Forget about CAP getting ABUs

[Майор Хаткевич]

Heh, Nin.

[HGjunkie]

Heh, Nin.

Oops. 

[DakRadz]

So, I heard about the Multi-Cam switch about two weeks ago.

Anyone else have such privileged information as to have heard early?

My source is under the impression that this will be a Force-wide switch. My source is credible.



From the article, lines that make me think this is Force-wide

Airmen will receive MultiCam, eventually (as previously posted)

The big unknown: When airmen will get the MultiCam ABS-G and its final design.

[Майор Хаткевич]

So, I heard about the Multi-Cam switch about two weeks ago.

Anyone else have such privileged information as to have heard early?

My source is under the impression that this will be a Force-wide switch. My source is credible.



From the article, lines that make me think this is Force-wide

Airmen will receive MultiCam, eventually (as previously posted)

The big unknown: When airmen will get the MultiCam ABS-G and its final design.

You're source is not listed nor part of the conversation.

That said, there have been articles out about Senators/Congressmen pushing for a single uniform *most likely MultiCam*, way back some 6 months ago.

[DakRadz]

My source is my USAF-retired MSgt who is a JROTC instructor. The instructor part makes him privy to lots of AD sources/information/announcements, because JROTC Instructors must meet the standards for uniform wear and wear the uniforms authorized by the USAF.

He told me about how ABUs would be gone in favor of OCP. Two weeks ago, prior to any announcement by official sources.

He no happy bout dis. No one bit. [/spail chek]

FWIW- I was searching for an AF Times article the day he told me- he knew before they wrote. I couldn't find anything through Google that said the AF was even considering OCP (except the PJs, but they've been doing it since the beginning).

[PHall]

My source is my USAF-retired MSgt who is a JROTC instructor. The instructor part makes him privy to lots of AD sources/information/announcements, because JROTC Instructors must meet the standards for uniform wear and wear the uniforms authorized by the USAF.

He told me about how ABUs would be gone in favor of OCP. Two weeks ago, prior to any announcement by official sources.

He no happy bout dis. No one bit. [/spail chek]

FWIW- I was searching for an AF Times article the day he told me- he knew before they wrote. I couldn't find anything through Google that said the AF was even considering OCP (except the PJs, but they've been doing it since the beginning).

Speaking as a Retired Air Force Reserve guy, we don't have any "inside" sources of infomation.
We read the AF Times just like everybody else does.

[Майор Хаткевич]

http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/03/02/35184-soldiers-deploying-to-afghanistan-to-get-new-multicam-uniforms-boots-gear/index.html

Army story about deployments with MultiCam.

March 2nd. Around the same time, a congressman began to circulate a bill to move to one field Uniform.

[fyrfitrmedic]

So, I heard about the Multi-Cam switch about two weeks ago.

Anyone else have such privileged information as to have heard early?

My source is under the impression that this will be a Force-wide switch. My source is credible.



From the article, lines that make me think this is Force-wide

Airmen will receive MultiCam, eventually (as previously posted)

The big unknown: When airmen will get the MultiCam ABS-G and its final design.

Google Is Your Friend:

http://www.centaf.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123116783


The ABS-G will be distributed in the February 2009 timeframe. The testing phase will most likely last 18 to 24 months. Several Airmen are wear-testing the ensemble in selected units in the AOR now.

[Major Carrales]

Heh, Nin.

As I understand it, this was not authorized (with Jungle slanted potckets) at the time that photo was taken and likely never was.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

Someone on this thread thinks it's a bad thing that the Air Force controls our uniforms.

I beg to differ. The Air Force SHOULD be in charge of our uniforms. Look at what CAP does to uniforms when the Air Force isn't guarding the henhouse:

-- Maroon circlets
-- Maroon epaulets
-- Guyabera shirt
-- Corporate blue uniform ("TPU") and all the mistakes it wrought
-- All those enamel shield badges, placed in three (count 'em, three) authorized positions
-- And the list goes on and on. Those are just the things I could think of quickly.

Those who think CAP should be more "corporate" need to take a good look at our history and our legacy. We're in military uniforms for a reason, and as a tradition. Our relationship to the Air Force has been the one thing that's kept us afloat in our darkest periods. Those who shun the military identity of CAP are those who would destroy the organization -- without the Air Force, the cadet program becomes the Boy Scouts who fly and the senior members have to shell out lots more money to fly airplanes that are broken down much more often.

OK, sorry, rant over.

[FARRIER]

The jungle fatigues were authorized when we in the transition phase from the green utilities to the BDU's. Since I don't have a copy of that particular 39-1, I can't quote the paragraph, but we were not authorized for the BDU's yet and the green utilities were starting to become in short supply. The jungle fatigues were allowed to make up for the shortage. This was around the late 80's. If there was any other times in our history, I'll have to let the "older timers" chime in.

Respectfully.

Heh, Nin.

As I understand it, this was not authorized (with Jungle slanted potckets) at the time that photo was taken and likely never was.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Someone on this thread thinks it's a bad thing that the Air Force controls our uniforms.

I beg to differ. The Air Force SHOULD be in charge of our uniforms.

I agree with much of what you say, but I think some clarification is in order.

Look at what CAP does to uniforms when the Air Force isn't guarding the henhouse:

-- Maroon circlets
-- Maroon epaulets

Those were not done by CAP.  Those were imposed on us by the Air Force, to "put us in our place," for several reasons, depending on who you believe.  The AF's official line at the time was "it was to make CAP more distinctive," as in "when senior NCO's see your maroon epaulettes they will know they don't have to salute you, no matter how much a few of you whose heads have got too big for your collars will try to make them think so."  Thanks to a few bad apples, the whole barrel has had to bend over and say "thank you sir may I have another!"

I hated those bloody things.  They were imposed just before I joined CAP, and when the grey epaulettes were allowed in '95 my old berry boards went in the dustbin.

-- Guyabera shirt

I don't think I ever saw anyone actually wear one of those...just pix in the old CAP Bookstore catalogue.

-- Corporate blue uniform ("TPU") and all the mistakes it wrought

That was one mistake that didn't need to be a mistake.  Yes, the Generalissimo was the instigator of that, but one thing that seems to be often forgot is:

The Air Force signed off on it after the modifications they directed (no hard rank on the flight cap, etc) were made, including the hard rank and blue epaulettes.

It was only in fairly recent months that a few people in the AF who probably don't even know who we are saw us wearing "their" uniform (which looked more like a Soviet Air Force officer's) and got a bee in their bonnet over it.  They grumbled to their first shirts, first shirts grumbled to wing kings...and true to form, National used a guillotine to cure a headache because many of them still walk on eggshells over the memory of the berry boards.

Even the modified form of the CSU authorised by General Courter isn't enough...if you don't/can't wear AF-style your only choice is to be the plug-ugly un-aviation looking (in my own biased opinion) grey, which makes us look like a cross between mall cops and the East German Army.

The "distinctiveness" clause, especially the meaningless "low-light-at-a-distance" nonsense which depends entirely on the ocular impairment point of view of the observer, is a big reason National seems to be so scared of anything blue and inexplicably in love with grey.

It doesn't happen with the CGAUX, the NSCC or the Army Cadets...but when someone in CAP raises the issue of uniforms, people at National reach for the Pepto.

-- All those enamel shield badges, placed in three (count 'em, three) authorized positions

You don't have to wear all of them.  I don't wear all the ones I qualify for.

Those who think CAP should be more "corporate" need to take a good look at our history and our legacy. We're in military uniforms for a reason, and as a tradition. Our relationship to the Air Force has been the one thing that's kept us afloat in our darkest periods. Those who shun the military identity of CAP are those who would destroy the organization -- without the Air Force, the cadet program becomes the Boy Scouts who fly and the senior members have to shell out lots more money to fly airplanes that are broken down much more often.

The "corporatists" almost helped to sink us about 15 years ago.  John McCain wanted to remove us from the Air Force entirely and give us to the Department of Transportation, and there were not a few people in CAP's hierarchy who were in favour of that - no more uniform "hassles," just let us fly.

I've been in CAP for 17 years (with a couple of breaks in service) and the day we are removed from the AF...well, I hope I have enough time in for my "retirement" certificate.

[NIN]

It would be cool if we went to jungle fatigues like back in the day (minus the beret). I like the slanted nametapes.

Thanks for using my mug.

[desertengineer1]

THIS appears...  http://aimpoints.hq.af.mil/display.cfm?id=40903

Hooray Multicam

<sigh>

[raivo]

It's the same article...?

[MIKE]

Merged.

[HGjunkie]

It would be cool if we went to jungle fatigues like back in the day (minus the beret). I like the slanted nametapes.

Thanks for using my mug.

Found it on Google. 

[a2capt]

Found it on with Google. 

Google doesn't generally host anything. Caches.. but subject to the condition of the existing item.

[ol'fido]

It would be cool if we went to jungle fatigues like back in the day (minus the beret). I like the slanted nametapes.

Thanks for using my mug.

Found it on Google.  :PJungles were authorized. Don't know about the short sleeves though. I know we used to wear short sleeves on the pickle suits. With shirt tails out and boots unbloused, you looked like you were wearing OD Dickies.

[RVT]

The jungle fatigues were authorized when we in the transition phase from the green utilities to the BDU's. Since I don't have a copy of that particular 39-1, I can't quote the paragraph, but we were not authorized for the BDU's yet and the green utilities were starting to become in short supply. The jungle fatigues were allowed to make up for the shortage. This was around the late 80's. If there was any other times in our history, I'll have to let the "older timers" chime in.

That sounds right.  I do remember the Army used stocks of plain green jungle utilities to make up for the shortage of BDU when we were making the transition to them, and also to get rid of the things.  They had been unique to us & rangers and suddenly everybody had them on.  Probably CAP was given the same option, I wasn't active at the time