Ground Team Uniform

[Jerry Jacobs]

Last I heard there was no official effort for a CAPM 39-1 compliant Ground Team Member Uniform.  So my idea for a Ground Team Uniform is an orange shirt which has your name and Ground Team rating on the front and Civil Air Patrol Search and Rescue on the back.  The pants would be gray trail pants and any boot/sock combination you desire.  Cover would be orange or a squadron cover. 

The purpose of this uniform is to provide a more desirable/functional uniform for when it is Summer.  I'll post pictures, tell me what you think and add any suggestions.




Suggestions;
Instead of it saying GTM1 it should show the badge

[DC]

This might be more appropriate in the uniform area, and see CAWG's GT uniform (there are a zillion posts complaining about it).

There is nothing wrong with BDUs and BBDUs. If it ain't broke....

[JohnKachenmeister]

Something wrong with wearing the uniform of your country?

[DC]

What is with the short sleeved shirt and convertible pants? Based on your images, I'm going to assume that you are a GTM1. I would hope that you would have made considerable exertions to attain that rating, and that you have spent at least some time in the woods.

At least around here if you are not wearing long sleeves and have your pants bloused into your boots you will be eaten alive by the local insect life within minutes. Not to mention all of the cuts, scrapes, rashes, sun burns, etc that you will avoid my making a modest sacrifice to your immediate comfort.

[Jerry Jacobs]

Don't get me wrong, I love BDU's but sometimes would make our job easier.  When its cold BDU's are the way to go but if it is 100 degrees out I would rather be in lighterweight clothing such as the uniform above.  I think there should be a nationwide GT uniform that is available to any GT member for field activities.



Taking that into consideration I have changed the pant type.

If you want to you can wear a long sleeve jacket.

[arajca]

One problem is that there is not a uniform climate in the US.

[jeders]

If you want to you can wear a long sleeve jacket.

Which covers up the orange t-shirt, thus rendering it useless.

B/BDUs work just fine. As an aircrew member, I probably won't see you until you mirror flash me anyway simply because of distance.

As a ground team member, I'd rather have the heat, sun, bug, and scratch protection that my BDUs provide.

[arajca]

I think there should be a nationwide GT uniform that is available to any GT member for field activities.

There is. It's called the bdu or the field uniform. No reason to create a new uniform.

[mikeylikey]

OMG!  We can't even consider this.  What about Skin Cancer (the common theme from the Boonie Hat threads).  I mean, you will get skin cancer on your arms and on your legs!! 

NO!

Plus....BDU pants and an Orange SAR T-Shirt is worn in PAWG right now.  It looks awful. 

[0]

OMG!  We can't even consider this.  What about Skin Cancer (the common theme from the Boonie Hat threads).  I mean, you will get skin cancer on your arms and on your legs!! 

NO!

Plus....BDU pants and an Orange SAR T-Shirt is worn in PAWG right now.  It looks awful. 

Plus we don't need an orange shirt for visibility if we're wearing our vests.

Don't get me wrong, I love BDU's but sometimes would make our job easier.  When its cold BDU's are the way to go but if it is 100 degrees out I would rather be in lighterweight clothing such as the uniform above.  I think there should be a nationwide GT uniform that is available to any GT member for field activities.



Taking that into consideration I have changed the pant type.

If you want to you can wear a long sleeve jacket.

If you want something lighter wear the summer weight BDUs.  They're lighter so you don't get as hot wearing them.

[Thor]

I could see wearing that for maybe a SAR in an urban area on a hot day. I'm not too crazy about the pants; they look like they wouldn't vent well and would be very uncomfortable if they got wet. OD BDU pants might work. But then again, if 39-1 doesn't care about GT uniforms, why don't we just issue DCUs and tan flight suits to everyone for when it's hot (I wear the boots in the summer).

[mikeylikey]

wearing long sleeves will actually keep your core temp lower than if you wear short sleeves.  Thats why I don't understand the rolling of BDU sleeves.  It defeats the purpose of having long sleeves. 

Hell, most every service but the AF knows the benefits to not rolling your uniform sleeves.  In Iraq and AFGH everyone usually wears sleeves down, except the AF.

I also hate to see people in just bdu/acu/abu/marpat pants, and no blouse on.  We operate with full uniforms in 80 percent humidity and 110 degree weather overseas, but we assume we should take the blouse off when working in the states.  Stupid. 

Even at Encampments and CAP activities, I never take my blouse off.  It not only looks very unprofessional, but you are going to sweat with it on or off in the Summer.  If you sweat with it on, you actually can be cooler than if you take it off.

I wish these CAP "medical" folks at CAP activities would do some research, or read research done by the DOD already. 

As far as this uniform goes, No need for an Orange T-Shirt.  We have to wear an orange vest as onion already pointed out.  That should suffice.  if you are worried about being visible wear your vest and an orange hard hat. 

I also don't like khaki zip off pants.  They are so 1997.  Plus, only skateboarders wear pants like that.  I did when I went through my skateboard phase and worked for Vans. 

[Pylon]

But then again, if 39-1 doesn't care about GT uniforms....

What do you mean "it" doesn't care?  Civil Air Patrol provides for three distinct field uniform choices.  BDUs, Blue BDUs and the blue, corporate Utility Uniform.  Though mikeylikey has already pointed out that wearing uniforms the sleeves up or the shirt off is actually not good, CAPM 39-1 does give you those options as well.  Besides, people are constantly clamoring for more protection from the sun vis-a-vis the boonie hat - this orange uniform creation would significantly decrease sun protection, and protection from brush, debris and the environment in general.   Not to mention, our troops seem to be able to wear their field uniforms in significantly hotter forward AO's with sleeves down, and their full battle rattle on.   

Added on this is your requirement to wear a high-visibility reflective vest while conducting any GT operations anyways, it doesn't matter what the color of your uniform will be.  You'd have to wear an orange vest anyways.

On top of all of this, Civil Air Patrol needs to reduce the number of uniforms we have - not increase.  It already looks like a joint NATO mission every time you show up to a CAP SAREX.

So with the hot weather justification defeated, the visibility argument moot, and the organization wishing to not create any new uniforms, I'd say your shirt idea is probably not going to fly.

[0]

As far as this uniform goes, No need for an Orange T-Shirt.  We have to wear an orange vest as onion already pointed out.  That should suffice.  if you are worried about being visible wear your vest and an orange hard hat. 

um, it's Orion and not onion.   

So with the hot weather justification defeated, the visibility argument moot, and the organization wishing to not create any new uniforms, I'd say your shirt idea is probably not going to fly.

Well I too believe this idea won't fly it is a good demonstration of thinking outside the box and willingnes to speak one's mind.

[mikeylikey]

um, it's Orion and not onion.   

Sorry......someone was asking if I wanted onions on the pizza for dinner.........I can't do two things at a time, as apparent!   

[JohnKachenmeister]

If you wore that uniform in Florida you would be:

1.  Eaten alive by insects.

2.  Arrested for being an escaped State Prisoner.

3.  All of the above.

Wear the approved uniform of your country's Air Force.  It is our HONOR to do so.

[RiverAux]

Personally, I detest working in the woods in t-shirts.  They're too thin to prevent ripping and its easy for various sharp things to poke you.

[JayT]

A. Cost. How much would it cost to have individual tee shirts printed up with ratings?

B. Provides no sun protection, or protection from the climate, or bugs and what not.

C. Pants. Where can I buy them? Can I get them from a surplus store for $25 like I can BDU pants? Or do I have to hunt down a specalized outdoor store?

D. What if I don't want to wear it in the field? Is having this uniform such an important aspect of safety that I'm endangering myself, and my team by not wearing it? Unless the asnwer is a research supported "YES!" then I wouldn't waste my money.

We have three different uniforms for field work, not counting the polo shirt which can easily used for UDF and MB work. I'm sorry, but we're the Civil Air Patrol, and when on a SAR mission, we're the USAF Auxiliary. We're not the local shrieffs team, or whatever else. Wear the uniform of the organization.

Lets talk about field packs or gear, or navigation equipment, or field craft skills.

[lordmonar]

Don't get me wrong, I love BDU's but sometimes would make our job easier.  When its cold BDU's are the way to go but if it is 100 degrees out I would rather be in lighterweight clothing such as the uniform above.

When it is hot...you can always take off your BDU blouse.

  I think there should be a nationwide GT uniform that is available to any GT member for field activities.

And another uniform I would have to buy and maintain.

[Thor]

But then again, if 39-1 doesn't care about GT uniforms....

What do you mean "it" doesn't care?  Civil Air Patrol provides for three distinct field uniform choices.  BDUs, Blue BDUs and the blue, corporate Utility Uniform.  Though mikeylikey has already pointed out that wearing uniforms the sleeves up or the shirt off is actually not good, CAPM 39-1 does give you those options as well.  Besides, people are constantly clamoring for more protection from the sun vis-a-vis the boonie hat - this orange uniform creation would significantly decrease sun protection, and protection from brush, debris and the environment in general.   Not to mention, our troops seem to be able to wear their field uniforms in significantly hotter forward AO's with sleeves down, and their full battle rattle on.   

Added on this is your requirement to wear a high-visibility reflective vest while conducting any GT operations anyways, it doesn't matter what the color of your uniform will be.  You'd have to wear an orange vest anyways.

On top of all of this, Civil Air Patrol needs to reduce the number of uniforms we have - not increase.  It already looks like a joint NATO mission every time you show up to a CAP SAREX.

So with the hot weather justification defeated, the visibility argument moot, and the organization wishing to not create any new uniforms, I'd say your shirt idea is probably not going to fly.

I personally don't think "it" doesn't care. I was simply re-stating "Jerry Jacobs" sentence of "Last I heard there was no official effort for a CAPM 39-1 compliant Ground Team Member Uniform". Personally, I think 39-1 should still cover what we wear on missions/excercises. I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to wear hiking boots in place of the combat boots, or extra cold weather gear that's not on the official list (I have a black fleece; its not in 39-1 but it is an actual uniform item),but the overall uniform should still be BDUs with the orange vest. As far as a whole new uniform, I think a T-shirt is the worst thing you can wear in a non-urban area, you have to buy more stuff you're not using on a regular basis, and anyone that sees you wearing that from an outside SAR organization will think you're out of your mind. My statement concerning DCUs and tan flight suits was a bit of sarcasm, since it is true that SAREXs are beginning to look like some NATO excercise.