BDU maitenance

[niferous]

When I was in the Army it was pretty customary that everyone got their BDUs starched out at the local dry cleaners.  At Ft Gordon the on-post one was actually very good so it was nice to be able to use their service.  I think we would spend something like $2.25 when I first got in the Army and around $4 when I got out. 

For those who have said their was no purpose, well I agree, it serves no "purpose".  However it was generally shown as a sign of good discipline that you took care of uniform beyond what the minimum was.  The BDUs were supposed to be a wash and wear item however starching them was allowed.  So by starching your BDUs and shining your boots it was a sign that you were a soldier who took care and went further in his soldiering the minimum requirement.  Plus the majority thought that it looked good and sharp. 

[Hawk200]

However it was generally shown as a sign of good discipline that you took care of uniform beyond what the minimum was.  The BDUs were supposed to be a wash and wear item however starching them was allowed.  So by starching your BDUs and shining your boots it was a sign that you were a soldier who took care and went further in his soldiering the minimum requirement.  Plus the majority thought that it looked good and sharp.

Yeah, I've heard "It's a sign of discipline" before. And I always ask "How is it a sign of discipline?" I've gotten the same answer that boils down to "it's over and above minimum."

The problem is that the "disicpline" perceived is a complete falsehood. A uniform that's been starch dipped, and flat pressed (including the wrinkles that are pressed into the clothing) suppposedly looks "better" than one that a person presses at home. Which is a sign of better discipline? To me, it's the guy/gal that presses their own uniforms, and shines their own boots with the intention of looking neat, taking the time to do something. It's not the person that spends money to get all that done, for whatever reason, just so people can look at them saying they look good. Appearance is not an indicator of job performance.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

I would have to agree that sending your uniform off to be done is not an indicator of anything other than you would rather spend money than time.

I always ironed my uniform, and always polished my boots myself. I was asked quite a few times by SNCO's and Officers where I got my uniform pressed, and my response was that I don't get them done, I do them myself. It always won me a day off or what have you for having the best uniform, and showing the best decorum and discipline. Taking the time to do something as simple as ironing or polishing would always get you better results than having them done on an "assembly line". Take the time to do these things yourself, it isn't hard, takes maybe an hour a week and your boots will last you a long time, and your uniform will last longer than having them pressed at a cleaners.

[niferous]

I'm not saying taking it to the cleaners is a sign of more discipline, I'm saying having it pressed in general is.  Rather you do it yourself of or not is inconsequental. 

I forgot to mention that some guys would sew all the pockets down on there BDUs including the flap.  Then they would use fishing string to add permenant creases.  Then you can just wash them and dry them and when they get out of the dryer they look like they got pressed and don't need starch.  The downside of course being that they couldn't use their pockets anymore.  However they usually wouldn't wear their BDUs in the field that they did this to.  I've never done it but my wife did it to her's when she was in the Air Force.  Now she is in the Air Guard and they have the new ABUs and don't have to. 

[Stroke]

Whether you like it or not, agree or disagree, or can't see the discipline in ironing your uniform, you are missing the point.  The point is your uniform needs to be per 39-1 1-2 "...present a professional, well-groomed appearance, which will reflect credit upon CAP as the auxiliary of the United States Air Force."  If that means a light starch, hot press, and shoe shine, you are within the manual so long as it reflects credit upon CAP as the auxiliary of the USAF.  If that means a heavy professional starch, more ironing, and a 3 hours high gloss shoe shine, you are again within the manual to do so with the same stipulations. 

To take it a step further, you will find in AFI 36-2903 1.3.1.3, "Uniforms will be neat, clean, pressed, buttoned, and properly maintained."  I only reference the AFI because our manual says that we are to 'reflect credit' as the auxiliary of the USAF.  The above is what the USAF expects of its members for general uniform appearance. 

Like I said, if you want heavy starch or a light ironing, that's alright; as long as we as a collective organization reflect that credit upon CAP as the auxiliary of the USAF.

[Mustang]

I spend about 2 hours on uniform care a week. Mostly ironing and shining.

Just curious, how much time do you spend each week making yourself a better/more knowledgeable/more informed/more competent leader? How are your grades in school?  How physically fit are you? These are the things that truly matter, not how sharp your creases are. 


May I respectfully suggest that when you only WEAR the uniform 2 hours a week, spending 2 hours getting it ready is wayyyy too much.

[niferous]

Well I think two hours is a lot of time myself.  I shined my boots tonight as we have a color guard practice tomorrow and I spent about twenty minutes doing so.  As you can see in the pic getting boots shined doesn't take hours and hours like a lot of people think, just the right technique.  As for my BDUs I took them to the cleaners about a week ago.  I wore them last Tuesday for the meeting and I'll wear them tomorrow and probably for our meeting on Tuesday.  I pay something like $5 and some change to get them done and if I get three or four wears out of them then I'd say that's about one or two ironings I don't have to to do.  If I spend twenty or thirty mins ironing my BDUs that means one hour.  So is my time worth more than $5?  Yeah I think it is.  Plus I like the way I look and I get penty of people saying my uniform looks good including cadets.  So I think it's setting a good example for the cadets too which is important.  Taking time to give yourself a profesional military look, to me, is important. 

If you can see yourself taking the picture in the boots I'd say it's pretty good even for twenty minutes. 

[BTCS1*]

[darn], those are nice! How'd you get them like that?

[titanII]

all this arguing about care of the BDU's is just one more thing that makes me want CAP to switch to the ABU's. You don't have to iron them or anything- ironing is actually supposed to be bad for them. They are just a lot less work. But I have read that they are heavier and hotter than the BDU's. Not to mention their god-awful (in my opinion) digital Tigerstripe camo. I like Tigerstripe and digital camo, but the Air Force did not do well to combine the two.

[niferous]

[darn], those are nice! How'd you get them like that?

I'll probably take a video when we teach our cadets how to do this soon but for now I'll post one that's already out there and is the same method I use, for the most part. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK1wmjv5O9o

The only "trick" I use is I get a small bowl of hot water and then I put it on a $5 candle warmer you can get at Walmart.  This is important as it will keep the water warm.  Cold water equals haze.  Follow this technique and polish small area.  Don't try to do the whole boot at the same time.  Do the area between the laces and the toe, then the outside of the heel, then the inside, then the laces, and finish out with the tip of the toe.  I used to use a white cotton t-shirt but I found it didn't work as well as using a Kiwi rag.  Oh and get a cheap tooth brush and before you polish anything make sure you get some polish on the soles and in the groove at the top of the sole.  If the boot is even a little dusty also make sure you use a damp wash cloth to get off any dust, dirt, etc before you do anything.

Also I would stay away from Kiwi Parade Gloss as well as it is prone to cracking and getting hazy. Don't melt your polish or anything like that.  It makes the polish and dye start to seperate and doesn't work as well. 

I'm probably forgetting something but for now that video and the above tips are a good start.  Use regular black Kiwi, use a Kiwi cloth, keep your water warm, and follow that technique. 

[SarDragon]

Using warm water does nothing extra, since it cools to the temperature of your finger and the rag. almost immediately.

[manfredvonrichthofen]

Not implying anything at all, but it looks more like leather luster to me. The only reason I say this is because the whole boot shine reminded me of leather luster, and made me want to just say, DON"T USE LEATHER LUSTER! It will cause many problems with your boots. As will using Future.

[niferous]

If you use hot water like I said where you actually keep it hot, and not just warm, it helps.  I sure don't think it will hurt.  I have been told using hot water brings opens the pores so the oil can get in.   

As far as my boots they aren't leather lustered and I just buffed the toe with a boot brush to dull the finish and then re-polished them to show it's not.  Pictures attached.

I also have some boots beside them, in the first pic, that the toes and heels ARE done with Leather Luster and they are done RIGHT.  Ruin the boots?  Not if you do it right.  I wore the boots every day at work in the Army, then at the police academy, then working in law enforcement, and now sometimes at CAP.  I originally applied leather luster in March of 2002.  It's Febuary of 2011 and the boots still look fine, no problems, and I'm happy with the product.  I have also done whole shoes, boots, and my duty gear.  You have to do it right and I will admit that I was taught how to do it by the owner of Leather Luster.  If you take the time and do it right (it takes DAYS to do the foundation/first three coats) it can produce good results.  I know some say it "clogs the pores" and it may, but do patent leather shoes breathe??? Nope.  Also I want to note that I don't wear these boots to go out and tromp around in the field.  I wear them for working in the office, or just regular meetings.  There is a place for spit shined super nice or Leather Lustered boots and it's not in the field. 

Anyway just to show that my boots are shined with polish below are the pics.  The Leather Luster does produce results but heed my warning!  If you don't know what you're doing with it, are impatient, or are just looking to pour a magic bottle on your boots, don't use it.  If anyone wants me to, I guess I can make a youtube vid on doing Leather Luster right.  If you have used it and want it off your boots your have to use a gel type stain remover and spread it on the boots, then use a plastic paint scraper to get it off.  You'll have to do more than one coat of stain remover.  I have a pair of jungle boots I did with Leather Luster and just recently removed so I could use them for field work.  I can post pics if you want.  Just stripped them to nothing, dyed with USMC black dye, conditioned, polished, now the leather looks new.

Leather Luster on left, Kiwi on right:



Buffed Up to dull the Kiwi:


Shined up close:


Whole boot:

[manfredvonrichthofen]

About the only time I would ever use leather luster would be on the toes and heels of jump boots because they don't get creases. That is where it can ruin your boots.

You didn't have to do that to your boots. I was simply saying the shine reminded me about leather luster. Also, if you don't care for the leather luster right, it will peel off and look really really really bad. But, if you do it right, and care for it right it will look great. The problem I have with leather luster is that to apply it correctly you have to strip the boots of their oils. All of their oils, otherwise it won't adhere to the boots right. Stripping the boots of their oils will degrade them faster. The use of kiwi is mainly to preserve the boot. The shine is an extra plus that is a desired one. But the primary purpose of the kiwi is to keep the boot oiled and to preserve it.

[Mustang]

Although yours look very nice, there's something comical about a spit-shined pair of jungle boots.


Just sayin'.

[SarDragon]

^^^

Where's the Like button?

[AngelWings]

My boots are kept well shined. I don't spend 2 hours polishing them (if I said 2 hours, I was talking about the whole uniform.) I do believe we should switch to the ABU's, too. We are the USAF Aux so why not look the part? I believe that we should use tan boots and sage green boots instead of just sage green boots.
 

[AngelWings]

I spend about 2 hours on uniform care a week. Mostly ironing and shining.

Just curious, how much time do you spend each week making yourself a better/more knowledgeable/more informed/more competent leader? How are your grades in school?  How physically fit are you? These are the things that truly matter, not how sharp your creases are. 


May I respectfully suggest that when you only WEAR the uniform 2 hours a week, spending 2 hours getting it ready is wayyyy too much.

No, I spread out what I do through the entire week. A little here, a little there, you get the picture. Lately I've been working on losing weight, and getting my push-ups and sit-ups better. Waiting on my mom to get a membership to the YMCA. My grades in school are all A's and B's, except for 1 very, very, very embarrasing F in Algerbra. But that subject is where a bulk of my time has gone to before I exercise. I saw that and almost lost it. Too much information probably but thought you'd like to know. I spend less time in the summer on uniforms and alot more on exercise, and doing fun activities like going to airshows . Going to go hit my push-ups and get on my treadmil!

[SarDragon]

My boots are kept well shined. I don't spend 2 hours polishing them (if I said 2 hours, I was talking about the whole uniform.) I do believe we should switch to the ABU's, too. We are the USAF Aux so why not look the part? I believe that we should use tan boots and sage green boots instead of just sage green boots.

Who's going to pay for all these new uniforms and boots? New = expensive. "Surplus" or DRMO items are not the answer. Most of that stuff is unserviceable. That's why it's where it is.

And where's the uniformity there?

[AngelWings]

My boots are kept well shined. I don't spend 2 hours polishing them (if I said 2 hours, I was talking about the whole uniform.) I do believe we should switch to the ABU's, too. We are the USAF Aux so why not look the part? I believe that we should use tan boots and sage green boots instead of just sage green boots.

Who's going to pay for all these new uniforms and boots? New = expensive. "Surplus" or DRMO items are not the answer. Most of that stuff is unserviceable. That's why it's where it is.

And where's the uniformity there?

The idea is the fact sage green boots, from what I've seen are alot more expensive than tan boots, and ABU's themselves offer a sense of uniformity because they are wash and wear, and it seems like this time, nobody is going to go against that. Also, I wasn't referring to a right now situation, but rather 2012-2013 time period, where they should start getting cheaper after the BDU phaseout.