Billy Mitchell Heritage Uniform.

[Pylon]

They can wear a buckle with the "Hap Arnold" wing and star insignia on the standard blue web belt.

They can also wear a leather belt with dress buckle over their BDU, like a pistol belt.

So it's a Hap Arnold now. It was the old "bird perching on a shield" when I was active duty.

I remember the leather pistol belt. There was a wing commander in Alaska that wore one, all the time. Not sure why, but if in BDU's he had on that leather generals belt. I always figured it to be some kind of affectation. On a slimmer person, it might have looked OK. It made him look like a sausage squeezed in the middle.

Interesting.  Any photos out there of these belts in wear? 

[jimmydeanno]

Couldn't find it actually being worn, but this is the buckle:

[Hawk200]

Interesting.  Any photos out there of these belts in wear? 

For the blues buckle, don't know. It is referenced in 36-2903, pg 51(pub page, not PDF page), line 4:

"General officers may wear the "wing and star" design, shiny finish emblem and belt buckle."

Vanguard has one: http://www.vanguardmil.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4_286_288&products_id=5391.

It doesn't show anyone wearing it, and I imagine that it might be a little harder to find a pic, considering most generals that have public photos are either in full Service dress, BDU's or a flightsuit. I haven't seen many photos of AF generals wearing just a less than Full service as far as blues go.

As for the leather belt with BDU's, I hope not. As least I hope it's not a fat general, anyway.

[JohnKachenmeister]

In fact I would go as far as saying bring back branch insignia for all officers.  Pilots/Navs get the props, invent (or steal back from the Army) other insignia. 

Heresy!!!! Not to mention you'd then have both US Army and USAF aviation officers wearing the same branch insignia.  Then again, it might be a good start towards getting USAF merged back into the Army, where it belongs!   

RiffRaff:

The Army insignia for the Aviation Branch is not the same insignia.  The wing design uses the Army aviation badge as its model, and the AF wing-and-prop uses the Air Force wing. 

[riffraff]

Actually both are technically US Army designs and depict US Army wings (1920s Army Air Corps and post-1950 Army Aviation). Either way, they're so close in style that they're virtually indistinguishable until you're right on top of them.

I don't believe the winged prop was ever worn on the USAF blue uniform as a branch insignia. Not sure about the transition period, 1947-50.

Both are shown below. USAAF (upper) and Army Aviation (below). For those not familiar, they're about 1 inch across.

[Flying Pig]

Oh...you Air Force guys......

You can try and try all you want with your little blue collars.......

"Maybe you can be one of us"

[0]

Oh...you Air Force guys......

You can try and try all you want with your little blue collars.......

"Maybe you can be one of us"

Why change into something else when we're already True Blue

lol

[Grumpy]

I was just surfing the net looking at AF uniforms and ran across these pictures of the proposed Mitchell and Arnold uniforms.  One of the photos shows the Mitchell uniform with and without the belt.  I like it better without the belt.  I even like the props under the US cut outs. 

I'm not much of a computer dude so I hope this site works for you.

http://www.nonpartisanpundit.com/2006/05/new_air_force_u.html

Anyway, we're not the only ones struggling to come up with a uniform.

[mikeylikey]

^ General Officers should have some set weight limit! Fit to fight lately?

I think whatever uniform the AF decides on will look great.  I would prefer the Mitch over the Hap though.

[Grumpy]

Agreed.  I think that belt pulls the coat up and makes it look frumpy (?).

[Grumpy]

I think I may be confused here.  I don't like the choker collar.  My neck has a tendency to hang over it.  Comes with age.

[mikeylikey]

They need to just take the current jacket, add some pockets to it, and maybe a belt.

[Pylon]

I think I may be confused here.  I don't like the choker collar.  My neck has a tendency to hang over it.  Comes with age.

Lucky you, they're not going with the "Mitchell" stand-up collar style option.   

[Grumpy]

Oh good.  It'll save the Turkey Gobbler effect then.   

[Grumpy]

They need to just take the current jacket, add some pockets to it, and maybe a belt.

If you look at the third photo down the uniform on the left has a belt and the one on the right does not.
The one on the left looks bunched up where the belt is while the one on the right hangs smoothly.  If you wore the one with the belt you'd be like Capt. Picard on Star Trek, always pulling your blouse down.