Will Civil Air Patrol get DCU or ABU?

[KERALA]

I was wondering because my squadron commander told me that we will be getting ABU.

[Eclipse]

DCU - no.

ABU - no public information regarding any request to do so.  It is not currently authorized for CAP.

[AngelWings]

DCU= Desert Camouflage Uniform. Why would we need or even want another outdated uniform that has been phased out and is designed to provide camo in the desert? It's the same thing has the BDU except in another camo pattern.

ABU= We are praying we get them soon when the next uniform board comes around in a few months.

Edited for accuracy.

[EMT-83]

ABU= We are praying we get them soon when the next uniform board comes around in a few months.

We are?

[AngelWings]

ABU= We are praying we get them soon when the next uniform board comes around in a few months.

We are?

I am. It'd be nice to look the "USAF Aux" part again. Plus, has a kid who doesn't have much room in a small but a medium fits like a trash bag, it'd be nice just to get a top that fits me the way I want. The same goes for the pants. Also, not having to polish boots, only needing to wash and wear (you can iron them lightly, but if you starch them, you ruin and discolor them from some AF article I read), having more pockets, and not being the black sheep on base when all of the ANG, ARNG, CG, and anyone else sounds great to me.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

You may like not having to polish boots, but you won't like having to shell out for a new pair every two years to keep from looking like a dirt bag, once the green boots get good and dirty, there is no getting them clean again.

The uniform fabric also stays dirty once it gets in there. It is not all its cracked up to be. Will I wear it if we change? Yes, but I will not likely rush out and get them as soon as I find out about it. Not to mention I am going to scotch guard them with like three coats!

[Hawk200]

DCU= Desert Combat Uniform.

Try this:  DCU = Desert Camoflage Utility.

[AngelWings]

DCU= Desert Combat Uniform.

Try this:  DCU = Desert Camoflage Utility.

Now that I have my reference book up and am looking inside the label of one of my tri colors, we're both wrong. It is Desert Camouflage Uniform. Editing my post for accuracy.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

DCU= Desert Combat Uniform.

Try this:  DCU = Desert Camoflage Utility.

It depends on what branch and what MOS... We in the Infantry call it Desert Combat Uniform.

[abdsp51]

ABU= We are praying we get them soon when the next uniform board comes around in a few months.

We are?

I am. It'd be nice to look the "USAF Aux" part again. Plus, has a kid who doesn't have much room in a small but a medium fits like a trash bag, it'd be nice just to get a top that fits me the way I want. The same goes for the pants. Also, not having to polish boots, only needing to wash and wear (you can iron them lightly, but if you starch them, you ruin and discolor them from some AF article I read), having more pockets, and not being the black sheep on base when all of the ANG, ARNG, CG, and anyone else sounds great to me.

And they cost more per set than the BDU ever did, and when you grow that's more money out the door for a new set of uniforms.  And the discoloration came from observing the uniform through a NVD.   

[Flying Pig]

Its pretty sad that the US military has BDUs, ABUs. MARPATS, NWUs....whatever, that are pushing over $200 for one set and boots.  When I was in from 93-00 a set of cammies was still almost $80!  When I went to NCO school we had to buy 3 sets of BDUs brand new.  As a young CPL I was flat broke for a month!!  Ridiculous.  If your in CAP.....just stick to military surplus store BDUs as long as you can!  My brother is an F16 crew chief.  The poor guy practically had to take a second out on his house to keep up with his torn knees and oil stains.

For cadets, wash and wear and not shining boots is unfortunate.  Although, the US military doesnt do it anymore.  Although Im not in CAP anymore, Im sure Id be the guy who presses out my ABUs.  Im not worried about reflectivity from the starch through NVGs  They actually look pretty nice is you just press them out even without starch.  And those boots are about $80 if I recall.

[titanII]

Im sure Id be the guy who presses out my ABUs.  Im not worried about reflectivity from the starch through NVGs

+1
I don't give a rat's furry hind end if someone can see me in NVG's where I'm only in CAP. I'd much rather look professional and squared away. I mean come on, really: consider which is more important to CAP, looking professional or not being seen in NVG's.

[abdsp51]

You can look professional  in ABUs without taking an iron to them.  It was part of the AFs concept a while ago about getting back to the basics.  And to a degree it's mx free but it's expensive to replace especially footwear.

[AngelWings]

I starch the crap out of my BDU's, but that's because they are not wash and wear designed. A uniform that doesn't need an iron to it to look pressed is a uniform I won't press. The BDU's need it. ABU's, not so much from what I've heard from my ANG friends. For what we do in CAP, we don't have to worry about ruining seude boots in aircraft fluids, having to worry about how well they'll do for a year of every day. I wear my tan boots (not with CAP) a lot, doing a bunch of crazy things, like running through mud, play fun games, work, and some more things with them on, and they have held up just fine. I can clean them off easily. Are the ABU boots that different?

I'm sure the ABU's will get the same price drop the ACU did when they first introduced. I remember when I was a little kid, around 2006-07, looking to buy a set, and they cost just as much as the ABU's do now. Now the ACU's aren't too bad price wise, and they're is a good amount of surplus too. I can see price being a definate factor for a lot of families (even mine) but if we allow them to be worn and phase them in slowly, we'll have them already in our organization and the families that more and more families will be able to purchase them has the price drops.

[NCRblues]

Do we really need ANOTHER thread about ABU's?

[abdsp51]

Do we really need ANOTHER thread about ABU's?

As long as there are new people signing up and CCs putting out the we will get ABUs it will happen.  Both the BDU and the ABU have good things and bad things about them.  Now the question to be posed is should we receive ABUs are squadron caps going to still be allowed

[Flying Pig]

I for one have always felt that I need a pencil/pen holder on each leg and forearm!!!!

[Private Investigator]

I was wondering because my squadron commander told me that we will be getting ABU.

NO 

[Private Investigator]

Do we really need ANOTHER thread about ABU's?

NO 

[titanII]

are squadron caps going to still be allowed

Do squadrons even do that? I know it's allowed in the regs but I've never seen it in done here in MAWG. (Granted, I've never actually been to another squadron's meeting, I've only seen other squadrons' cadets at Encampment, Conference, etc.)