Approaching wear-out dates - Spring 2021

[Eclipse]

CAPR 39-1, Page 154
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/CAPR_039_001_5_Mar_2020__6EA485E9593C8.pdf

61 Days (15 June 2021):
     Ultramarine nametapes

     Woodland Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and outer garments

     Wear of items NBB and HMRS outside of the activity

108 Days (01 August 2021):

     Plastic encased insignia FDU and CFDU (Replaced by dark blue cloth)

     Black t-shirt w/ FDU

     Leather nametag on the FDU and CFDU (Replaced by the cloth nametag)

     Old-style USAF service coat for cadets

[Eclipse]

Looks like it's going to be a good Spring for my local Goodwill.

I think I still have one CFU with ultramarine tapes, and won't be able to wear
my onesie or the flight jacket unless I get some cloth nametags, which I'm probably
not going to bother with.

The amount of wasted money in my closet because of CAP's pursuit of affectation
over mission-focused uniforms is somewhat flabbergasting.

[Eclipse]

My bet is on this being largely academic for the majority of the membership,
with the curves going the way they are, the smart money is little to no activities
this Summer again. Wings are already starting to cancel stuff or push things back.

With that said, the leadership should start publishing regular reminders up to the
sundowns.  It's going to be "Phase Bingo" nationwide the whole Summer, but even I am hopeful
that by August things will have reached a new steady state, whatever that winds up being.

Nothing says "Welcome back!! We've missed you." more than being caught off guard at your first meeting
in two years and being told the only uniforms you have aren't authorized anymore.

[Spam]

Visiting a couple of my units this week, presenting awards etc. and observing their local ops... and this topic has come up several times this month.

Nothing is making me smile behind my N95 more than seeing cadet staff, proudly wearing their (sometimes tight because of growth spurts) BDUs to the very last day. There are a dwindling number who are loving the "Old Salt" aspect of wearing BDUs... with all the ennui from their vast four years of cadet membership.

One of them asked me last night if I swapped over from the OD pickle suits to BDUs when it was first authorized. Oh heck yeah, because BDUs were such a massive improvement over ODs (but the slant pocket jungle ODs were better still down here in SER). The problem then (in 1990) was that with Desert Storm mobilizations some CAP folks were asked to defer the transition to allow mobilizing troops to get extra BDU sets (this, prior to sufficient desert camo).

The "nothin says lovin" comment is just a prelude to this coming winter when lack of affordable ABU outerwear will transition from being inconvenient and expensive to being a show stopper for much of CAP outdoor operations. Then is when, without woodland camo BDU field jackets, it will "suddenly" occur to CAP that we can't do things in USAF uniforms outdoors.  Y'all remember when we pointed all this out, like four years ago?

V/r
Spam

[Shuman 14]

So would now be a good time to ask when Civil Air Patrol will authorize OCP uniforms?

Asking for a friend. 

[jeders]

About a year after the Air Force decides to move on to the next uniform, if recent trends are anything to go by.

[Shuman 14]

About a year after the Air Force decides to move on to the next uniform, if recent trends are anything to go by.

Sadly my Friend, I believe you are correct.

[RiverAux]

Yeah, I suppose that if I decide to un-Patron member myself, amost a whole new set of uniforms will be needed. 

[Eclipse]

ZERO Days (15 June 2021):
    Ultramarine nametapes

    Woodland Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) and outer garments

    Wear of items NBB and HMRS outside of the activity

The king is dead...long live the king!

[RiverAux]

Well, I guess my wife will by happy when I clear these out of my closet.  Had kept them just in case I "re-activated" but I guess there is now a new barrier to that. 

[N6RVT]

CAPR 39-1, Page 154
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/CAPR_039_001_5_Mar_2020__6EA485E9593C8.pdf

15 Days (01 August 2021):

     Plastic encased insignia FDU and CFDU (Replaced by dark blue cloth)
     Black t-shirt w/ FDU

Vanguard is still selling plastic encased insignia.

[PHall]

Well, I guess my wife will by happy when I clear these out of my closet.  Had kept them just in case I "re-activated" but I guess there is now a new barrier to that. 

Took a bunch of BDU's down to the surplus store a few months ago, got $60 for 7 sets (AF and CAP).
There is a market for this stuff.

[baronet68]

Today, 15 Jun 2021, had a long-time member show up wearing his BDUs. 

He somehow missed the memo because he was full of questions after I casually said, "I see you're wearing your BDUs one last time before they're retired at Midnight tonight!"

[Capt Thompson]

CAPR 39-1, Page 154
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/CAPR_039_001_5_Mar_2020__6EA485E9593C8.pdf

15 Days (01 August 2021):

     Plastic encased insignia FDU and CFDU (Replaced by dark blue cloth)
     Black t-shirt w/ FDU

Vanguard is still selling plastic encased insignia.

They will as long as they have stock and there's a chance people might buy them. Some people don't read memos and will wear them until they are called out on it, and others might collect them.

[PHall]

CAPR 39-1, Page 154
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/CAPR_039_001_5_Mar_2020__6EA485E9593C8.pdf

15 Days (01 August 2021):

     Plastic encased insignia FDU and CFDU (Replaced by dark blue cloth)
     Black t-shirt w/ FDU

Vanguard is still selling plastic encased insignia.

They will as long as they have stock and there's a chance people might buy them. Some people don't read memos and will wear them until they are called out on it, and others might collect them.

They just got a large restock in about a year ago after being out of stock for almost a year.
Betcha they'll try to make CAP buy all of them to recoup their costs.

[Fubar]

They just got a large restock in about a year ago after being out of stock for almost a year.
Betcha they'll try to make CAP buy all of them to recoup their costs.

Could be an urban legend, but I was told that if CAP changes or discontinues something, per the sole-source contract CAP has to purchase the remaining supply Vanguard has on-hand so that Vanguard doesn't loose out on the sales.

[Eclipse]

Could be an urban legend, but I was told that if CAP changes or discontinues something, per the sole-source contract CAP has to purchase the remaining supply Vanguard has on-hand so that Vanguard doesn't loose out on the sales.

Can confirm at least in regards to Wing patches, so it's likely the case with everything.

[TheSkyHornet]

Could be an urban legend, but I was told that if CAP changes or discontinues something, per the sole-source contract CAP has to purchase the remaining supply Vanguard has on-hand so that Vanguard doesn't loose out on the sales.

Can confirm at least in regards to Wing patches, so it's likely the case with everything.

That's pretty common with most contracts.

If the contract was to produce x-amount of product with the expectation to sell said x-amount, and the client decides to change the product design, then the client is usually subject to buy the remaining inventory; the provider doesn't eat the cost out of kindness.

[N6RVT]

CAPR 39-1, Page 154
https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/CAPR_039_001_5_Mar_2020__6EA485E9593C8.pdf

15 Days (01 August 2021):

     Plastic encased insignia FDU and CFDU (Replaced by dark blue cloth)
     Black t-shirt w/ FDU

Vanguard is still selling plastic encased insignia.

They will as long as they have stock and there's a chance people might buy them. Some people don't read memos and will wear them until they are called out on it, and others might collect them.

They just got a large restock in about a year ago after being out of stock for almost a year.  Betcha they'll try to make CAP buy all of them to recoup their costs.

I wonder why CAP never went the "former items may be worn until no longer servicable" route.

[Eclipse]

I wonder why CAP never went the "former items may be worn until no longer servicable" route.

You'd never flush the old stuff, and you'd literally have members in pinks and OD greens.

The BDUs I disposed of were like brand new (of course they were always only dry cleaned and
heavy-starched as is required by regulations).

3 hours a week or less for the average member doesn't wear out anything.
The "I Dream Of Jeannie-era" cadet jackets are a good example of that.

(and even as-is you'll be seeing BDUs at activities, especially summer ones, for the next few
years, heck CAP still has people showing up occasionally with US on their MAJCOM, wing patches on their blues,
and flags on their field uniforms)