Forget about CAP getting ABUs

[Hawk200]

Any of the Military Times is not an official publication and should not be used as a source.

True, but not relevant.

The source was military.com, not the Military Times. If you're going to make a point of naysaying, then read before you respond.

Army.mil runs a little behind on their news releases, it will probably show up there within a month. There's already numerous stories there of the Afghanistan issue.

[Eclipse]

Any of the Military Times is not an official publication and should not be used as a source.

See above...

[TrevDog]

Here is another article about the Army testing for new camo for the whole branch. I foresee the Air Force shortly following suit when they realize that their uniform looks just like the Army's. (I guess the Marines and just recently the Navy were right all along one pattern can't cover the earth)

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/12/army-new-camo-replacing-acu-121910w/

[JK657]

I just get all of my woodland camo equipment finally turned back in to CIF and get all UCP (ACU) and now there will be a new camo pattern coming out. 

[Hawk200]

I just get all of my woodland camo equipment finally turned back in to CIF and get all UCP (ACU) and now there will be a new camo pattern coming out. 

Welcome to the Army.

[RiverAux]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

[wuzafuzz]

Trying to keep up with uniform decisions is like this game: 
http://www.thepcmanwebsite.com/media/gopher/gopher.shtml

[Eclipse]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

As this article describes the uniform, it is not the ACU, it is the multicam. The ACU is a digital pattern of tan and two grays. The pattern mentioned in the article is of tan brown and green, don't think that USAF is going to the ACU, they are going to an Army pattern, but not the ACU. I would prefer the ACU over the ABU, but don't count on getting the ACU, I wouldn't even count on getting the multicam. We are yet to see what the military comes up with to appease DoD who wants to see the whole military, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, even the Coast Guard all in one field uniform again.

[Hawk200]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

I would think that this means CAP would see them, as an "interim" type uniform due to the AF getting rid of it's ABU stock. Granted, ROTC would most likely get the pick first, but I could see them being made available to CAP in a few years.

I don't see us getting a version of whateve uniform pattern that uses Multicam anytime soon.

[lordmonar]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

WTF?  Over....

First thing......it will be impossible for the USAF to make the change from ABU to something else in that amount of time.

I lived through 4 uniforms changes in my time in the USAF (OD's to BDU, BDU to slick sleeve BDUs, back to BDUs, and finally BDU to ABUs).

No way can they make the change that fast.

Second....even if they adopt the UCP....it will just be for deployments.......maybe down the road they make it permanant...but we are looking at 5 years not 1 year.

Third....the USAF is just as upset about uniform changes as we are.....not to mention that congress is looking into it as well.  With all the spending cuts comming down the road for the DoD......I don't think anyone wants to throw any more money at uniforms unless they really have to.

Either way......it does not eliminate the basic idea that what ever the USAF moves to.....CAP should and will (IMHO) move to as well.

[Hawk200]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

As this article describes the uniform, it is not the ACU, it is the multicam. The ACU is a digital pattern of tan and two grays. The pattern mentioned in the article is of tan brown and green, don't think that USAF is going to the ACU, they are going to an Army pattern, but not the ACU. I would prefer the ACU over the ABU, but don't count on getting the ACU, I wouldn't even count on getting the multicam. We are yet to see what the military comes up with to appease DoD who wants to see the whole military, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, even the Coast Guard all in one field uniform again.

Technically, the Multicam uniform is an "Army Combat Uniform." The camo pattern is Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP, or as it's colloquially know Multicam) rather than Universal Camouflage Pattern (or UCP, which is the current camo print that the most common ACU uses). It gets a little confusing with the terminology.

The Multicam variants are an "Improved ACU." Buttons on the leg pockets instead of Velcro (which was found ineffective), and a few other minor alterations that improve the comfort wear of it. The print isn't actually a designator that makes it a different uniform, although there were a few odd terms that people used that were simply references to different camo patters rather than different uniforms (such as calling desert BDUs DCUs rather than what they were: A BDU in a different camo print). Lot of fun terms that make it tough to get on the same page.

[NCRblues]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

Cite please....

[Eclipse]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

Cite please....

Can't cite the future, but everyone watching this can see it coming.  Bookmark this thread (or the 18 other times I said something similar).

[Major Carrales]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

ABU's as a seperate uniform will be gone in a calendar year from now.  CAP will never see them.

Cite please....

Can't cite the future, but everyone watching this can see it coming.  Bookmark this thread (or the 18 other times I said something similar).

Eclipse, don't feel the need to justify anything...this whole thread is based on speculation anyway.  Anyone's guess, educated or not, is viable.  Only official documents would solve this...and when that happens we will all know anyway.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Now all AF personnel going to Afghanistan will be wearing the Army Combat Uniform, not just those going "outside the wire".
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/02/air-force-replacing-abus-with-army-cammies-022011w/

As this article describes the uniform, it is not the ACU, it is the multicam. The ACU is a digital pattern of tan and two grays. The pattern mentioned in the article is of tan brown and green, don't think that USAF is going to the ACU, they are going to an Army pattern, but not the ACU. I would prefer the ACU over the ABU, but don't count on getting the ACU, I wouldn't even count on getting the multicam. We are yet to see what the military comes up with to appease DoD who wants to see the whole military, Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines, even the Coast Guard all in one field uniform again.

Technically, the Multicam uniform is an "Army Combat Uniform." The camo pattern is Operation Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern (OCP, or as it's colloquially know Multicam) rather than Universal Camouflage Pattern (or UCP, which is the current camo print that the most common ACU uses). It gets a little confusing with the terminology.

The Multicam variants are an "Improved ACU." Buttons on the leg pockets instead of Velcro (which was found ineffective), and a few other minor alterations that improve the comfort wear of it. The print isn't actually a designator that makes it a different uniform, although there were a few odd terms that people used that were simply references to different camo patters rather than different uniforms (such as calling desert BDUs DCUs rather than what they were: A BDU in a different camo print). Lot of fun terms that make it tough to get on the same page.

The Army doesn't compile the different uniforms into the same categories. BDU is woodland, DCU is dessert, ABU (as the Army knew it) was Arctic Battle Uniform. Just as now, the ACU is the Army Combat Uniform, the three tone digital uniform, and the "multicam" is known as the MPU, the Multi Purpose Uniform. I had to sit through an irritating briefing when they were fielding these uniforms with my brigade in early '05.

[vmstan]

At this point no one can complain about a lack of identity within CAP between different types of uniforms. If the real military can't figure it out, it's no wonder we can't.

[AngelWings]

 CAP will undoubtedly get ABU's. No question about that. The USAF, from historical records, doesn't move extremely quick to change a uniform, except for 91-93 airline style Blue's fiasco. The uniform will probably be around, in the USAF, for 6-7 years at least. I forsee CAP following the USAF trend. However, I do believe the USAF might be in for a different, more ACU/MCCUU style, uniform. I actually believe that it is inevitable. We probably will follow suit if that happens. That's my opinion.

[Eclipse]

If the USAF would go to something "not ABU", what would the point of CAP going ABU be?

It serves no purpose in our operations, and then would not even have parent-service affinity.

[RiverAux]

Personally, I'm beginning to think that the reason CAP-USAF hasn't approved ABUs for us is that they don't think they're going to be around in the AF long enough for a full-phase in to CAP.  I really can't think of any other legitimate reason for holding off on this decision much longer unless you want to go full conspiracy theorist and say that the AF really doesn't want us to match them anymore so are just delaying the time when they come out and say that.