What do I wear over the blues uniform instead of a service coat.

[Hoorah]

I do have have a service coat but out of regs and I was wondering what I could substitute it with?
So please help me out.
Thanks all.

[jimmydeanno]

There isn't an equivilent substitution for the service coat while still wearing the AF style blues uniform.

However, there are a few other outergarments for cold weather, such as the light-weight blue jacket and the all-weather coat.

[Eclipse]

Lightweight blue jacket (waist jacket):


Here's one that's probably too big: http://tinyurl.com/cssrs7

The "all weather coat" is actually the USAF trench coat:

Here's another one that is probably too big:  http://tinyurl.com/b3fnlp

Someone mentioned here recently that the waist jacket was no longer available from AAFES because it was being redesigned, but there are a fair amount of them available via secondary markets.  The waist jacket usually comes with a liner for colder climes, but is by no means a "winter" jacket.

Also, if you're going to spend money, make sure its the correct material - there's a lot of "vintage" ones out there that are the wrong color and cut.

Grade is required on these jackets as per 39-1, and they should always be zipped or buttoned when worn.

You can also wear the pullover or cardigan sweater as well.

[Hoorah]

Ok or  I could use this service coat that is not up to regs which is a bad idea.

[CAPSGT]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

[Hoorah]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

[Eclipse]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

The you're not supposed to wear it. 

CAP uniforms, especially the USAF-style, but this goes for everything, are supposed to be 100% correct, including outerwear or they should not be worn.  A service coat without insignia is still a service coat, espcially in the context of wearing it over an actual CAP uniform.

Cadets routinely wear civilian jackets over their FCU or BDU's, and commanders usually look the other way because of the costs involved in getting uniform outerwear and how fast cadets grow, but the fact that someone is not making an issue of it doesn't change that the regs are not being followed.

[davidsinn]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

There is not a single item on the coat to meet minimums that's not on the blue shirt so you should just be able to take the items off the shirt and put them on the coat. The only exception is you will need two sets of cutouts: one on your collar and one on your coat. Have you tried asking your flight commander for help with these questions?

[Always Ready]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

Do you have CAP cutouts (you should if you've been wearing blues or BDUs)?

Do you have the blue name tag (plate) that you wear with your blues shirt?


If you have both of above things, you can wear your service coat. You don't need ribbons because you don't have any and your CAP cutouts are your grade insignia. So as long as you have the name plate (which you should if you are going to wear blues), you should be set.

Let us know if you have any more questions  

Edit: Added images for clarity

[Eclipse]

If you have both of above things, you can wear your service coat. You don't need ribbons because you don't have any and your CAP cutouts are your grade insignia.

Ribbons are required for cadet service coats - "all" remember?  I'm sure he's got at least his Curry by now.

[CAPSGT]

Ummmm, I doubt he's got his curry if...

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

Thanks to Always Ready for pointing out what i was trying to get at by asking what was wrong with the service coat. 

[Pylon]

I'm sure he's got at least his Curry by now.

Uhm, probably not:

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

Hence, no ribbons.

[arajca]

Another issue is whether the service coat material matches the trouser material. If it's an old style service cost, it will not match the new trousers and cannot be worn with the new trousers.

[Eclipse]

Another issue is whether the service coat material matches the trouser material. If it's an old style service cost, it will not match the new trousers and cannot be worn with the new trousers.

That's true for seniors, but is it true for cadets as well?  NHQ is shipping current new pants, of course, but cadets are still authorized the old-style jackets.

[Pylon]

Another issue is whether the service coat material matches the trouser material. If it's an old style service cost, it will not match the new trousers and cannot be worn with the new trousers.

That's true for seniors, but is it true for cadets as well?  NHQ is shipping current new pants, of course, but cadets are still authorized the old-style jackets.

Cadets are authorized either the old-style or the new-style service jackets, but that doesn't absolve them from complying with the matching shades requirement.  If one wears old-style service dress, one should be wearing matching old-shade pants.

[Eclipse]

Another issue is whether the service coat material matches the trouser material. If it's an old style service cost, it will not match the new trousers and cannot be worn with the new trousers.

That's true for seniors, but is it true for cadets as well?  NHQ is shipping current new pants, of course, but cadets are still authorized the old-style jackets.

Cadets are authorized either the old-style or the new-style service jackets, but that doesn't absolve them from complying with the matching shades requirement.  If one wears old-style service dress, one should be wearing matching old-shade pants.

I agree in principle, but considering the other concessions we generally make for cadets, matching shades isn't going to be something I'm overly concerned about, especially in light of the caveat of not being able to require cadets wear anything we don't give them.

A nice little circle - uniforms are supposed to be 100% correct, yet we can't require they wear anything we don't give them, and they are authorized to wear a jacket that doesn't match the pants we're giving them.  What do you do when its cold?

[mprokosch11]

^I recently began wearing the service dress and let me tell you, I had the darnest time finding a matching shade for my trousers and coat. I think finding the matching shade should be strictly followed because you can definitely tell the difference between two different shades.

[Eclipse]

^I recently began wearing the service dress and let me tell you, I had the darnest time finding a matching shade for my trousers and coat. I think finding the matching shade should be strictly followed because you can definitely tell the difference between two different shades.

Are you wearing the old-style or new style coat?

If its the 3-button new-style, then its just a matter of buying Shade 1620 trousers, but if its the old-style 4-pocket, you're going to have to be wearing used pants along with the jacket, because no one is making those anymore, are they?

[winterg]

I'm curious how the service coat is out of regs, unless you are simply missing items or it is in very bad condition.

Im a c/ab and my uniform has  no items on it.

Just curious on my part...

Is the only reason you are not wearing it because you do not have the required items that go on the service coat?

[mprokosch11]

^I recently began wearing the service dress and let me tell you, I had the darnest time finding a matching shade for my trousers and coat. I think finding the matching shade should be strictly followed because you can definitely tell the difference between two different shades.

Are you wearing the old-style or new style coat?

If its the 3-button new-style, then its just a matter of buying Shade 1620 trousers, but if its the old-style 4-pocket, you're going to have to be wearing used pants along with the jacket, because no one is making those anymore, are they?

New.

[Eclipse]

^I recently began wearing the service dress and let me tell you, I had the darnest time finding a matching shade for my trousers and coat. I think finding the matching shade should be strictly followed because you can definitely tell the difference between two different shades.

Are you wearing the old-style or new style coat?

If its the 3-button new-style, then its just a matter of buying Shade 1620 trousers, but if its the old-style 4-pocket, you're going to have to be wearing used pants along with the jacket, because no one is making those anymore, are they?

New.

If its a new jacket, then you'd simply have to buy 1620 pants - the FCU provides 1625's, so if you were digging through a unit stash or something similar, that was probably why you had problems.

[mprokosch11]

^I recently began wearing the service dress and let me tell you, I had the darnest time finding a matching shade for my trousers and coat. I think finding the matching shade should be strictly followed because you can definitely tell the difference between two different shades.

Are you wearing the old-style or new style coat?

If its the 3-button new-style, then its just a matter of buying Shade 1620 trousers, but if its the old-style 4-pocket, you're going to have to be wearing used pants along with the jacket, because no one is making those anymore, are they?

New.

If its a new jacket, then you'd simply have to buy 1620 pants - the FCU provides 1625's, so if you were digging through a unit stash or something similar, that was probably why you had problems.

You can read minds.

[Always Ready]

Thanks to Always Ready for pointing out what i was trying to get at by asking what was wrong with the service coat. 

No problem...sometimes these guys give Cadet Williams a hard time so I figured I would clarify everything so that everyone understood.