New Light Weight/Summer ABUs available.

[Stonewall]

Just like the "ripstop" summer weight BDUs, only in ABU pattern.  Now available through US Patriot.

I saw them at Lackland last week and while they are a great concept, they look like crap after a couple of months.  IMHO, they are perfect for the field since they don't hold that perma-crease that allows Airmen to never have to iron their ABUs.



Officially, the USAF is only producing a lighter blouse (top) and will keep the original ABU pants.  Which, to me, is rediculous.  It's no differant than mixing a winter BDU top with Summer BDU pants.  YMMV.

From Air Force Times:

Better, lighter ABU blouse is on the way

By Patrick Winn - Staff writer
Posted : Friday May 9, 2008 17:03:03 EDT
   
Sweaty airmen rejoice. Your complaints have been heard.

Responding to criticism that the airman battle uniform is too hot — its fabric stiff and stuffy when worn in sweltering climates — the Air Force has revealed plans to switch to a lighter, more breathable fabric.

The current ABU is built to last. A cotton-nylon blend, it's nearly as thick as cardboard.

But airmen from Baghdad to Biloxi have complained it's just too hot in summer. So the Air Force's top uniform lab, based at San Antonio's Brooks City-Base, is designing a lighter ABU blouse.

The new uniform top will be indistinguishable from the current design, said Lt. Col. Gary Salmans, commander of the 648th Aeronautical Systems Squadron, which transforms Pentagon uniform directives into tangible items.

There are no plans to alter the ABU pants, he said, which wear out quicker and must remain durable.

It's "not going to take long" before airmen see the lighter ABU top on shelves, Salmans said. "A year at the most."

Though no official decision has been made, the lighter ABU tops will almost certainly go first to airmen stationed to the Middle East or those preparing to deploy.

Air Force leaders have heard complaints about the ABU, particularly from airmen deployed to the war zones, since the utility uniform was introduced. In addition to being uncomfortably hot, it also does not have enough pockets and is difficult to wear with body armor, many airmen say.

Airmen serving at domestic bases throughout warmer U.S. states also have said it is uncomfortably hot.

On the other hand, they like that it's wash-and-wear permanent press and therefore easy to maintain. Many airmen say they think they look good in the uniform — when they're not sweating.

Uniform designers always face a tradeoff between thinner, more comfortable fabrics and heavier, more durable fabrics, Salmans said.

"You've got to have a little bulk to keep the permanent press quality. It keeps us from going super light," he said. "But there's a good happy medium."

Senior Airman Justin Coyle, an AC-130 gunship maintainer stationed at Hurlburt Field, Fla., said he'd often wear his Desert Combat Uniform during his four-month Iraq deployment that ended in March. That uniform, made from the same material as the outdated but still ubiquitous battle dress uniform, made working under the Iraq sun much more bearable.

"I alternated between the uniforms," Coyle said. "I felt the ABU was good in the winter. But it would be great to have a lighter uniform." That, he said, "would be a great improvement to our unit."

For airmen in the market for a new uniform, which includes a sizeable portion of the force, the forthcoming lightweight ABU could present a dilemma: Buy now or try to hold out until the lighter version hits shelves?

"I would buy the lightweight ABU," said a Hurlburt Field-based captain who recently returned from a six-month deployment. "But I didn't know about it and I'm not about to go drop $400 for another four sets of ABUs. I wish I would have known about it."

Airmen aren't required to wear the ABU until 2011, meaning many desert-deployed service members have taken Coyle's approach and donned the thinner BDU or DCU uniforms to keep as cool as possible. Though being phased out, both those uniforms are made of thinner fabric than even the lighter-weight ABU still in development.

For airmen who have yet to buy their ABUs, a decision may hinge on the climate where they're stationed, the likelihood they'll deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan, the condition of their uniforms, and how badly they want to sport new ABUs.

And though airmen still have several more years to switch to the ABU, some commanders exert subtle pressure to have all airmen under their command look the same.

But airmen tempted to postpone an ABU purchase until the lightweight ABU top is released may want to think twice, said Maj. Brian Schooley, an Air Force military clothing program manager.

There were delays and shortages during the original rollout of the ABU, and that could happen again. The lightweight blouse "will probably not be in [all] military clothing stores for another year and a half," Schooley said.

Last year, the Air Force offered a makeshift solution to airmen overheating in their ABUs: Cut out the interior pockets lining the blouse. For many others who weren't deployed to the Middle East, ABUs were scarce and hard to find at stateside Army and Air Force Exchange Services stores.

Now stores are "adequately supplied" and only certain sizes — particularly shorter-length trouser sizes — are generally pushed to back order, Schooley said.

Some women who prefer the men's version, which has buttons on the right instead of the left, also report difficulty finding uniforms small enough.

Though officers receive a one-time $400 clothing allowance after commissioning, enlisted airmen receive a yearly uniform allowance.

For enlisted airmen buying their first uniforms, the Air Force currently offers $1,292 for men and $1,499 for women, with the expectation each airman will buy four ABUs. Annually, enlisted airmen with three years of service are offered a standard replacement allowance of $453 for men and $496 for women — with roughly 15 percent of that money accounting for ABU expenses — two sets every other year.

"The current ABU, I've found, is very comfortable," Schooley said. "If you're in the habit of taking BDUs to the cleaners to be pressed, you'd get a better [cost] turnaround on getting the permanent press ABU" instead of waiting around for the lighter version.

Besides, Schooley said, no uniform will make airmen feel cool in 100-degree heat.

"If you're standing in an oven," he said, "it's going to feel hot."

[Hawk200]

Officially, the USAF is only producing a lighter blouse (top) and will keep the original ABU pants.  Which, to me, is rediculous.  It's no differant than mixing a winter BDU top with Summer BDU pants.  YMMV.

In other words, they're actually paying attention to how the Marine Corps did it, making the shirts out of thinner fabric. This is pretty consistant with cltohing wear in general, most shirts are far thinner than pants/trouser fabrics.

The Air Force decided that if they made both shirt and pants out of the same material, it would easier logistically, and they believed that the difference with a thicker fabric shirt was negligible. Wear testing proved that wrong. The Air Force has a habit of not paying attention to other services, because of "Not Invented Here Syndrome". Unfortunately, airmen had to suffer for a while because of it.

Mixing a ripstop top, and non-ripstop pants is most likely going to still be forbidden (at least I'd hope so). It just doesn't look right mixing fabrics on utilities anyway.

[BTCS1*]

I sense a paradox! We have this new blouse, but its different, buuuut!... we can't mix it and old pants, new blouse becomes useless

[Hawk200]

I sense a paradox! We have this new blouse, but its different, buuuut!... we can't mix it and old pants, new blouse becomes useless

Incorrect. The new blouse is the same fabric, but thinner in weight. It will look just like the old one, but will be cooler. It can be worn with the original fabric pants. The only time you wouldn't want to mix it is if the older pants are faded. You could still use the heavier weight shirt in cooler climates.

Now, ripstop material is not only lighter, it looks completely different. Mixing a ripstop shirt with non-ripstop pants would be a no-no for obvious reasons. It's the same as wearing a winter weight top with ripstop pants in the BDU's (yes, I mentioned different parts with the different fabrics, but the principle is the same).

[BTCS1*]

ohhhh... I thought that the new blouse was ripstop, but I get the concept.

[Hawk200]

ohhhh... I thought that the new blouse was ripstop, but I get the concept.

There's a new ripstop uniform, but also a lighter weight shirt.

What you have is this:

1. Standard uniform with heavier weight shirt.
2. Standard uniform with lighter weight shirt.
3. Ripstop uniform

Clear as mud? 

[biomed441]

So, what happens to the old shirts? Just keep them around for winter, or will they redesign a winter weight uniform as well?

[Hawk200]

So, what happens to the old shirts? Just keep them around for winter, or will they redesign a winter weight uniform as well?

That's a practical method of dealing with it. The standard uniform is a multi season uniform, there's is no "winter weight" version of it. The old shirts will phase out by attrition. You can wear it until it's no longer serviceable.

The lighter shirt is what will be sold/issued once it gets fielded. No new heavy weight ones anymore.

[biomed441]

Well, so long as the airmen that are wearing them are happy with the new changes, then thats good.  Seems like the AF did drop the ball a bit in terms of actually testing these uniforms before producing them.  Lessons to be learned when in 20 or so years, they come up with an entirely new uniform.

[Stonewall]

Seems like the AF did drop the ball a bit in terms of actually testing these uniforms before producing them. 

They did test them and results/opinions based on the wearer's experiences were forwarded to the AF uniform council.  I personally know a SERE Specialist that tested the ABUs in Hawaii as well as the Mojave Desert.  He gave several bits of advice and recommendations based on his experience, but none were taken into consideration.  It was almost as if they decided on the outcome before the feedback was passed up.

Just like a lot of the individual field gear we use in the Air Force, most of it seems to have been decided upon by folks who don't use it.

[Hawk200]

Just like a lot of the individual field gear we use in the Air Force, most of it seems to have been decided upon by folks who don't use it.

I would say that applies to most gear used by all the military forces. Just got back from Iraq, and nobody seemed to like the new IOTV. Protection is nice, but there needs to be some level of comfort.

[Stonewall]

The AF is still using the Interceptor.  In preparation for a possible likely deployment to Afghanistan, I called my friends at Tactical Tailor and asked if they could send metheir IBA Carrier that allows us to use the soft armor from the issued Interceptor and insert it into their vest.  Both of them being ACU pattern, they're almost identical at a glance.  But the Tac Tailor vest is 10X more comfortable and practical.

I'll be using this:



vs this:

[BrandonKea]

Niiiice nametape 

[BTCS1*]

Glad your back alright. And I second the nice nameplate comment. lol

[jb512]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

[biomed441]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

No Kidding!  I just tried on a normex flight suit today. Needed to get my sizings done. I was in a shaded hanger, maybe uper 80's outside,  and I started sweating like a pig in seconds. I had no idea how hot those things get.

[Hawk200]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

Not a lightweight Nomex, but UnderArmor now produces some wicking undershirts made in Nomex. Don't really know if that would help or not.

[O-Rex]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

The flight suit being developed for F-35 pilots incorporates a new 'comfort nomex.'  No doubt it will spill over to conventional suits....

[Hawk200]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

The flight suit being developed for F-35 pilots incorporates a new 'comfort nomex.'  No doubt it will spill over to conventional suits....

According to the Air Force Times article, it's the same pattern as the old one. I'd be willing to bet that most other aircrews will "acquire" the new ones within months of their being fielded. The same could be said for our own aircrews.

[jb512]

Now if someone would invent a lightweight nomex...

I'm roasting.

Not a lightweight Nomex, but UnderArmor now produces some wicking undershirts made in Nomex. Don't really know if that would help or not.

I'll have to try one and see.  Maybe instead of a soaked t-shirt, I'll just end up with wet superman undies.

[PHall]

Jaybird, just do what everybody else does, take a wash cloth or hand towel, wet it with cold water, wring it out and drape over the back of your neck.
You will be amazed how well this works.

And if you quit ticking off your FE, you might get some cold air directed at the cargo compartment once in a while!

[jb512]

Jaybird, just do what everybody else does, take a wash cloth or hand towel, wet it with cold water, wring it out and drape over the back of your neck.
You will be amazed how well this works.

And if you quit ticking off your FE, you might get some cold air directed at the cargo compartment once in a while!

Good idea, I'll try that.

And the problem isn't after the FE gets to the plane, it's all the work we do loading up before those guys show up and it's nice and comfy upstairs... 

[PHall]

And the problem isn't after the FE gets to the plane, it's all the work we do loading up before those guys show up and it's nice and comfy upstairs... 

What can I say, we have a better union!