New ABU Uniforms-where to get them in bulk?

[chaser430]

Good Afternoon:
I am the Personnel Officer for my squadron and I have been tasked with trying to find the cheapest- preferably free or really cost effective ABU uniforms for my squadron.
Has anyone here gotten them for their squadrons and if so how did you go about it?


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[RogueLeader]

While technically this is a Supply Officer job, a tasking is a tasking.  A good place to ask is the AF ROTC/JROTC for uniform items, or what used to be called DRMO, which I think is now called DLO* which is surplussed from the DoD, which are free.

*All items sourced from DLO must be returned to DLO at the end of life, and must be tracked,

[Eclipse]

DLA now:  DLA Disposition Services  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DLA_Disposition_Services

But the average Joe Member can't just go there or request items from inventory - you have to be a Wing-approved DLA officer to get
access to the system and the "stuff", and most wings coordinate that with someone either on wing staff, or who lives in
proximity to a major DLA hub.

Other then the hodge-podge that was issued from AAFES (which would be in the custody of someone from your wing), there's really
no "free" source, and ABUs, even low-quality ones, cost about the same as BDUs.

eBay has been about the cheapest I've seen, in some cases 2-shirtscoats for about $25 shipped.

[chaser430]

Thank Eclipse:
I wish we had a supply officer lol
Jack of all trades. Our main issue is trying to find uniforms for the cadets- most don't have any expendable money to be shelling out for a new uniform.

[Eclipse]

Thank Eclipse:
I wish we had a supply officer lol
Jack of all trades. Our main issue is trying to find uniforms for the cadets- most don't have any expendable money to be shelling out for a new uniform.

"new" as in "initial" or "new" as in "we want the digitals?"

Because you don't need the digitals for about 4 more years, and there's still a ton of BDUs in both the CAP channels (i.e. closets),
and the secondary market.

[chaser430]

that's true about the 4 yrs- we were just trying to be proactive because our BDU supply is crummy- lots of bad holes in uniforms etc.
We are trying to be proactive and get ahead of the change so we won't be caught off guard and at the last min.

[Holding Pattern]

Your local air base if you have one may have barrels of uniforms in a warehouse somewhere. It never hurts to ask.

Alternatively, if you have a veteran in your squadron they can place orders through some places for cheaper than retail as well.

[PHall]

Thank Eclipse:
I wish we had a supply officer lol

Actually, you're kinda required by the regs to have a Supply Officer. It's not a full time job, but you still have to have one.

[Damron]

Thank Eclipse:
I wish we had a supply officer lol
Jack of all trades. Our main issue is trying to find uniforms for the cadets- most don't have any expendable money to be shelling out for a new uniform.

It sounds like you have a fundraising problem, not a uniform problem.

There are 42 cadets in my squadron.  In 2017, we will gain ten, lose ten, and five will outgrow their uniforms.  For $1500 I could buy new, buy insignia, pay seamstress, and throw in a belt and t-shirt.  Use allocated funds and I'd  probably only need a fundraising effort of $750.

I'm not sure I understand your premise that acting now puts you ahead of the curve and will aid in averting a last minute crisis. If you outfitted all of your cadets with ABU's today, how many of those uniforms will still be in service in four years?  Starting your transition today is probably not any more proactive than starting in a year when ABU's might arrive for free in mass quantities.

[Alaric]

Thank Eclipse:
I wish we had a supply officer lol

Actually, you're kinda required by the regs to have a Supply Officer. It's not a full time job, but you still have to have one.

Actually no you're not, if you don't have a supply officer it falls to the Commander, just like every other job except Safety, Finance, Chaplain and Testing Officer

[Shawn W.]

Actually, you're kinda required by the regs to have a Supply Officer. It's not a full time job, but you still have to have one.


Lol.. If you talk to my Supply Officer, he'd tell you it is a full time job.. but then again, I do keep him kind of busy. lol

[Luis R. Ramos]

Since we appear to have an impasse, why don't the side saying "Yes" post the regulations that require so?

[Damron]

Since we appear to have an impasse, why don't the side saying "Yes" post the regulations that require so?

I don't think that a cadet squadron is required by regulation to have either a logistics officer or a supply officer. The 20-1 organizational chart for cadet squadrons categorizes logistics officers as "special staff officers, as required".  Supply officers normally report to logistics officers, which don't appear to be required.

Although it says little about the regulations, when I was named squadron commander the wing advised me to select a deputy commander, safety officer, finance officer, and finance committee members, stating those were required positions. 

[Eclipse]

20-1 is not comprehensive in regards to what is required.  You need to reference a number of regulations
and / or the SUI questionnaires to get the whole picture.

All squadrons are required to have the following staff & committees appointed:

     Commander

     Safety (should not be the commander)

     Finance (shall not be the commander)
          (For units w/o funds, waier for finance may be obtained from wing until such time as the unit has funds).

     Aerospace Education Officer

     Public Affairs Officer

If you have property and / or radios then you must have the below appointed in eServices

     Communications Officer

     Logistics Officer

The following committees or boards are required

     Membership Review (minimum 1 member)

     Senior Promotion Review (minimum 3 members; personnel officer, professional development officer and one additional officer designated by the commander.)
     Cadet Promotion Review

    Awards Committee

All the above must be enrolled in the respective specialty track as applicable.

[lordmonar]

To Chaser.....if you have a contact with a squadron at or near an USAF base....they may/should have a contact with the Airman's Attic.  Most of them have tons of uniforms they are trying to give away.

Also check with your wing....there were boxes and boxes of these things given out to squadrons.   They should know who has any that they can send your way.

[Damron]

20-1 is not comprehensive in regards to what is required.  You need to reference a number of regulations
and / or the SUI questionnaires to get the whole picture.

All squadrons are required to have the following staff & committees appointed:

     Commander

     Safety (should not be the commander)

     Finance (shall not be the commander)
          (For units w/o funds, waier for finance may be obtained from wing until such time as the unit has funds).

     Aerospace Education Officer

     Public Affairs Officer

If you have property and / or radios then you must have the below appointed in eServices

     Communications Officer

     Logistics Officer

The following committees or boards are required

     Membership Review (minimum 1 member)

     Senior Promotion Review (minimum 3 members; personnel officer, professional development officer and one additional officer designated by the commander.)
     Cadet Promotion Review

    Awards Committee

All the above must be enrolled in the respective specialty track as applicable.

Did you compile this?  It would be nice to have this in a document with regulation reference. 

[Eclipse]

Simplest place is the SUI questionnaires, though I think the committee references are only in the regs.

[Spaceman3750]

I think it's interesting that if you strive for single-billeting, that's 7 people before you even start to talk about executing two of three missions.

[Eclipse]

I think it's interesting that if you strive for single-billeting, that's 7 people before you even start to talk about executing two of three missions.

And the minimum number of required staff is more then the minimum number of required members.

Another factor in routine / repeated failure (or at least less-then-optimal performance) that could be looked at with a few reports and should be
addressed, especially in struggling units. 

No one who is double+ billeted can be doing a 100% job, the math doesn't work, so you have either check-boxes or burn-out,
neither of which scales and both of which are common in CAP across the board.

[SMWOG]

VG has a good price on them! I don't know what the brand is but they are  cheap.

[vento]

VG has a good price on them! I don't know what the brand is but they are  cheap.

VG sells ABU?   

[PHall]

VG has a good price on them! I don't know what the brand is but they are  cheap.

VG sells ABU?   

They have it listed. No pictures yet. But they're accepting orders.

[Angus]

It's amazing how much difference a day makes, they've got pictures up now. 

[Ozzy]

Yeah but I asked on their FB page what brand they are... if they are Rothco, I wouldn't buy them.

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[PHall]

Yeah but I asked on their FB page what brand they are... if they are Rothco, I wouldn't buy them.

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Which is why I get mine from Military Clothing Sales on base. I know what I'm getting there.

[JAFO78]

Vanguard does now sell ABU's. They run about $33, hat $10, tan tshirt $8. We sent an email out to our squadron yesterday with Christmas coming up Santa will be busy.... I'm Supply Officer for my squadron,doing it three years now. once you get a handle on it, inventory, its a breeze. I send an order to Vanguard once a month ordering items for new members, and keeping rank ribbon and other bling in stock. I love my job.

[Fubar]

Interesting.... Vanguard broke their ABU options out as a separate category from the rest of their uniform options for CAP. Additionally, they called these "Civil Air Patrol ABU Uniform" instead of just ABU or Airmen Battle Uniform. They are also not listed on any of the Air Force uniform pages, only CAP. It's almost like the ABU isn't the ABU (or Vanguard is prohibited from selling uniforms to Air Force personnel).

[PHall]

Interesting.... Vanguard broke their ABU options out as a separate category from the rest of their uniform options for CAP. Additionally, they called these "Civil Air Patrol ABU Uniform" instead of just ABU or Airmen Battle Uniform. They are also not listed on any of the Air Force uniform pages, only CAP. It's almost like the ABU isn't the ABU (or Vanguard is prohibited from selling uniforms to Air Force personnel).

AAFES is the only "Official" supplier of "Certified" ABUs for the Air Force. And you can't get the "Certified ABUs" anywhere else.

[Ozzy]

So I got a reply from Vanguard... they say "Our CAP ABUs and BDUs are produced by a private manufacturer exclusively for Vanguard, and approved by CAP NHQ."

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[THRAWN]

So I got a reply from Vanguard... they say "Our CAP ABUs and BDUs are produced by a private manufacturer exclusively for Vanguard, and approved by CAP NHQ."

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Yeah, I'd trust that.

[SMWOG]

Most likely Rothco.