ABU = Equine Corpse

[ProdigalJim]

Given the sheer number of threads on variations of the ABU issue, and the seeming regularity with which the topic seems to pop up, I thought I'd share the guidance coming down from MER HQ on the issue. This missive was prompted by a cadet Airman Basic using the Ask The Commander feature to flog the horse bones once more. A few salient quotes from our leadership:

"This issue is entirely in the hands of the USAF and is not likely to change in the near term. I would ask you to assist me with getting this word out and maybe we can reduce the anguish over this issue among the membership.

"At any rate, it is now no longer an acceptable subject for Ask The Commander and further inquiries of this nature should be discouraged.

"It has been addressed in multiple venues by the National Commander and NHQ and should be accepted for what it is.

"It would be my preference for the cadets and adult members to cease beating this dead horse."

Amen, hallelujah and Good Night. Whether I or anyone else would like to see us in ABUs is, for the immediate future anyway, 100% irrelevant. We're being asked to accept the decision of our parent service and move on, and to correct any rumors to the contrary among those under our command. 

(Insert snappy salute here) Understood, sir! 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

The horse never lived in my estimation anyway.

Once BDU's are exhausted, I am confident we will stay with BBDU's for all ranks (unless some dimwit says "they need to be grey!").

I have misgivings about the General's "Ask The Commander"...it's a bit too much like jumping the chain to me.

[SARDOC]

I'm okay with the decision to hold off ABU's indefinitely until a determination can be made.  Even if they just came out and said..."we just don't like it" I would like that better than the lame excuse we were given with the "the Air Force prohibits non DoD agencies to be disseminated organizational clothing" or whatever their wording was.

The Air Force doesn't issue utility uniforms to us ever.  We purchase them on our own and can do so from commercial sources.  The only thing that would change is our DRMO availability.  I would like to hear the real reason.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

I would like to hear the real reason.

Given that we were never given the "real reason" about killing the CSU, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for any "real reason" connected with anything having to do with uniforms.

[Grumpy]

It would be just too simple to take the guide lines/restrictions that we had for the BDUs and apply them to the ABUs.  They say they want them to be distinctive so as not to be confused with the AF.  Don't you think the Blue and White Civil Air Patrol and name tag will jump out at you to say hey "I'm not active Air Force".  Not to mention the different colored wing patches.

[AngelWings]

It would be just too simple to take the guide lines/restrictions that we had for the BDUs and apply them to the ABUs.  They say they want them to be distinctive so as not to be confused with the AF.  Don't you think the Blue and White Civil Air Patrol and name tag will jump out at you to say hey "I'm not active Air Force".  Not to mention the different colored wing patches.

Hopefully we can dump the Vietnam era patches and update to stop being a camouflage Christmas tree.

[RiverAux]

"At any rate, it is now no longer an acceptable subject for Ask The Commander and further inquiries of this nature should be discouraged.

I've personally not yet heard anything about this through the chain of command and I suspect that I'm not alone.  So, they shouldn't be surprised that questions are still coming in. 

[a2capt]

If they're able to get the word out universally that the function shouldn't be used to ask that question, then that would mean .. the function is negated because communication is flowing... or... ??

I don't see that being the last time that question is submitted.

[abdsp51]

I foresee many more topics here with it being asked even though it has been beaten beyond death.  But until members quit putting the rumor out there that it is going to happen it will keep surfacing. 

[Grumpy]

Rumors?  Rumors?  CAP has no rumors😜

[AngelWings]

Rumors?  Rumors?  CAP has no rumors

Hahahahaha! That's a good one!

[a2capt]

Move along. Move along. These are not the uniforms you are looking for.

Move along.

[lordmonar]

You know the more I think about this "press release" the more I get upset.

First of all........If the National Commander is getting fed up with ever Tom, Richard, and Henery asking about the ABUs.......the probelm is that the word is not getting down to the units!

Saying that this has been address numerous times, is all well in good....but why are our members still asking?

Go Away Kid and Stop Bugging me is NOT the solution to the problem.

If you want people to stop bugging you....you need to provide the answers....or at least let them know when they can expect an answer.

[RADIOMAN015]

You know the more I think about this "press release" the more I get upset.

First of all........If the National Commander is getting fed up with ever Tom, Richard, and Henery asking about the ABUs.......the probelm is that the word is not getting down to the units!

Saying that this has been address numerous times, is all well in good....but why are our members still asking?

Go Away Kid and Stop Bugging me is NOT the solution to the problem.

If you want people to stop bugging you....you need to provide the answers....or at least let them know when they can expect an answer.

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: 
I would think that "Ask The Commander" questions and answers would be posted to a public CAP owned website so that everyone could see the answers (unless it is something super private).  That would probably cut down on a lot of questions being asked over & over again.    Hey even the AF has Ask The Commander/IG columns in the local base newspaper that address questions (in fact one even has telephone extension to call). 
RM

[ol'fido]

I foresee many more topics here with it being asked even though it has been beaten beyond death.  But until members quit putting the rumor out there that it is going to happen it will keep surfacing.

Yes, it has been beaten to death...but....

http://mcrmadness-drawings.buzznet.com/user/photos/zombie-horse/?id=18351191

[♠SARKID♠]

General Carr came to our wing conference this year.  During the opening breakfast he announced that he was going to be holding a town hall meeting later that day.  We were allowed to ask any question, but one. 

"Do not ask me about when we're getting ABUs!"

He said it part in truth, part in jest, but I'm sure he's getting sick of hearing it.

[pixelwonk]

General Carr came to our wing conference this year.  During the opening breakfast he announced that he was going to be holding a town hall meeting later that day.  We were allowed to ask any question, but one. 

"Do not ask me about when we're getting ABUs!"

He said it part in truth, part in jest, but I'm sure he's getting sick of hearing it.

Ad you asked him anyway, didn't you?

[NCRblues]

but I'm sure he's getting sick of hearing it.

Honestly, that's too bad for him.

That's part of his job. When nothing comes down the official chain and the Nat/CC has a link to ask him a question on everyone's eServices page what did he think would happen?

When he ran for this office he had to have understood he would be trying to lead an organization of volunteers with unclear lines of communications and control.

Well, heck who knows maybe after the next NB meeting he won't have to worry about answering questions like that. Something about a new governance model coming out (at least that's what Gen. Carr said in his page on the latest volunteer magazine) 

[♠SARKID♠]

General Carr came to our wing conference this year.  During the opening breakfast he announced that he was going to be holding a town hall meeting later that day.  We were allowed to ask any question, but one. 

"Do not ask me about when we're getting ABUs!"

He said it part in truth, part in jest, but I'm sure he's getting sick of hearing it.

Ad you asked him anyway, didn't you?

Nah. Trying to keep myself out of trouble 

[Eclipse]

This thread seemed as appropriate as the 100 others, at least based on the title.

A new GAO study came out last week that points to the money spent on military uniform development as an example of government waste, noting that the Army is again looking to
redo their field uniforms and break them back out into at least 3 variants.
http://openchannel.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/09/17676116-multiple-military-camouflage-uniforms-an-example-of-government-waste-gao-finds?lite



As I continue to assert, CAP will never wear the ABU, and considering the adoption of it now would be foolhardy.  My guess is that the OEF deployed variant (or whatever it's being called today),
will be adopted for everyone as a phase-out over a multi-year period.  Current Airmen will wear what they have, and at some point in the next year or two, new recruits and those coming back
from deployment, etc., will start wearing the OEF uniform regardless of where they are stationed.  This would reduce the cost of the changeover and also end those discussions as well.

The best course for CAP would be to simply phase out the woodlands for everyone, move to the BBDU for all, certainly for all the seniors, and close the discussion.

Also this week, the AFT reminded everyone that the NWU is an accelerant in a fire and still in use:
http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20130409/NEWS/304090016/NWUs-still-sea-6-months-after-melt-risk-found