be that cool one last time

I expect that this will be the case. I imagine a day five years from now when all of the cadet officers are still wearing their BDUs as a mark of how long they've been in the program. It's like a red service ribbon you can see from a mile away.

Well...that's easy to fix.   Because local commanders can move up the required by date.  It is within their authority.

I see no delegation of authority in that document to local commanders to override the National Commander's directed wear-out date of 2021.

Local commanders always have the authority to make thing more restrictive.   Heck they could go the other way as well....and not allow their people to wear the ABUs until the sunset date.     

As Eclipse said, only if the commander is willing to fork out the bill. A commander has no authority to make a member buy an optional uniform out of pocket and until the require wear date, ABUs will be optional.

[lordmonar]

Really?  What uniform does your wing require for Encampment?

[Storm Chaser]

Really?  What uniform does your wing require for Encampment?

Not the ABU. And I guarantee no wing will force a member to replace their BDUs early.

Besides, while required for the Mitchell Award and NCSAs, encampments are optional.

[lordmonar]

Really?  What uniform does your wing require for Encampment?

Not the ABU. And I guarantee no wing will force a member to replace their BDUs early.

Besides, while required for the Mitchell Award and NCSAs, encampments are optional.

I agree....but that's not what I actually said.

[JeffDG]

Local commanders always have the authority to make thing more restrictive.   Heck they could go the other way as well....and not allow their people to wear the ABUs until the sunset date.     

Disagree.

The clear intention of the National Commander is to permit a specific wear-out date.  Local commander's directives cannot overrule the letter or the intent of higher headquarters.

This is not making something "more restrictive", it is striking out a date from a directive of CAP/CC and substituting a new date therefor.

[lordmonar]

Local commanders always have the authority to make thing more restrictive.   Heck they could go the other way as well....and not allow their people to wear the ABUs until the sunset date.     

Disagree.

The clear intention of the National Commander is to permit a specific wear-out date.  Local commander's directives cannot overrule the letter or the intent of higher headquarters.

This is not making something "more restrictive", it is striking out a date from a directive of CAP/CC and substituting a new date therefor.

I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree.

[Ned]

Besides, while required for the Mitchell Award and NCSAs, encampments are optional.

Non-concur.  Although this may just be a matter of semantics, I believe that encampment is indeed a requirement of our terrific cadet program.  As you correctly note, it is one of the requirements for the coveted Mitchell Award.  Since all cadets are required to continuously progress in the program, all are required to complete encampment.

Sure, they can quit (or be terminated) before reaching Phase III, but that doesn't change the "required" nature of the encampment program.

That's just like saying "breathing is optional, unless you'd like to live longer than the next two minutes."   

[NIN]

That's just like saying "breathing is optional, unless you'd like to live longer than the next two minutes."   

doggone it, Ned, I just turned blue and nearly passed out

[Storm Chaser]

Besides, while required for the Mitchell Award and NCSAs, encampments are optional.

Non-concur.  Although this may just be a matter of semantics, I believe that encampment is indeed a requirement of our terrific cadet program.  As you correctly note, it is one of the requirements for the coveted Mitchell Award.  Since all cadets are required to continuously progress in the program, all are required to complete encampment.

Sure, they can quit (or be terminated) before reaching Phase III, but that doesn't change the "required" nature of the encampment program.

That's just like saying "breathing is optional, unless you'd like to live longer than the next two minutes."   

Sir, of course you're correct. What I meant was that no one forces a cadet to attend encampment at a specific date or within a specific timeframe. So, if a cadet doesn't have the required set or number of uniforms, they don't have to attend at that time. That doesn't change the fact that encampment is an essential part of the Cadet Programs.

That said, what happens when a cadet can't afford to buy three sets of BDUs (or soon ABUs), as required by many wing encampments? CAP only gives one set of service uniform (or the voucher to acquire it). And not every squadron can issue BDUs.

CAPM 39-1, Para. 1.2.1 allows commanders to "require cadets to wear other optional uniform items only if the purchase is voluntary (such as requiring a specific uniform for participation in a National Cadet Special Activity) or if the uniform is supplied without expense to the cadet." Other than that, the only required uniform for all members, including cadets, is the minimum basic uniform IAW CAPM 39-1, Para. 1.2.1. I doubt a cadet would be terminated because they can acquire a specific set or number of uniforms.

[NIN]

Cite please. I know of several wings that have not eliminated the wing patch, nor made it mandatory (which is AKA optional).

Actually, I'm wrong in the latest iteration of 39-1.

Para 10.7.6 makes no provision for wing patches to be optional.

They were previously deemed "optional" on BDUs after their elimination from blues.  Some folks took that to mean that they were "optional if I don't feel like wearing one," but in practice, it was "your wing can decide whether the entire wing wears a wing patch or not" optional.

Looks like that is no longer the case.

I stand corrected.

[grunt82abn]

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http://www.militarynames.com/customroyalbluewebbednametapessewon.aspx

http://www.militarynames.com/royalbluewebbednametapeswithvelcro.aspx

[KASSRCrashResearch]

ow, here's the hard part: the USAF has, with ABUs, specifically gotten away from the high degree of "multi-patched clown suit" that the BDUs were at the end of their tenure with them (I think anybody who was in the USAF at the end of the BDU era would agree.. Sq Patch, wing patch, badges, something over the nametag maybe, etc).

Ugh....I remember that crap.  I think I actually still have one of my BDUs from the around here.  It actually (last time I saw it) still had the sleeves rolled up from my last day in the AF which was March 2003.  LOL

I am very much of the "The side/team with the simplest uniform wins" mentality.  Extra crap to sew on?  Screw that. 

The only time I would have all my insignia is if I were directly ordered to wear it or if it's a dress uniform (which if I recall correctly (still in the joining process), it is required on)

Now all we need is sage green boots

If we have/get them are we authorized to wear them? I ask simply because I would rather only buy and break in one pair of boots.

[THRAWN]

ow, here's the hard part: the USAF has, with ABUs, specifically gotten away from the high degree of "multi-patched clown suit" that the BDUs were at the end of their tenure with them (I think anybody who was in the USAF at the end of the BDU era would agree.. Sq Patch, wing patch, badges, something over the nametag maybe, etc).

Ugh....I remember that crap.  I think I actually still have one of my BDUs from the around here.  It actually (last time I saw it) still had the sleeves rolled up from my last day in the AF which was March 2003.  LOL

I am very much of the "The side/team with the simplest uniform wins" mentality.  Extra crap to sew on?  Screw that. 

The only time I would have all my insignia is if I were directly ordered to wear it or if it's a dress uniform (which if I recall correctly (still in the joining process), it is required on)

Now all we need is sage green boots

If we have/get them are we authorized to wear them? I ask simply because I would rather only buy and break in one pair of boots.

Black boots are authorized. Green are no-go.

[Tim Day]

Anyone know what "light silver" means? Is this a standard color for anyone else or a unique CAP color?

[KASSRCrashResearch]

ow, here's the hard part: the USAF has, with ABUs, specifically gotten away from the high degree of "multi-patched clown suit" that the BDUs were at the end of their tenure with them (I think anybody who was in the USAF at the end of the BDU era would agree.. Sq Patch, wing patch, badges, something over the nametag maybe, etc).

Ugh....I remember that crap.  I think I actually still have one of my BDUs from the around here.  It actually (last time I saw it) still had the sleeves rolled up from my last day in the AF which was March 2003.  LOL

I am very much of the "The side/team with the simplest uniform wins" mentality.  Extra crap to sew on?  Screw that. 

The only time I would have all my insignia is if I were directly ordered to wear it or if it's a dress uniform (which if I recall correctly (still in the joining process), it is required on)

Now all we need is sage green boots

If we have/get them are we authorized to wear them? I ask simply because I would rather only buy and break in one pair of boots.

Black boots are authorized. Green are no-go.

Well, time to shine up my boots from the VFD then.  LOL

Thanks!

[THRAWN]

Anyone know what "light silver" means? Is this a standard color for anyone else or a unique CAP color?

Means about the same as "dark black". From my vast needlepoint and sewing experience, it's an off the shelf color.

[NIN]

Now all we need is sage green boots

If we have/get them are we authorized to wear them? I ask simply because I would rather only buy and break in one pair of boots.

Negative Ghostrider.