Dropping Brown Shirts?

[Thunder]

No one cares about the pink, grey, and white shirts in the picture? At least its not black!

[Short Field]

So what happens when cadets attend encampment in a wing where that's not the case? If someone told you, "You can't wear that shirt, but we don't have any to give you, so you're going to have to go buy it", what would you do?

This is probably the only real argument here.   Some cadets have more money than I do but the majority are on tight budgets (read "working class parents").  Banning the wear of approved uniform items (black underwear) and forcing them to wear a different color uniform item just increases the cost.  If the cost is not an issue, then just furnish them...

[Eclipse]

An interesting nuance to this is that while commanders and activity PICs can prohibit anything they want, they can't require anything
which isn't issued.

[JC004]

If that was in reference to my post, I didn't write of commanders putting forth a directive. My problem is when people decide to make a standardized uniform item distinctive by attempting to tell others they can't wear it. That's wrong.

But I suspect we would agree that - since the "black shirts for staff" thing is not in the 39-1, and therefore can only be implemented by a commander - commanders can and routinely do set UOD standards.  Why do you think commanders are not entitled to specify t-shirt colors from amongst the available choices in the 39-1?
...

"available choices"?!  Have you ever visited PAWG ENC?   

[whatevah]

Back to the original point, the encampment commander hasn't done so. Second, no one has been able to provide me with reasonable explanation as to how it would meet any encampment objectives anyway. Encampment objectives are spelled out in 52-16, and there is nothing in there about restricting black t-shirts to staff.

They may not have officially put in print "no black shirts", but it does state in the packing list to bring 7 brown t-shirts, and "Do not attend encampment without the necessary uniforms".  Well, assuming you're in SC Wing.

[Hawk200]

They may not have officially put in print "no black shirts", but it does state in the packing list to bring 7 brown t-shirts, and "Do not attend encampment without the necessary uniforms".  Well, assuming you're in SC Wing.

The basic uniform is spelled out in the manual. An encampment can't really change that.

Some activites try to act as if they're autonomous, and that is a very dangerous habit. I don't care what the activity it is, any changes/alterations/deviations/supplements to publication go through the commander.

[PHall]

In CAWG we standardized on Black t-shirts for all Wing cadet activities.
And the near universal availability of black t-shirts was one of the reasons we did that.

[RiverAux]

I wouldn't have thought that the brown t-shirts could have been messed up, but I suppose I was wrong. 

[PHall]

I wouldn't have thought that the brown t-shirts could have been messed up, but I suppose I was wrong.

You don't want to know how many shades of brown there are when you go to buy shirts.

[SarDragon]

I wouldn't have thought that the brown t-shirts could have been messed up, but I suppose I was wrong.

You don't want to know how many shades of brown there are when you go to buy shirts.

Not to mention the number of shades you have after an equal number of washings. I got some new ones one time and when purchased, were all the same shade, and even same lot number. After just one washing, I had as many different shades as shirts.

[a2capt]

The black ones do that, too- most anything will vary in color shade. But I guess there is no mistaking black vs. brown gone tan or purplish due to washing.

[SarDragon]

IMHO, the black fading is less noticeable and weird looking than the brown/tan color changes. I have faded black t-shirts of all different varietiesthat are still distinguishable as black, while many of the ones that started out as brown could easily be called a different color.

[jimmydeanno]

I just got back from a cadet activity this weekend.  Out of the 50 cadets there, approximately 50 cadets there, 25 were wearing the ABU t-shirt.  Only one of the cadets was wearing the correct "brown."

From a practicality standpoint, it would be a good thing if our uniform undergarments weren't so rare that you have to special order them.  Places like walmart have brown t-shirts, but they have graffiti on them, and only if it happens to be the in color that season.  Additionally, the shade of brown are going to vary greatly.  Some have a red tinge, some look pink, and some are the intended shade. 

Black is something you can find anywhere. 

Being the auxiliary of the USAF and a private corporation affords us some benefits.  One of those is that we can take advantage of some of the benefits of each side when it makes sense.  This isn't one of those cases to follow our military association.

[Hawk200]

This isn't one of those cases to follow our military association.

This is a perfect case where we can do so. The Air Force allowed black with their BDUs, it's how we got them in the first place.

The tan undershirt deal is something that is getting on my nerves. It's a perfect indicator that someone didn't read the manual, and the person that told them "that's OK" didn't either.

[jimmydeanno]

This isn't one of those cases to follow our military association.

This is a perfect case where we can do so. The Air Force allowed black with their BDUs, it's how we got them in the first place.

The tan undershirt deal is something that is getting on my nerves. It's a perfect indicator that someone didn't read the manual, and the person that told them "that's OK" didn't either.

In that sense, yes.  I was referring to the "Pick a uniquely colored shirt because we can force all our employees to shop at this particular store, which is located at all their employment locations" thought process.  The current trend isn't, "use colors that are readily available" but "create unique colors."  So, in that sense, it doesn't make sense to follow the military model.

[Hawk200]

In that sense, yes.  I was referring to the "Pick a uniquely colored shirt because we can force all our employees to shop at this particular store, which is located at all their employment locations" thought process.  The current trend isn't, "use colors that are readily available" but "create unique colors."  So, in that sense, it doesn't make sense to follow the military model.

Ah, I'm following ya now.

[Earhart1971]

I'd like to see where it says any color shirt is acceptable BDU uniform attire. My understanding is that the BDU jacket stays on, period. You can roll up the sleeves according to specs, but no dressing down.

BDU Jackets on in 100 degree heat? Camp Blanding is a Sand Box, dusty, hot, and they had dozens of heat problems at the Florida Wing Encampment. The Cadets in that formation were probably doing PT anyway.

[FlyTiger77]

BDU Jackets on in 100 degree heat?

Yes.

[HGjunkie]

In the humidity we have in FL, I wouldn't wear my BDUs sleve down all day. ESPECIALLY in the summer.  The moisture sticks to your skin and can make you miserable.

[SarDragon]

Actually, the sleeves help get the sweat off of your skin. Because of sunburn concerns, I rarely roll my sleeves on my BBDUs, and have never had heat issues.