Quote from: ProdigalJim on Yesterday at 10:11:06 PMJust as a reference point when we talk about affordability and accessibility of uniform items in relation to this potential change...I did a search using current prices. Vanguard black boots today are as much as $20 more than DLATS boots. And ABUs are increasingly hard to find commercially anywhere *except* Vanguard.
<snippage happens here>
Quote from: ProdigalJim on Yesterday at 10:11:06 PMJust as a reference point when we talk about affordability and accessibility of uniform items in relation to this potential change...I did a search using current prices. Vanguard black boots today are as much as $20 more than DLATS boots. And ABUs are increasingly hard to find commercially anywhere *except* Vanguard.
A complete male OCP uniform, using DLATS components from AAFES, would cost $292.47. A complete Vanguard ABU uniform today is $346.30. If you go to commercial sources for OCPs, it's considerably more expensive than AAFES (which is unsurprising): $69.99 for the shirt/coat, and $69.99 for the pants, compared with $41.91 for the AAFES male shirt/coat and $39.49 for the female shirt/coat. If you choose Vanguard for all the components of your golf shirt uniform (shirt, pants, black fleece for cold weather, and boots), that's roughly $51 cheaper than a full ABU kit, but not exactly cheap at $295.35.
Although this thread is about OCPs, it's worth talking about prices on other uniforms. Where it really gets breathtaking is when buying USAF-style blues. Vanguard wants $64.80 for the long-sleeved uniform shirt, versus $28.75 for the DLATS version at AAFES. You can go out and buy them commercially for $49.99 (still $14.81 cheaper than Vanguard). Female blues trousers are $37.00 through AAFES and $66.30 through Vanguard. Commercially I found them for $49.99.
Blues covers are also much more expensive, although here Vanguard beats other online commercial sources. AAFES will sell me a flight cap for $13.75; the same item on Vanguard is $10.10 more at $23.85, and $29.99 commercially.
That simple blue web belt with a silver buckle? AAFES wants $4.18 -- Vanguard is close to six times more expensive, at $25. Commercially that same belt is $19.19.
Overall, Vanguard's USAF Blues Uniform for males is $98.33 more than you could get at AAFES, and for females Vanguard is $109.01 more than AAFES. Compared with commercially available blues components, Vanguard beats other suppliers for male uniforms -- by $42.75 for a full kit with a short-sleeved shirt, and by $36.15 for a long-sleeved version -- but commercial suppliers other than Vanguard are better for female blues uniforms, with Vanguard $20.65 more than commercial for a complete female set with short sleeves.
My takeaways from shopping day today? 1 - If we had decent, non-roadblocked access to AAFES, OCPs would be as much as $53.83 cheaper than the present Vanguard-only ABU uniform for a full set, and Blues would be about $100 cheaper depending on gender, and; 2 - our leadership really should work much harder on knocking down the barriers to members using AAFES to buy appropriate uniform items. (And I'm uninterested in all the reasons why it's hard. Yes, it's hard. I know it's hard. And I know all the reasons why it's hard. So what? It's not impossible, just hard.)
Quote from: baronet68 on May 31, 2024, 07:49:42 AMThe National Staff Badge is not available for purchase on the website. Call Vanguard's CAP number 1-800-221-1264 and (once they verify that you are on the "official list") they will let you order the badge over the phone. The metal badge comes in both regular and miniature sizes. There is also a cloth version of the badge for utility uniforms.
Quote from: Shuman 14 on May 21, 2024, 05:07:40 PMQuote from: arajca on March 24, 2024, 02:44:34 PMQuote from: SarDragon on March 24, 2024, 11:38:59 AMI think you're think of something different. I believe the discussion of embroidered cadet stripes is they are embroidered on a fabric square with a velcro backing to put on the OCP tab for grade insignia, like the military does, not sew-on the sleeves.Quote from: Shuman 14 on March 22, 2024, 07:40:47 PMQuoteembroidered cadet enlisted insignia
They might be cheaper in the long run and less likely to get damaged on a field uniform.
Possibly cheaper, but a WHOLE lot less convenient. We had sew-on rank WIWAC, and it was a real pain, even considering the less frequent promotion intervals. The sewing jobs were inconsistent, and positioning was hit and miss.
On top of that, the sew-on stripes weren't as reusable as the pin-on rank. Once sewn on, washed a few times, and given an ironed-in crease, they weren't easily removed and reused on another cadet's uniform.
Belated follow up but I just found these, USAF JROTC Rank on OCP.
Not the same as CAP Cadet Rank, but showing it can be easily done, once we move OCPs.
Full color on OCP patch or Blue patch, either will look fine and in pairs, one for the OCP top and one an outer coat.
Quote from: culpeper on May 30, 2024, 10:33:22 PMOh for crying out loud. Just go with the blue BDU and make it easy.
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