eServices announcement about ABUs

[Tim Medeiros]

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet.

Wear of the Airman's Battle Uniform (ABU): DoD policy prevents the transfer, donation, and sale of digitized camouflage pattern uniforms to anyone outside the USAF with very few exceptions. Unfortunately Civil Air Patrol is not one of the exceptions. This prohibition is necessary to protect the unique technologies used in developing the uniform.
The National Board has placed a hold on all uniform changes pending a review of the entire CAP uniform structure. This review is ongoing by the CAP National Uniform Committee and a draft report will be presented to the Summer National Board Meeting in Baltimore in August 2012. The presentation will be available online via web stream but all CAP members are encouraged to attend.

[lordmonar]

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet.

Wear of the Airman's Battle Uniform (ABU): DoD policy prevents the transfer, donation, and sale of digitized camouflage pattern uniforms to anyone outside the USAF with very few exceptions. Unfortunately Civil Air Patrol is not one of the exceptions. This prohibition is necessary to protect the unique technologies used in developing the uniform.
The National Board has placed a hold on all uniform changes pending a review of the entire CAP uniform structure. This review is ongoing by the CAP National Uniform Committee and a draft report will be presented to the Summer National Board Meeting in Baltimore in August 2012. The presentation will be available online via web stream but all CAP members are encouraged to attend.

I wonder how my local surplus store gets them? 

[Tim Medeiros]

Do they have the "Made expressly for U.S. Air Force" tag?  If so, something's certainly fishy.

[lordmonar]

Do they have the "Made expressly for U.S. Air Force" tag?  If so, something's certainly fishy.

Yep...100% GI Issue.

You can order the stupid things right from Proper who is the manufacter!
You know I don't mind being told to hold my horses and wait.....but I get pissed off when they feed me a line of fecal matter.

[SARDOC]

Wear of the Airman's Battle Uniform (ABU): DoD policy prevents the transfer, donation, and sale of digitized camouflage pattern uniforms to anyone outside the USAF with very few exceptions. Unfortunately Civil Air Patrol is not one of the exceptions. This prohibition is necessary to protect the unique technologies used in developing the uniform.
The National Board has placed a hold on all uniform changes pending a review of the entire CAP uniform structure. This review is ongoing by the CAP National Uniform Committee and a draft report will be presented to the Summer National Board Meeting in Baltimore in August 2012. The presentation will be available online via web stream but all CAP members are encouraged to attend.

[/quote]

DoD Restricts Digitized camouflage to uniforms to anyone outside the USAF?!?   Hate to break the news to the other services.   

[RiverAux]

Well, we knew the uniform review was ongoing.  However, I'm surprised that they mentioned ABUs since there is currently no reason that CAP members should get them.  The restriction on their release is just as bogus as that which they had for BDUs for a while. 

[Eclipse]

There's plenty available via retail, Google lists over 2000 Shopping hits alone.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I wonder how my local surplus store gets them? 

Probably through former AF members selling them.

I believe that Canadian troops leaving the service have to give their CADPAT digi-cams back...one Canadian military message board did a collective butt-chewing on a former troop who somehow kept his and sold them...a very irate Sergeant-Major said "Those do NOT belong to you!  They belong to the QUEEN!"



I think they've got some sort of real secret-squirrel anti-IR fabric...could be that the ABU does as well.

This "review" of the "entire CAP uniform structure"...five'll get you ten there's to be zero member input, and I would be very, very, very surprised if anything but extremely minor changes are made to the grey/white.

[capmaj]

Then someone at NHQ or USAF needs to expalin this.......

http://www.epropper.com/categoryattribute/52

[Eclipse]

My guess would be that ABU's are starting to show up in the DRMO channels, and maybe some members have already tried
to request them, etc.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

So Joe Hunter who wants them to go shoot Bambi's evil twin can get them, and ROTC can, but not the Auxiliary of the Air Force...

[ßτε]

I bet this announcement was in response to questions like "When do we get to wear the ABU?" asked on the new Ask the National Commander box in eServices.

[lordmonar]

I wonder how my local surplus store gets them? 

Probably through former AF members selling them.

Nope....Brand new tags and all.

[SARDOC]

My guess would be that ABU's are starting to show up in the DRMO channels, and maybe some members have already tried
to request them, etc.

That sounds a little more like it.  AF issued ABU's are probably still in Demand, even though Airman can still purchase on their own.  There are probably still Commands still requesting issues for troops.  The Air Force isn't going to start giving them away when they are still serviceable. 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

My unit meets on an ANG installation.

In the past year I've seen nothing but ABU's...no BDU's, and no word on whatever is supposed to replace the ABU.

[Darkside1]

Once we get ABU's I'm certain many will wonder why we wanted them so badly. I wear them in ROTC and they're OK. Not great, just OK. Some days I actually miss the BDU's because you used to be able to put some effort into your uniform and it showed. Most days I'm busy so I don't care.

Right off the bat I'm sure there will be many complaining that Cadets and seniors are spending even less time looking after their uniforms. I see it in ROTC, its wash and wear so folks end up paying attention to it less. As long as you have all the pieces on, then they consider that close enough.

And just think about the situation were going to end up in when there are a few early adopter cadets in every unit who don't have to worry about getting gigged on pressing their uniform or shining their shoes. Meanwhile everybody in BDU still has to meet the old standards.

I'm not saying that we shouldn't get them. Just that they are going to be a hassle.

[lordmonar]

And the problem with that is??

The work uniform should be just that...a work uniform.  Spend your time studying and doing your job.

As Gunny Highway said......well let's keep it simple...you got your boot?  We'll be walking into combat.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I honestly could care less about getting ABU's.

I'm much more in favour of getting BDU's recognised as "CAP-distinctive."

[JeffDG]

I think they've got some sort of real secret-squirrel anti-IR fabric...could be that the ABU does as well.

I could tell you about the questions on my ROTP aptitude test, but under it's the only actual document I've ever seen that had a warning about the Official Secrets Act on it...so I guess I'd have to kill you then.  For Queen and Country that is.

[Hardshell Clam]

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned yet.

Wear of the Airman's Battle Uniform (ABU): DoD policy prevents the transfer, donation, and sale of digitized camouflage pattern uniforms to anyone outside the USAF with very few exceptions. Unfortunately Civil Air Patrol is not one of the exceptions. This prohibition is necessary to protect the unique technologies used in developing the uniform.

Nice to know the the USAF thinks about the CAP...