CAP phase-in time for ABU's

[A.Member]

I would think that if the CAP needed a new work uniform, a simular uniform to that used by the Coast Guard would look the best with the current insignia.

They're called BBDU's and you're authorized to wear them if you want.  Or you could just join the Coast Guard Aux. instead.

Many of us, myself included, don't care for that look.  Wearing a utility uniform that is similiar to the service we support is desired as it reinforces our unity and that relationship.

[LtCol White]

I dont like the idea of the CAP getting combat style uniforms.  What is the purpose?  To be honest, I dont even like the current BDU style uniform, the way it is.  I think that it looks tacky with the blue name tapes.
I think that the new camo patterns will look even worse.

What ever happened to the old plain green fatiques?  I really liked those. :-(


I would think that if the CAP needed a new work uniform, a simular uniform to that used by the Coast Guard would look the best with the current insignia.

Ummm...the old green fatigues were also a combat uniform. If you have a problem with our uniforms, why did you join?

[PaulR]

LOL  Cease fire guys.  This is a forum for the exchange of ideas?  Such passion... one has got to love that!

My point was not so much the wear of modern Combat attire per se, but more of an observation of how the blue of the name tape contrasts ever so greatly against the greenish brown camo schemes. 

Service goes more than skin deep.  It is not about the clothes that we wear, it is the mission that matters.  I would participate in the CAP in civies if that was deemed to be the case.   I have been wearing a uniform for 26 years, so in the grand scheme of things, it does not really matter.  I was just giving a suggestion.

Mr. A.Member, you are right.  I had forgotten that the CG Auxillary wears that very uniform.  Maybe the CAP could change the color of the ID Tapes to one that melds a bit better with the current(or future) uniforms?

[ddelaney103]

I dont like the idea of the CAP getting combat style uniforms.  What is the purpose?  To be honest, I dont even like the current BDU style uniform, the way it is.  I think that it looks tacky with the blue name tapes.
I think that the new camo patterns will look even worse.

What ever happened to the old plain green fatiques?  I really liked those. :-(


I would think that if the CAP needed a new work uniform, a simular uniform to that used by the Coast Guard would look the best with the current insignia.

Ummm...the old green fatigues were also a combat uniform. If you have a problem with our uniforms, why did you join?

Maybe because "do I like the uniforms?" isn't the first question prospective members ask?

Otherwise, we'd all be either US Marines or Waffin SS.

[JohnKachenmeister]

As a general rule, CAP's phase in times are double that of the Air Force. The Air Force expects to phase in ABU's over 5 years.  That would mean a complete phase-in of ABU's over 10 years in CAP. 

I don't think this will change my plans to buy another set of BDU's in the near future.

[PaulR]

Maybe because "do I like the uniforms?" isn't the first question prospective members ask?

Otherwise, we'd all be either US Marines or Waffin SS.

Yeah... the Marine Corps Dress Blues was always a winner with the girls.  Those were the days...   

I do like the Luftwaffe uniforms over the Waffen SS though.  Something about those collar tabs.

[Cecil DP]

I have a feeling you will see initial authorization in 1-2yrs with mandatory wear 5 yrs out.

The Air Force is just starting to issue the new ABU's, with a mandatory wear date of 2011. when the Air Force started issuing the Camo and Desert BDUs there was a restriction on sales to "non Active duty personnel" until the active duty supply was allocated and AAFES had an adequate supply for us non-essential types. I would expect the authorization for CAP's use of the new uniform to be  2010 at the earliest. (Personally, I have 4 sets of the new Army BDU's and can't understand why there is different sets of digitalized  uniforms for each service) 

[Stonewall]

ACUs came out when?  Like 3 or 4 years ago?  I'm still seeing Army folks wearing BDUs on base.

I know I'm on an ANG base, but the only folks we've got wearing ABUs are the ones flying over to the sand box and they are only getting one or two pair plus 2 pair of DCUs.

[LtCol White]

On many bases, the ABU's are now available for general sale at Clothing Sales.

[md132]

Well this will be the last year you will see the Army wearing BDU's.  Everyone in the Army is suppose to have them by next month, IIRC.  Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

[ddelaney103]

In a situation that sends the Irony Meter into "Off-scale High," ABU's can only be found in one MCSS in the AFDW area: the Pentagon.

I'm going downrange in the first half of '08 - I expect to get a couple of sets then.  I don't know if I'll get the mold green foliage green boots at that time. 

[MIKE]

Don't care for the foliage green boots either.  Tan T-shirt, tan belt... green boots... ick. 

[Hawk200]

Well this will be the last year you will see the Army wearing BDU's.  Everyone in the Army is suppose to have them by next month, IIRC.  Correct me if I'm wrong about that.

March '08 is the time when all personnel regardless of (Army) component are supposed to have four sets. Haven't looked lately, but last I knew there was no set phaseout date for BDU's. Guys at Eustiss were wearing them for FTXs. Didn't want to ruin their ACUs.

Just saw a guy in the Waffle House a few minutes ago wearing the ABUs. They don't look all that different from ACUs. What got my attention was stripes on the sleeve instead of SSI. He had on the tan boots, so there wasn't much difference. The sewn on badge didn't look all that good either. Pin on badge, or embroidered on the same tigerstripe as the nametag would have looked better.

[Stonewall]

He had on the tan boots, so there wasn't much difference. The sewn on badge didn't look all that good either. Pin on badge, or embroidered on the same tigerstripe as the nametag would have looked better.

Not that I've interviewed or met a majority of the Air Force, but if the AF says they got recommendations from the field and advice from the airmen who tested the uniform, why in the heck did they go with the mold green boots?  I think they look ridiculous.

I personally don't care for all the velcro on the ACUs and do actually prefer the AF's way of sewing on rank and badges, but I do agree with you Hawk, the badges should match the nametags, or vice versa.  Kind of like how we now have OD nametapes on woodland camo, they should have gone with plain sage green nametags and badges.

[PaulR]

I have never understood why we all went to Velcro for pocket and badges.  It breaks down after a while to where it is impossible to securely close the pockets.  It also attracts a lot of lint and etc, that gets all caught up in it. 

I think that they should bring back the buttons.  They are far more utilitarian and practical.

[LtCol White]

Although the green boots sound strange, they actually look good with the ABU's. I wasn't wild about it or sure how that would look either until I actually saw it in person being worn.

[Hawk200]

Not that I've interviewed or met a majority of the Air Force, but if the AF says they got recommendations from the field and advice from the airmen who tested the uniform, why in the heck did they go with the mold green boots?  I think they look ridiculous.

The Air Force says they get input all the time, and they claimed that when McPeak brought out the airline uniform. As of yet, I've never met anyone that was actually asked for their opinion. Anyway, I saw an SP on base last week wearing the green boots with his BDU's. They didn't look all that good with BDU's, but I imagine that they'll look OK with the ABU.

That being said, I still don't understand the green boot for logistic reasons. There are loads of tan boots out there, airman have them already, and you can get them easily. It seems to be a case of creating something different just to be different.

I personally don't care for all the velcro on the ACUs and do actually prefer the AF's way of sewing on rank and badges, but I do agree with you Hawk, the badges should match the nametags, or vice versa.  Kind of like how we now have OD nametapes on woodland camo, they should have gone with plain sage green nametags and badges.

The more the Velcro on my ACU's wears out, the less I like it. The Velcro on my A²CU's seems to be made of sterner stuff, it doesn't seem to wear as badly as the ACU stuff does.

As for matching colors; grey, green, or tiger stripe; keep it simple: make it all match. The reasoning for grey badges and tiger stripe tapes escapes me as well. It's not like your functional badge is all that important at 20 paces, and it would look better in tiger anyway. Just the Air Force being stubbornly different again. I do love the Air Force, and if all goes well, I'll be going back in a few years. But they definitely need to work on some of their "we've got to be different" issues.

[LtCol White]

Not that I've interviewed or met a majority of the Air Force, but if the AF says they got recommendations from the field and advice from the airmen who tested the uniform, why in the heck did they go with the mold green boots?  I think they look ridiculous.

The Air Force says they get input all the time, and they claimed that when McPeak brought out the airline uniform. As of yet, I've never met anyone that was actually asked for their opinion. Anyway, I saw an SP on base last week wearing the green boots with his BDU's. They didn't look all that good with BDU's, but I imagine that they'll look OK with the ABU.

That being said, I still don't understand the green boot for logistic reasons. There are loads of tan boots out there, airman have them already, and you can get them easily. It seems to be a case of creating something different just to be different.

I personally don't care for all the velcro on the ACUs and do actually prefer the AF's way of sewing on rank and badges, but I do agree with you Hawk, the badges should match the nametags, or vice versa.  Kind of like how we now have OD nametapes on woodland camo, they should have gone with plain sage green nametags and badges.

The more the Velcro on my ACU's wears out, the less I like it. The Velcro on my A²CU's seems to be made of sterner stuff, it doesn't seem to wear as badly as the ACU stuff does.

As for matching colors; grey, green, or tiger stripe; keep it simple: make it all match. The reasoning for grey badges and tiger stripe tapes escapes me as well. It's not like your functional badge is all that important at 20 paces, and it would look better in tiger anyway. Just the Air Force being stubbornly different again. I do love the Air Force, and if all goes well, I'll be going back in a few years. But they definitely need to work on some of their "we've got to be different" issues.

I agree they should match. As with everything when a new COS comes in, there will prob be changes to tweak it. I'm willing to bet you'll see a return of patches. My guess is the other would be the nametapes going to urban gray to match the insignia. That is the cheaper route to change those rather than all the rank and insignia which are already urban gray. This way, no matter who you are, you only have to change 2 things - name and branch tapes.

[Cecil DP]

It's been 60 years almost to the day that the Department of Defense was established and we're still sending soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines into a combat arena with a different uniform for each. Don't the armed forces see that there is a lot of wasted effort in developing different uniforms for people doing relatively the same thing. I would think that  members of the Joint Chiefs could get together on ONE standard field uniform. It's bad enough we're in a war, but to color code our soldiers for the enemies benefit is criminal.   

[LtCol White]

Historically every nation has had different combat uniforms for their armed forces. This is not unique to the US. In recent times many countries have gone to one camo uniform with branch insignia. We just don't seem inclined to do so eventhough we did have it with the BDU.