Wearing the ABU's

[DC]

The Air Force already authorised the sage boots with BDUs and flight suits...for this exact reason.

It would not be too unreasonable to ask for authorisation to wear the green boots now...so we are not asking our cadets to buy two sets of $100 boots in the next couple of years.

But did they authorize them for us?

Not yet, hence the discussion.

[afgeo4]

While I agree there's more important stuff to discuss, I would say boots aren't it.  While yes the military is going to other colors due to the uniform changes.  However, we would have another source of black boots, Law Enforcement will still be using black boots.  I myself have gotten a pair that is law enforcement type and they work fine.  A good supplier is Galls, they've got great quality stuff.

"law enforcement type" boots aren't authorized by our uniform regulations. Only authorized Air Force uniform items are. We've had discussions on this before where I've quoted the regs.

That DOES leave us with very few options on how to get boots. I too am faced with that situation as I am going to be attending the summer encampment. I also wonder what I can recommend the cadets in my unit.

I buy quality military authorized footwear because I care about my feet (in the field and in garrison). I would expect no less from others. Now... are there fake military type boots out there? Yup. Are there unauthorized tactical magnum type boots out there? Yup. I wouldn't wear any of those for encampment though and the McGuire AFB MCSS doesn't carry anything in black anymore. Just tan or green.

We need to switch before it becomes a problem, not after.

[mikeylikey]

We need to switch before it becomes a problem, not after.

Agreed!  We need to authorize Tan now, with Sage Green as an optional as we expect that to be the CAP boot to be worn with ABU's when we get them.  Really, Black, Tan and Green boots in formation together is no big deal.  Isn't AF still wearing tans and sage greens concurrently until what, 2009??

[nesagsar]

I visit a lot of air force websites and see pics of formations with people wearing all manner of uniform combinations.

[nesagsar]

Here is an army perspective.

[mikeylikey]

^ Sweet......and so true!

[Hawk200]

^ Sweet......and so true!

Not for too much longer! 

[jpnelson82]

my bet is the AF won't let CAP wear them at all, they probably have IR stuff in them for a cheap IFF or PNVS camouflage like the ACU, and the AF will say no to CAP. IMHO, CAP needs to allow wing commanders to authorize Desert Camouflage for their wings. In some places the woodland BDUs are out of place and absorb the already plentiful heat, allowing those wings to have desert boots would be nice as well

[lordmonar]

What??

What about the IR stuff that was in BDU's that never stopped them from letting us wear them.

[Hawk200]

my bet is never, the AF will not allow CAP to wear ABU's because of the IR stuff in them. If we are very lucky we may get to wear multicam eventually, but what I would like to see is authorization for wear of Desert Pattern BDU's Green Brown and Black with Black boots are hell out here in SWR. Give us chocolate chip desert or multicam. We're sweltering in the woodland with all leather boots.

Your bet would be wrong. AF has already said we get them (when is the question of the years) . As for IR, BDU's had the same treatment, that would be flimsy, and even the Air Force isn't that stupid. The IR treatment doesn't make it a controlled item.

If Multicam gets used at all, it'll most likely be by the Army, not the Air Force. We have no practical reason to develop a uniform in Multicam. When it comes to a two piece utility, we'll wear what the AF wears. At least until we really tee them off, and they take away all their uniforms.

Deserts are pretty much going the same way as woodlands, they aren't as common anymore. We've been begging for years, for a hat, do you really think you'll get a completely different uniform?

[PHall]

my bet is never, the AF will not allow CAP to wear ABU's because of the IR stuff in them. If we are very lucky we may get to wear multicam eventually, but what I would like to see is authorization for wear of Desert Pattern BDU's Green Brown and Black with Black boots are hell out here in SWR. Give us chocolate chip desert or multicam. We're sweltering in the woodland with all leather boots.

You want to wear the chocolate chip deserts so you can look like the Iraqi Army? No thanks!

[_]

If Multicam gets used at all, it'll most likely be by the Army, not the Air Force. We have no practical reason to develop a uniform in Multicam. When it comes to a two piece utility, we'll wear what the AF wears. At least until we really tee them off, and they take away all their uniforms.

Yeah but if we choose multicam first then we can have subdued patches and it will be the military trying to look like us and then we can mandate they wear bright colored patches on them so they don't look too much like us.  We can't have them looking just like us and we'd have the uniform first so we'll have dibs.

[jpnelson82]

my bet is never, the AF will not allow CAP to wear ABU's because of the IR stuff in them. If we are very lucky we may get to wear multicam eventually, but what I would like to see is authorization for wear of Desert Pattern BDU's Green Brown and Black with Black boots are hell out here in SWR. Give us chocolate chip desert or multicam. We're sweltering in the woodland with all leather boots.

Your bet would be wrong. AF has already said we get them (when is the question of the years) . As for IR, BDU's had the same treatment, that would be flimsy, and even the Air Force isn't that stupid. The IR treatment doesn't make it a controlled item.

If Multicam gets used at all, it'll most likely be by the Army, not the Air Force. We have no practical reason to develop a uniform in Multicam. When it comes to a two piece utility, we'll wear what the AF wears. At least until we really tee them off, and they take away all their uniforms.

Deserts are pretty much going the same way as woodlands, they aren't as common anymore. We've been begging for years, for a hat, do you really think you'll get a completely different uniform?

TY, I didn't know the AF had already said we get the ABU. I think it's kinda silly to be wandering around the desert in Green,Brown, and Black. There aren't that many trees in the desert and it's slightly hotter in the desert than a forest and sunnier. The colors on woodland camo absorb solar radiation, something you don't want in the desert (quite the opposite).

[jimmydeanno]

So...I was at the MCSS at Nellis today looking for some random uniform accessories for my members and walked over to the boot section.

There are 12 different style of ABU boots available on the shelf.  Pretty much all the styles that were offered for the black leather boots, even a pair of "marauders" like I wear now.  Oh, and they were all under $100.00.

[mikeylikey]

Perhaps a boot change over is in our future before we get the ABU's?!?!

Clothing Sales opened on a Sunday?  Man wish mine had awesome hours like that!

[winterg]

One of our recurring concerns is the problems arising over CAP being seen as AD.  Once Army and AF are all switched over to their new uniforms we should keep the BDU's so we have our different look. 

It's not like we won't be able to get them.  Too many companies are going to keep making them for LE and other organizations.

I've been wearing them for over 20 years and they've always worked good for me.  Then maybe we could get subdued patches. (For no other reason than we won't look like dorks) 

[DC]

One of our recurring concerns is the problems arising over CAP being seen as AD.  Once Army and AF are all switched over to their new uniforms we should keep the BDU's so we have our different look. 

It's not like we won't be able to get them.  Too many companies are going to keep making them for LE and other organizations.

I've been wearing them for over 20 years and they've always worked good for me.  Then maybe we could get subdued patches. (For no other reason than we won't look like dorks) 

No, what will be gone is the cheap, ready supply we got from the military. And CAP has traditionally worn modified AF uniforms. CAP has plethora of corporate uniforms if you are concerned about looking too much like active duty.

[nesagsar]

And how would that help him avoid looking like a dork?

[winterg]

And how would that help him avoid looking like a dork?

True, I'd probably look like a dork anyway! lol

[DNall]

the biggest reason we wear AF uniforms is because they are avail via surplus &/or prices are held down by economies of scale. That keeps the price down to cadets. Adults are expected to buy their own.