Uniform Tips And Tricks?

[ASchlagel]

Hi,
I'm a uniform AIC and I'm just starting out in this job, I have gotten a few tips and have found a few things on line but i need to know  tricks of the trade of Ironing, put on patches, insignias and so on. I have the job of taking three cadets every night from Zulu flight and training them on EVERYTHING uniform! I know its a big job and that's why I'm asking for a bit of help and advice! I've only been in in CAP for 8 months joining last October. So I'm still green too but my Commanders have given me the job, also i need to know stores that hold anything Supply for I'm also the Supply AIC!
Ya i have a big job, so sir's, mam's, can you please help me out?

Thank you So Much For At Least Reading This!

Cadet Senior Airmen Schlagel
Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron
RMR-CO-030

P.S. I have gotten one trick but i tried it and i think it works. get your cover and spray the whole outside with caned starch and rub it in, then put it on a coffee can or tall bowl and put it in the freezer for 2 hours then pull it out and let it sit in a cool to warm area and let it set.

[JoeTomasone]

P.S. I have gotten one trick but i tried it and i think it works. get your cover and spray the whole outside with caned starch and rub it in, then put it on a coffee can or tall bowl and put it in the freezer for 2 hours then pull it out and let it sit in a cool to warm area and let it set.

OK, so you will have a very impressive cover..  What will happen to it when you stow it in your BDU pants pocket as required by CAPM 39-1?

[davidsinn]

P.S. I have gotten one trick but i tried it and i think it works. get your cover and spray the whole outside with caned starch and rub it in, then put it on a coffee can or tall bowl and put it in the freezer for 2 hours then pull it out and let it sit in a cool to warm area and let it set.

I've seen that before. They look bad. They are a pain to stow in your pocket and it makes you hotter in the summer.

[ASchlagel]

Well in our Squadron no one ever puts their covers in their pockets, were outside most the time and when we are inside we are only in for a few moments. So it works for us. Also I got that from a man who was in the army for 20+ years. Todays the first time im testing it, so ill get back to you on that.

[JayT]

Well in our Squadron no one ever puts their covers in their pockets, were outside most the time and when we are inside we are only in for a few moments. So it works for us. Also I got that from a man who was in the army for 20+ years. Todays the first time im testing it, so ill get back to you on that.

What does the Army vet in your Squadron have anything to do with the fact you're breaking uniform regulations concerning you BDU Patrol Cap? One of the important things you need to learn in CAP is that just because someone was in the military doesn't mean that they know everything about CAP itself.

You don't need to starch your cap. It looks silly. BDU's are a utility uniform. They're suppose to be clearn, pressed, and correctly set up, not starched to the point where they can stand up on it's own.

Your service dress? Press with a hot iron with a little bit of starch or hairspray that's allowed to dry. If you press the service pants too hot, they'll get a worn and shiney look.

[jimmydeanno]

Cadet Shclagel,

Congratulations on your new position appointment.  In many ways, you have been given a significant assignment.  What you teach those cadets will stick with them the entire time they're in CAP.

My first recommendation would be to dive into 39-1 (and related interim change letters) and make sure you have a solid understanding of how to wear the uniform in the first place - without any tricks or alternative methods.

Maybe I can help with some of those though.

BDUs:

Hat - Having a hat that is crispy isn't all it's cracked up to be.  It's purpose is to cover your head.  Tips for this I would tell them to replace overly faded or worn hats and don't crack the brim in half.  All that starch you add makes the fabric brittle and will prematurely fade and wear it out.  Additionally, if you get caught in the rain, starch in the eyes isn't that appealing.

Name and CAP tapes:  Wash them before sewing them on the uniform, if you wash them first they don't shrink and create a puckering look on the BDU blouse. Also, fold under the ends of the tape so the ends don't fray instead of just cutting the ends off.

Patches:  Sew them on.  With thread.  Don't glue, velcro, tape, etc it just looks horrible.

Belt:  Have them keep about 6 inches of extra belt on the buckle end so as they grow they can just let that portion out a bit.  Also, I would recommend the elastic type belts because they don't fade like the woven ones.

Strings:  Trim off the little string ends, don't pull them.

Boots:  Boots don't need to be a mirror shine, but they can be.  There are tons of methods you'll find out there.  Don't use the ones that involve fire or melting the wax.  This is the method I use (http://www.ehow.com/how_31_shine-shoes.html) and it works really well without much effort.  Also, I add a bit of water to the cloth.


BLUES

Flight Cap: Wash it occasionally.

Shirt:  Wash it occasionally.  Cadets get lazy about removing the stuff so they don't wash the uniform.  The ring around the collar is gross and unprofessional looking.  Be sure that their sleeve creases are in the correct location, a lot of times they come with the crease in the wrong place.

Strings:  Trim loose strings, don't pull them.

Shirt Garters:  These nifty devices hold your socks up and your shirt tails down, so you don't have the parachute look and your shirt is always tucked in.  Bring extra material to the side seam and make a neat fold over.

Belt:  Same trick as above with the BDUs.

Pants:  Hem them to the correct length, but have them leave extra material in the bottom of the leg so as they grow, they can get them re-hemmed without having to purchase new pants.  Remind them to watch out when they iron so they don't get multiple creases in the front.

Shoes:  Same shining method as above, or they can get the plastic shoes (note: these scuff easy and the scuffs don't come off).

Socks:  Make sure they aren't faded, and wash them occasionally.

Ribbons:  Don't touch them and if they need to, wash their hands first.  When not being worn, put them in a plastic sandwich bag.  Also, get some backing material (white cardboard or plastic, foamboard, etc) cut it to the shape of your ribbons and put it between the shirt and the frogs.  It makes them a bit flatter and stops the shirt from drooping under them.

Nameplate:  See backing material recommendation in ribbon section.

You don't need to do anything fancy to have a uniform that looks professional.  Many times all those extras people do just make them look odd and makes them stand out - in a bad way. 

Good Luck!

EDIT: Forgot to add shoe shining link.

[AirAux]

I think Jimmy has hit the this one pefectly.  Jimmy, did you mean to tell him how to shine his boots or to look it up.  You kind of said don't use fire and then you said that is the way I do it..  I think you got distracted there for a minute.  Otherwise right on.  Cadet Schlagel, you didn't have a grandfather or father in flight school in the Army by the name of Dave in the 60's did you?  My good buddy from another time and place..  Jimmy, you fixed it while I was typing..  Thanks..

[ASchlagel]

No i don't have any relatives in the army it was another cadets Father that told me that. And i thank you both, that is really what i needed, and i know some tricks don't work and make the uniform look silly i found that out with my boots the liquid stuff works for me because my boots wont shine even after 5+ hours of trying to make them shine, but after i use the liquid i use the normal stuff it works great them. (not be rude but i am a girl i didn't think about putting my first name) Thanks again

[SarDragon]

This is the method I use (http://www.ehow.com/how_31_shine-shoes.html) and it works really well without much effort.  Also, I add a bit of water to the cloth.

Here's a pair of boots that I wore on AD, and still wear them with my BBDUs. The only thing I've ever done to them, care-wise, is brush off whatever nasties have gotten on them, and then polish using the above method.



They have been completely saturated with water a couple of times, and I also do yard work in them (steel toes).

What you see is after a quick brush job, and no buff. They look even better after a coat of polish.

[jimmydeanno]

(not be rude but i am a girl i didn't think about putting my first name) Thanks again

In that case, here's another tip.  Since female blues shirts don't have pockets to line up the nameplate and ribbons on it is difficult to get them level and even.  My wife takes a ruler and establishes the even line.  She lines up the bottom corners closest to the buttons on that line.  Then, because the shirt tapers she brings the outside bottom corners up slightly so each item slants down slightly towards the center.  When put on, the taper brings the "high side" down, making them both level.

Oh, and a lot of my female cadets have noted that the "princess cut" blues shirts are a whole lot easier to deal with.  They don't like the tuck in shirts because their pants taper towards the top and they say it looks awkward.  The princess cut shirts are more expensive, but there is less to worry about in terms of keeping gig-line aligned, etc.

[ASchlagel]

Thank you again. I do also have a princess cut shirt, it is a lot better. The other shirts offten, as my old Flight Commander notted, 'Made me Look Poofy' so the princess cut shirt helps. And ill be sure to use the tip you told me as well. ill write it down in fact in my book as well. Thank you.

[JayT]

Thank you again. I do also have a princess cut shirt, it is a lot better. The other shirts offten, as my old Flight Commander notted, 'Made me Look Poofy' so the princess cut shirt helps. And ill be sure to use the tip you told me as well. ill write it down in fact in my book as well. Thank you.

Start off by going through CAPM 39-1 and the various ICL's. Read them, understand them, and if you have any questions, ask specifics. 


You'll find in CAP there's a lot of uniform myths and legends. The best way to get through these is to read the manual.

[ASchlagel]

My boots look nothing like yours, they have a wierd leatehr on them. The only way i can get them to shine with with the liquid shoe shine polish.

[JayT]

Try saddlesoap and rubbing alcohol. Strip the boots down to the leather, and then start from there.

I did this to my boots at work when I first got them, and now I just occasionally have to buff them to keep them looking good.

[SarDragon]

The problem might be the inherent leather texture. It looks like there's a small pebble grain finish there. If so, there's only so much you can do. The method above will still be your best bet for achieving any sort of acceptable shine.

Scrub them with saddle soap, and them let them dry completely. This may take a day or two, so don't try to start this two days before you need them at an event. Use a stiff bristle brush, and make sure you get all the soap residue off. Then go to work with your polish. The 15 minute drying time is important. Don't get impatient. Rubbing alcohol doesn't do a lot, IMHO, but it might help remove the liquid polish.

Good luck.

[HGjunkie]

A trick I heard somewhere on this forum is that you can scotch-guard your blues ribbons, service coat, and blues pants (maybe your flight cap also). The idea is, the scotch-guard creates a barrier that will resist weathering and dirty hands(for the ribbons). However, I have never used scotch guard so I cannot say definitively that it would work. If someone knows something different about scotch-guard, fell free to let me know.
UPDATE: Read below post.

BTW I would not recomend starching anything polyester (blues pants, service coat). My HG commander says it will ruin the fabric.
Also, windex will shiny up Corfams if you have 'em. Otherwise, leathers will take some elbow greage to shine, but it's worth it.
Brasso will take care of any metal insignia, pins, etc...
BDU's will look great after a simple steam press, and use a hem stitch for patches so the thread doesnt show.
Trouser blousing bands will make blousing your pants a whole lot easier.
If you want a sharp-looking BDU hat, then get a hat shaper that goes around the inside of the hat.

[SarDragon]

NOT recommended for ribbons. It can make the colors bleed.

It doesn't hurt to launder/dry-clean your uniforms once in a while. The fabric lasts longer, and the grime doesn't become embedded.

[JC004]

My boots look nothing like yours, they have a wierd leatehr on them. The only way i can get them to shine with with the liquid shoe shine polish.

Do they come with a tag that says "DO NOT POLISH"?  They look like ICBs.

[Eclipse]

If you're spending 5 hours shining your boots, you need to find better ways to occupy your time.

[JoeTomasone]

Well in our Squadron no one ever puts their covers in their pockets, were outside most the time and when we are inside we are only in for a few moments.

Well, unless you are literally only indoors for less than a minute, you should be stowing your BDU cover in your pockets.   Even if you go inside to use the bathroom, it should be stowed. 

I could show you pics of the soldiers here at the base I am on in Iraq, and none of their covers look "tall and proud", they are all crunkled from being stowed in their pockets - and that's the way it's supposed to be.