Wearing the ABU's

[Trouble]

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.

Sorry Jon,

The S.O. Secret Squirrel Community already beat you to it.....    They already have those ultra cool "tan and maroon" patches.    But I do agree Multicam is the S**T,  DOD needs to pull a MacNamera and scrap all these Org. specific uniforms and standardize all of DOD on Multicam.

[DNall]

^ I think that's a truman, but whatever.

Now that the supply chain is caught up & the samples aren't free, they aren't really doing that anymore. They're in ACUs or ABUs as appropriate. Army SF kind of does what they want off the grid though. More like a t-shirt w/ IBA & ACUs pants over oakley boots & a baseball cap. With a can of dip in their pocket, two-week beard, and maybe a camelback.

I do like multi-cam though. I really wish half a dozen congressmen could come together & share the one brain cell long enough to figure out standardization is good.

[sarmed1]

Wewill not do desert boots with BDU's as long as the AF has a say in our uniforms, as the AF currently does not authorize that either.  (It's an Army thing)  Currently its mold green or tan with ABU's, BDU's are still as prescribed in the current AFI.

CAP going to DCU's is as pointless (if not more) as remaining in BDU's.  There are still more people wearing BDU's than ACU's, so the "surpluss" of BDU's will still outweigh DCU's.  Once the AF completes the transition to ABU's the availablility of DCU's will be the same as BDU's.

As far as "Law Enforcement" boots being forbidden,  in my 16 years in the Army/Air Force I have never been asked to show my certificate of authenticity or "GI approved" stamp for my boots.  As long as they are black and shinny no one has ever asked where they came from.

mk

[DNall]

More people in BDUs than ACUs? I really don't think so. BDUs are now pretty much completely phased out of the Army. The Marines aren't in BDUs, the Navy is moving off quickly. The AF are going to be the last people in BDUs, and they also are gearing up to change over quickly. As far as surplus, BDUs are NOT turned back in when ACU/ABU/MARPAT/etc are issued, so there is not a lot of surplus in the traditional sense.

As far as law enforcement boots, you know they weren't talking about some label. They mean not shiny, short, etc that are not similar to any authorized for wear, and you know absolutely don't look right.

[SSgt Rudin]

...the Navy is moving off quickly. The AF are going to be the last people in BDUs, ...

Navy exchange hasn't even started selling the new Navy uniforms. Air Force has Navy beat.

According to NAVADMIN 004-08, the new uniforms will be available this summer, with phase in at boot camp after the start of FY09 (so October of '08). 24 months for fleet wide distribution. So looking at October 2010 before everyone in the Navy is supposed to have them, with mandatory wear date 1 year following that, so October 2011 (FY12) before the Navy is in their new uniforms.

[afgeo4]

Wewill not do desert boots with BDU's as long as the AF has a say in our uniforms, as the AF currently does not authorize that either.  (It's an Army thing)  Currently its mold green or tan with ABU's, BDU's are still as prescribed in the current AFI.

CAP going to DCU's is as pointless (if not more) as remaining in BDU's.  There are still more people wearing BDU's than ACU's, so the "surpluss" of BDU's will still outweigh DCU's.  Once the AF completes the transition to ABU's the availablility of DCU's will be the same as BDU's.

As far as "Law Enforcement" boots being forbidden,  in my 16 years in the Army/Air Force I have never been asked to show my certificate of authenticity or "GI approved" stamp for my boots.  As long as they are black and shinny no one has ever asked where they came from.

mk

1. Just because no one asked you, doesn't mean it's authorized and it doesn't mean you should go out and spend good money on it. You know... INTEGRITY.

2. I don't think we're asking for tan boots with BDUs. I think we're asking for sage green (ABU) boots with BDUs. There is a difference. A small one, but a difference. This is to help the CAP membership ease their transition into ABUs. The DoD may have raised Airmen's uniform allowance, but they haven't given us any raises to be able to afford the new uniforms all at once.

[PHall]

Wewill not do desert boots with BDU's as long as the AF has a say in our uniforms, as the AF currently does not authorize that either.  (It's an Army thing)  Currently its mold green or tan with ABU's, BDU's are still as prescribed in the current AFI.

As far as "Law Enforcement" boots being forbidden,  in my 16 years in the Army/Air Force I have never been asked to show my certificate of authenticity or "GI approved" stamp for my boots.  As long as they are black and shinny no one has ever asked where they came from.

mk

Better check the regs before you post next time.

According to The Air Force Uniform Board FAQ's (#54) on the AF Portal website, you can now wear the Green Boots with BDU's. You just have to wear the Black or Green socks with the Green Boots.

[SAR-EMT1]

But did the AF Uniform Board authorize CAP to wear the green boots?
The answer is "no" and that was the point.

[PHall]

But did the AF Uniform Board authorize CAP to wear the green boots?
The answer is "no" and that was the point.

No, and that's not what he said either. He said that the Air Force only allowed black boots with the BDU.
I corrected him and provided the reference for my answer.

If CAP is really going to the ABU, it probably wouldn't hurt to ask the Air Force if we could do as they are doing and be authorized to wear the green boots with our BDU's.
With the military market for black boots drying up, some of the boots that are very popular today may not be available in the future.

[sarmed1]

Sorry, I just meant the Tans with BDU's (I am aware of the mold with BDU allowance), and yes someone posted earlier that we should be authorized tans with BDU's.

As far as BDU vs DCU, I meant in regards to the AF.  There is going to be no greater DCU availablilty than BDU's so lookng for a DCU authoriztion based on the idea of surplus DCU's being more avilable is false too. (especialy since the Army and USMC use they new digitals exclusively, and they are by far the larger representation of personnel in the AO)

As far as "unauthorized boots"  the best stretch is the prohibition on mixxing civilian and military garments.  The AFI doesnt spell out anywhere I could find about where boots come from, only somehting along the lines of combat or jungle....black with or without safety toe....zippers..blah blah blah.  By that reasonong the bulk of military members I know are as equally lacking in integrety because they are not exclusively wearing socks, t-shirts, running shoes or undergarments from clothing sales....

mk

[CASH172]

Even if we don't get ABUs, what are we gonna do about flight suits and the sage green boots.  AF says OD green flight suits can be worn with sage green boots, and I anticipate a mandatory wear date on those.  If we kept BDUs with black boots, our flight suiters may have to buy a second set of boots to follow in the AF model of the uniform. 

Just something to think about. 

[lordmonar]

If we stopped following the AF model with our field uniform....why should we follow it for our flight uniforms?

[Short Field]

Just a matter of finding a good cheap source of Nomex flight suits.  Once you move away from the standard USAF flight suit, it gets real expensive fast.  And almost no market for non-military Nomex flight suits.

[SSgt Rudin]

If we stopped following the AF model with our field uniform....why should we follow it for our flight uniforms?

Theoretically, once the AF in no longer permitting the wear of BDU's for their service members, BDU's would become a CAP Corporate uniform. We could lift the restriction of weight/grooming standards, and make any changes we wanted to, including authorizing green boots.

[CASH172]

^Not knowing if you're serious or not, why does the AF still theoretically control the old style Service Dress Uniform cadets are still authorized to wear?

[SSgt Rudin]

^Not knowing if you're serious or not, why does the AF still theoretically control the old style Service Dress Uniform cadets are still authorized to wear?

The AF controls Blues. The AF permits cadets to wear the old service jacket with the blues uniform for financial reasons, they don't have too. Just as SM are not permitted to wear it the AF can say the same about cadets.

[Becks]

More people in BDUs than ACUs? I really don't think so. BDUs are now pretty much completely phased out of the Army.

30 APR 08 is the official BDU/Subdued Nametape phase out for the Army...I haven't seen a troop in BDU's for some time.

[0]

Even if we don't get ABUs,

We will be getting the ABU.  The Air Force has already stated this.  They just haven't told us when.  My guess is within 4 years we'll be in the ABU.

[DC]

Even if we don't get ABUs,

We will be getting the ABU.  The Air Force has already stated this.  They just haven't told us when.  My guess is within 4 years we'll be in the ABU.

When have they said this? The I-heard-from-a-friend-whose-friend's-uncle's-girlfriend-is-an-AF-officer doesn't qualify. When has the Air Force said for certain that CAP would be authorized to wear ABUs?

[lordmonar]

It was mentioned at the last NB IIRC....and the LO for PCR said the same thing.

It is not a matter of if we get to wear them...but when.