BDUs are now Obsolete

[Thrashed]

Please no... The aviator really doesn't need headgear.

You don't fly much, do you?

I'm my planes I wear an HGU-55.

In other people's planes, I either wear a ball cap or (as appropriate) a 50-mission crush.

CAP needs to put a 50-mission crush into 39-1.   

Civilian planes?  I've made it 14,000+ hours without wearing anything on my head, period (other than a cheap headset). I don't see a need for any hat/headgear for pilots. Optional is fine, I'm not wearing it.

[a2capt]

Why do people want this? It looks like complete crap. I can understand the whole headset over the cover that lead to the original look, along with the "experience" of many missions, but ultimately? It looks like crap, and I wouldn't want you in a picture as a PAO or someone also in the shot looking like that in it.

I concur absolutely.  I realize there is some heritage to it. But yuck.  You want 'em to be squared away, except you're okay with something that looks even more dopey than a pilled up, cow muffin that looks like it's sliding off, and looks like it got shot through an engine?

No thanks.

[Major Lord]

Back to the original subject of this tread...BDU's.   The Delaware Wing just received 250 BDU sets from the USAF at Dover AFB and the Delaware Air National Guard is giving the Wing another 100 sets.  This is a great plus for our cadets. :clap: :clap: :clap:

Brand new BDU's? Or hand-me-downs with scars where the enlisted stripes use to be? 250 clean sets of BDU's would be sweet!

Major Lord

[Grumpy]

You know, even if we do finally get a decision that everybody agrees on, within a week or possibly as lomg as a month, you uniform gurus will be arguing about what looks right or wrong.  Talk about beating a dead horse. 

[jimmydeanno]

My unit has received about 1,000 pairs of BDUs over the last year from the base.  We put out an advert in the base newspaper asking for them as people switched over to ABUs.  Ask and ye shall receive.  Sure, most of them had patches, etc on them, but we ditched the faded and lousy ones and have a few hundred sets of good quality, 2nd hand BDUs.

We ran out of space in our supply room and sent a few hundred sets up to the wing to be distributed to other units who don't have our resource.

Despite having free BDUs, though, there are still cadets who wear their own that they purchased or acquired somewhere else.

Good Job DEWG.

[Thrashed]

You know, even if we do finally get a decision that everybody agrees on, within a week or possibly as lomg as a month, you uniform gurus will be arguing about what looks right or wrong.  Talk about beating a dead horse. 

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

CAP members are only happy when fighting about uniforms. 

[johnnyb47]

You know, even if we do finally get a decision that everybody agrees on, within a week or possibly as lomg as a month, you uniform gurus will be arguing about what looks right or wrong.  Talk about beating a dead horse. 

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

CAP members are only happy when fighting about uniforms. 

Maybe I'm just too new. I ran out and bought the aviator/grey slacks combo and polo shirt right when i signed up. As soon as i met req's I ran out and bought blues and BDU's. Aside from being a little astonished at what we have to PAY for our uniforms I haven't yet had much of an opinion on the subject. I guess maybe i'm just happy to be able to wear one right now. After a few years I can only hope i will be jaded like everyone else.
(just kidding of course. I don't hope... I rather expect it.  )

[Spaceman3750]

You know, even if we do finally get a decision that everybody agrees on, within a week or possibly as lomg as a month, you uniform gurus will be arguing about what looks right or wrong.  Talk about beating a dead horse. 

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

CAP members are only happy when fighting about uniforms. 

Maybe I'm just too new. I ran out and bought the aviator/grey slacks combo and polo shirt right when i signed up. As soon as i met req's I ran out and bought blues and BDU's. Aside from being a little astonished at what we have to PAY for our uniforms I haven't yet had much of an opinion on the subject. I guess maybe i'm just happy to be able to wear one right now. After a few years I can only hope i will be jaded like everyone else.
(just kidding of course. I don't hope... I rather expect it.  )

Air Force officers pay for their uniforms as well, and they work for the AF full time. I don't really mind paying for my uniforms - it means I get the uniforms I need when I need them and don't have to deal with a drawn-out request process.

[Hardshell Clam]

I lucked out and had 2 set of almost new BDUs, boots and a field jacket that I had from prior service. I still wear them as needed. I am looking into the white shirt/gray slacks or polo with logo.

[davidsinn]

I am looking into the white shirt/gray slacks...

You're an IG and do not have the mandated minimum uniform?

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

^^It may well be, and you can get them for a lot cheaper than JC Penney's at your local SVdP, etc.

But they are non-standard...as is the entire G/W uniform.

Thrashed, you are entitled to say that "hats suck."  However, if you wear the AF blue uniform, you too have to "suck it up" and wear one.  It's called "following orders and regulations."  I think I read that recently on CT...and a new cap for the G/W would not necessarily have to be the kind of service cap you loathe.

I am equally entitled to say that I do not want to look like a negative of an old B/W photo or a Realtor in CAP.

I would agree with Major Lord on the condition of the BDU's...we get quite a few from the local ANG people, though that source is rapidly, rapidly drying up.  Ours have to be "demilitarised" too...not an easy task if you've got SMSgt stripes, name and USAF tapes, qualification badges, Prime Beef badges, etc.  The local Army/Navy still has a few, mostly castoffs from the local ARNG, which are in even worse shape.  OK for the hunters and other outdoorsies who buy them, but not to look proper in CAP.

Private Investigator, yes, you can sometimes find hats like that on Evilbay, and for a lot more $$$ on "reproduction" websites.  I have seen all kinds of lids being worn with the polos and G/W and people not being gigged for it (after all, other than the "CAP baseball cap," unless meaning the one sold by Vanguard, which 39-1 predates, there is no standard headgear for those orders of dress).  I'd just as soon wear an old, long out of regulation AF flight cap with no insignia or even a foreign one with the insignia removed:


South African


Royal New Zealand Air Force


Portuguese AF


Russian

...as long as it wasn't something clearly ostentatious:




Grumpy, the BMW'ing about uniforms has been going on since at least the berry boards era...and the CSU episode kind of tore the scab off a semi-healing wound.

[johnnyb47]

You know, even if we do finally get a decision that everybody agrees on, within a week or possibly as lomg as a month, you uniform gurus will be arguing about what looks right or wrong.  Talk about beating a dead horse. 

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

CAP members are only happy when fighting about uniforms. 

Maybe I'm just too new. I ran out and bought the aviator/grey slacks combo and polo shirt right when i signed up. As soon as i met req's I ran out and bought blues and BDU's. Aside from being a little astonished at what we have to PAY for our uniforms I haven't yet had much of an opinion on the subject. I guess maybe i'm just happy to be able to wear one right now. After a few years I can only hope i will be jaded like everyone else.
(just kidding of course. I don't hope... I rather expect it.  )

Air Force officers pay for their uniforms as well, and they work for the AF full time. I don't really mind paying for my uniforms - it means I get the uniforms I need when I need them and don't have to deal with a drawn-out request process.

Agreed. I'd rather get them when I need them than have to wait on a process. I was just surprised at the price in general no matter who's paying. You could just call it sticker shock for a newb.

[SarDragon]

Is this available on eBay?

But seriously would anybody beef me for wearing it?

Yes. It is specifically prohibited in 39-1.

NOTES:
1. Service Cap: Optional for senior members. May be authorized by wing commander for cadet
officers. Normally worn with service dress uniform. Cadet NCOs and airmen will not wear the
service cap (Exception see Chapter 3). Cap will not be crushed. Large senior member or cadet
officer satin finish cap device (with post and screw back) is worn center front. General officers
wear a cap with three sets of clouds and lightning on cap bill. Senior member Major through
Colonel wear caps with two sets of clouds and lightning on the cap bill. All others wear caps with a
plain bill.

[Private Investigator]

Dave and all.

I am doing my pushups!

[BradM]

Nice Swiss-German gray jacket on eBay.

[Spaceman3750]

Nice Swiss-German gray jacket on eBay.

Look at how that's cut. There's no way it will fit heavier members well.

[Hardshell Clam]

I am looking into the white shirt/gray slacks...

You're an IG and do not have the mandated minimum uniform?

That issue has been gone over quite enough.

[BradM]

Nice Swiss-German gray jacket on eBay.

Look at how that's cut. There's no way it will fit heavier members well.

True, for the bearded guys (nicely trimmed) that are in weight and have short hair that will work. They could have another pattern for large waisted members as well if it was adopted and made in the USA.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Look at how that's cut. There's no way it will fit heavier members well.

I don't mean to be crass, but is there anything that will satisfy our heavier members other than the status quo?

Plus...that Swiss tunic would be "too military" to qualify as a "corporate" uniform.  That's why I've been leaning toward airline-type options.

A place like Sporty's Pilot Shop is well-known to many GA pilots, it would be easy to obtain stuff from them and none of it is military-issue.

http://www.sportys.com/PilotShop/category/935

[Spaceman3750]

Look at how that's cut. There's no way it will fit heavier members well.

I don't mean to be crass, but is there anything that will satisfy our heavier members other than the status quo?

Is there anything jacket/hat-related that will increase our mission effectiveness?

The answer to your question is that I don't know because I can't speak for everyone.