ABUs any real answers?

[Short Field]

Sorry but there is no way I would where blue BDUs. They might make us like like air conditioning service men or worse Plumbers! (nothing against plumbers, we all need one eventually but still)

The uniform of USAF missile crews in the '70s looked very similar to the CAP blue utility uniform.  Several of the very high tech career fields wore a uniform very similiar to the blue BDUs.   

[JohnKachenmeister]

Also, Florida state penitentiary inmates wear a uniform very similar to the BBDU.

Except it has silver stripes like the TPU.

[PHall]

Sorry but there is no way I would where blue BDUs. They might make us like like air conditioning service men or worse Plumbers! (nothing against plumbers, we all need one eventually but still)

The uniform of USAF missile crews in the '70s looked very similar to the CAP blue utility uniform.  Several of the very high tech career fields wore a uniform very similiar to the blue BDUs.

The Thunderbirds Ground Crew members wear the same uniform. It's a blue version of the OG507 fatigues.
And Propper still makes them.

[coolkites]

I would agree that as far as government sources for BDU's basically there's little in stock at this time at most BX's.  HOWEVER, there are comercial firms offering BDU's at this time.

I think CAP really needs to just make the decision now for everyone to transition into the Blue BDU's.  Once's the green BDU's meet their service life end (e.g. about 2015 or so).  There's absolutely no reason for anyone in CAP to be wearing ABU's that are camoflauge, and require that you wear an orange vest to be seen.

Lol Im fourteen and I weight 110 pounds so that's not my concern. I think we should continue to wear military style clothing (ABUs) because in the field we need to look professional If I need to knock on someones door because there is an ELT going of in their home they are more likely to treat us like professionals if we look like Military. My opinion

My understand is CAP may not be able to get surplus ABU's anyways, so members would have to buy at AF or commercial stores.  Blue BDU's would be less expensive overall and offer more flexibility in outer wear.   Also they won't go obsolete every time the military decides to change something to costs us taxpayers even more money than it should  Lets just make a transition to the more gentle blue to meet our motto "Citizens Serving Communities Above & Beyond!", rather than CAP invades Podunk USA
RM   

Sorry but there is no way I would where blue BDUs. They might make us like like air conditioning service men or worse Plumbers! (nothing against plumbers, we all need one eventually but still)

Then don't ever gain weight. No one wears them because they look good--they wear BBDUs because they don't meet USAF ht/wt standards.

In my opinion wearing the camouflage makes CAP look more Military like and therefore we are more respected. My opinion

[davidsinn]

I would agree that as far as government sources for BDU's basically there's little in stock at this time at most BX's.  HOWEVER, there are comercial firms offering BDU's at this time.

I think CAP really needs to just make the decision now for everyone to transition into the Blue BDU's.  Once's the green BDU's meet their service life end (e.g. about 2015 or so).  There's absolutely no reason for anyone in CAP to be wearing ABU's that are camoflauge, and require that you wear an orange vest to be seen.

My understand is CAP may not be able to get surplus ABU's anyways, so members would have to buy at AF or commercial stores.  Blue BDU's would be less expensive overall and offer more flexibility in outer wear.   Also they won't go obsolete every time the military decides to change something to costs us taxpayers even more money than it should  Lets just make a transition to the more gentle blue to meet our motto "Citizens Serving Communities Above & Beyond!", rather than CAP invades Podunk USA
RM   

Sorry but there is no way I would where blue BDUs. They might make us like like air conditioning service men or worse Plumbers! (nothing against plumbers, we all need one eventually but still)

Then don't ever gain weight. No one wears them because they look good--they wear BBDUs because they don't meet USAF ht/wt standards.

I wear them because the wife likes my goatee.

[Rotorhead]

I would agree that as far as government sources for BDU's basically there's little in stock at this time at most BX's.  HOWEVER, there are comercial firms offering BDU's at this time.

I think CAP really needs to just make the decision now for everyone to transition into the Blue BDU's.  Once's the green BDU's meet their service life end (e.g. about 2015 or so).  There's absolutely no reason for anyone in CAP to be wearing ABU's that are camoflauge, and require that you wear an orange vest to be seen.

Lol Im fourteen and I weight 110 pounds so that's not my concern. I think we should continue to wear military style clothing (ABUs) because in the field we need to look professional If I need to knock on someones door because there is an ELT going of in their home they are more likely to treat us like professionals if we look like Military. My opinion

My understand is CAP may not be able to get surplus ABU's anyways, so members would have to buy at AF or commercial stores.  Blue BDU's would be less expensive overall and offer more flexibility in outer wear.   Also they won't go obsolete every time the military decides to change something to costs us taxpayers even more money than it should  Lets just make a transition to the more gentle blue to meet our motto "Citizens Serving Communities Above & Beyond!", rather than CAP invades Podunk USA
RM   

Sorry but there is no way I would where blue BDUs. They might make us like like air conditioning service men or worse Plumbers! (nothing against plumbers, we all need one eventually but still)

Then don't ever gain weight. No one wears them because they look good--they wear BBDUs because they don't meet USAF ht/wt standards.

In my opinion wearing the camouflage makes CAP look more Military like and therefore we are more respected. My opinion

Respect does not come from the color of your uniform.

The faster you learn that, the better.

[lordmonar]

Rotohead.....then why do we teach the importance of uniforms to our cadets?

Uniforms are a symbol and all symbols carry some sort psychological tag with them.

Wearing BDUs vice BBDUs does bring us some credibility.  Just as wearing the USAF blues brings us more credibilty then the CSU.

This is not to say that the corporate uniforms don't have any credibilty and that we cant make that creditibilty stronger in its own right.

I too think that this is a great time for CAP to finally get "uniformed" in its uniforms.

I would like for us to all be in USAF uniforms but it that won't/can't happen then we need to bite the bullet and move everyone (or atleast the senior members) into corporate uniforms.

That way we will only have two uniforms......Cadets and seniors.  Easy to understand.  Easy to explain to our customers and easy to differntiate betweenthe two classes off members.
It would allow us to use any rank structeer we want.  It would allow us to make any changes we want and it would allow us to not have to slave ourselves to the USAF.

If for instance they allowed us to wear ABUs today with green boots and next month decide to go to Tan we would have a bunch of people crying about how they have to buy anthoer set of boots.

[flyerthom]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

[Hawk200]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

That's not even funny.

[Gunner C]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

I'm hoping you were kidding!  That's about an ugly get-up.

[flyerthom]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

I'm hoping you were kidding!  That's about an ugly get-up.

3000 unemployed comedians in Vegas and Captalk gets me 

[lordmonar]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

I'm hoping you were kidding!  That's about an ugly get-up.

3000 unemployed comedians in Vegas and Captalk gets me 

Tom....you and I nned to have very long talk!

[CadetProgramGuy]

Forget blue BDU'S, I wish they would go with od, tan or grey .

Standout from the crowd!

Go back to bed thom......

[Spike]

It would allow us to use any rank structure we want.  It would allow us to make any changes we want and it would allow us to not have to slave ourselves to the USAF.

Unfortunately that is not true!  Case in point, the TPU/CSU.  We had hard metal rank insignia on the flight caps and AF told us NO.  We had metal rank on the black Army Windbreaker and AF told us to ADD "CAP" cutouts.  I also believe they wanted the Silver junk on the uniform jacket as well.

[Eeyore]

Yeah, no matter what we wear we will still be the auxiliary of the AF (even if we aren't all the time) and the AF will get to tell us what is allowed and what isn't as far as uniforms go, the only thing that is going to change that is an act of Congress.

There are some things that they are hands off with, but when it comes to something they care about, they're going to step in. I'm perfectly fine with that, it's just one of those things that you sign up for when you join CAP.

[Hawk200]

Unfortunately that is not true!  Case in point, the TPU/CSU.  We had hard metal rank insignia on the flight caps and AF told us NO.  We had metal rank on the black Army Windbreaker and AF told us to ADD "CAP" cutouts.  I also believe they wanted the Silver junk on the uniform jacket as well.

Can you prove any of that? Or are you just speculating?

[SarDragon]

I wear them because the wife likes my goatee.

+1000, 'cept mine's a full beard!

[lordmonar]

Unfortunately that is not true!  Case in point, the TPU/CSU.  We had hard metal rank insignia on the flight caps and AF told us NO.  We had metal rank on the black Army Windbreaker and AF told us to ADD "CAP" cutouts.  I also believe they wanted the Silver junk on the uniform jacket as well.

Can you prove any of that? Or are you just speculating?

The USAF asked us politely that we make some small changes to the CSU (aka TPU) to include removing the rank from the hat and the US on the lapel of the service coat. 

They did not say NO because they don't have that power.....but they have ways of making CAP's life hard so we compromised.

And no I can't prove this...but there is a lot of board acitivty from back in this time that you can check out.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Unfortunately that is not true!  Case in point, the TPU/CSU.  We had hard metal rank insignia on the flight caps and AF told us NO.  We had metal rank on the black Army Windbreaker and AF told us to ADD "CAP" cutouts.  I also believe they wanted the Silver junk on the uniform jacket as well.

Can you prove any of that? Or are you just speculating?

The USAF asked us politely that we make some small changes to the CSU (aka TPU) to include removing the rank from the hat and the US on the lapel of the service coat. 

They did not say NO because they don't have that power.....but they have ways of making CAP's life hard so we compromised.

And no I can't prove this...but there is a lot of board acitivty from back in this time that you can check out.

You are right about the "US" cutouts on the TPU and the metal rank on the wrong side of the flight cap.  You are also right about the "CAP" cutouts on the Army windbreaker.  The silver junk on the sleeve of the TPU was entirely the creation of HWSRN, and was a big nod to his experience with third-world Latin American dictators. 

From a commercial that never quite aired on the CAPNET, but might see the light of day if Sparky and me start up our comic strip again:

"Whether he's testifying before a Congressional homeland security committee, or merely 2B-ing an uncooperative Wing commander, he ALWAYS looks good in his TPU's! 

Fashions by Generalissimo Tony Pineda... available exclusively from Vanguard!"