Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Posted (2 years 12 months 15 hours ago) and read 16196 times:
Don't know if this is the appropriate forum for this (moderators, feel free to move it wherever you feel it should be).
Lately, I've seen where the USAF is getting new uniforms.....dress, utility, etc. but can't seem to find any photos of what they look like. Does anyone have any pics of these?
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 16011 times:
As for the USAF dress uniform, it was only a change to the coat. The new coat is commonly referred to as the "heritage coat." The coat was in "wear test" phase but was recently shelved to work on other uniform concerns (namely the Airman Battle Uniform).
The Airman Battle Uniform was rolled out some time ago, with new recruits receiving them beginning in October 2007 (I think).
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Reply 2, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 15985 times:
I had understood that the ABU was changing colors. Also, I HAVE seen pictures of the dress uniform with the high collar. The one you posted looks like an older RAF uniform. My brother used to call me a "bus driver" when I wore my older, dress uniform.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 3, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 15977 times:
Quoting Mayor (Reply 2): I had understood that the ABU was changing colors.
I haven't heard that. I do know that when they were first rolled out, there were quality issues with the first batches. One would go to an MCSS and have to pick through the limited stock to find shirt and pants that were the same shade. That issue was fixed though.
The only change that I'm aware of is that a new lighter weight shirt is being tested now. The current version has received complaints that it is too heavy for summer use.
Quoting Mayor (Reply 2): I HAVE seen pictures of the dress uniform with the high collar.
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Reply 4, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 15939 times:
Yeah, that's the one...........somehow it looks too SS, to me.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
Dragon6172 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 1142 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 15924 times:
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Reply 7, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 15871 times:
Well, maybe it was the severity of the look that I meant when I said SS. As for the ABU, I thought sure I had seen a pic of it where it was in shades of blue and grey in a camo pattern.
BTW, whatever happened to the uniform that was between the dress blues and the fatigues?....when I went in it was 1505's (khakis) and then it was changed to a oxford cloth shirt and the same pants as the dress blues. There was also the variation of the long sleeve, dark blue, wool shirt, with tie, worn with the dark blue pants.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
Curt22 From United States of America, joined Jul 2007, 335 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (2 years 11 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 15763 times:
Quoting Mayor (Reply 7): Well, maybe it was the severity of the look that I meant when I said SS. As for the ABU, I thought sure I had seen a pic of it where it was in shades of blue and grey in a camo pattern.
Your memory is correct...there was a much "Bluer" tiger stripe pattern tested as the new USAF BDU, but it failed...color was just too obnoxious, so the new digital pattern was adopted that was pictured above.
Personally, I think it's silly that all services now have different digital pattern BDUs when one pattern worked just fine for all for decades...The Services cannot sustain the argument that the environment (Iraq, Afghanistan) are different for soldiers, marines and airmen so they need different uniforms.
Jetjack74 From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 7198 posts, RR: 54 Reply 10, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 15298 times:
Quoting ShyFlyer (Reply 1): As for the USAF dress uniform, it was only a change to the coat. The new coat is commonly referred to as the "heritage coat." The coat was in "wear test" phase but was recently shelved to work on other uniform concerns (namely the Airman Battle Uniform).
AKA the Hap Arnold uniform blazer
Quoting Dragon6172 (Reply 5): Maybe they are wearing it wrong, but the belt pratically covering that button looks ridiculous. Maybe its just the Marine in me.
Actually, this option is known as the Billy Mitchell style uniform
Quoting Mayor (Reply 7): Well, maybe it was the severity of the look that I meant when I said SS. As for the ABU, I thought sure I had seen a pic of it where it was in shades of blue and grey in a camo pattern.
It was one of the proposals, but they went for the light shade of green instead
What the USAF is working on, is a summer option for the ABU, like the summer material the BDU has since the current ABU only come with the thinker, winter fabric
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Reply 12, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 15026 times:
If these are the choices for a dress uniform, I say they go back to the original blues.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
Cadet57 From United States of America, joined Jul 2005, 9080 posts, RR: 40 Reply 13, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 14988 times:
The BDU's are cool. But the new dress coat? Ick. That thing looks awful
Doors open, right hand side, next stop is Springfield.
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 14904 times:
Quoting IAirAllie (Reply 11): Wow that is UGLY! Just one argument in favor of having gays in the miltiary at least you'd get some decent uniforms. biggrin
Not to mention that the placement of the belt has to be custom fitted to each person. But if you want to see a truely awful uniform coat, take a gander at this:
This, thankfully, only lasted a year before General Fogleman (who succeded McPeak as USAF Chief of Staff) ordered the return to the previous version.
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (2 years 11 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 14838 times:
Quoting IAirAllie (Reply 15): I don't get what is so bad about this.
Well, asthetically, it really isn't bad. However, it bears a really strong resemblance to the uniform of a Naval Officer (Naval uniforms, IMO, are quite sharp looking). The Air Force has no naval heritage, so a lot of people were . On top of that, AF Officers didn't like looking like airline pilots.
General McPeak's intention (IIRC) was for a more streamlined, simple look (fewer ribbons, no epaulets). When you compare his uniform coat to this:
he succeeded, but the naval-esque sleeve braid was a major source of resentment. As a result, only a handful of Officers adopted the uniform before it was "no longer authorized."
Interestingly, the current coat (pictured below), incorporates a simple, streamlined look by taking design cues from a business suit (the big, decorative pockets are gone):
However, this coat was due to be replaced by the Hap Arnold coat (the one with the belt) after calls to have a coat with a more military look to it.
...like sands through the hour glass, these are the Days Of Our Lives
Forgive me for saying this about the United States Air Force, and please don't nuke Calgary for me saying this...but that guy on the right, in the "new" Air Force uniform?
Ual777 From United States of America, joined Aug 2003, 1447 posts, RR: 5 Reply 18, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 14693 times:
Quoting Curt22 (Reply 8):
Personally, I think it's silly that all services now have different digital pattern BDUs when one pattern worked just fine for all for decades...The Services cannot sustain the argument that the environment (Iraq, Afghanistan) are different for soldiers, marines and airmen so they need different uniforms.
The new "digi" camis that the Marines wear are FAR superior to the old BDUs in terms of breaking up the outline of the Marine wearing it.
IAirAllie From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 14685 times:
Quoting Ual777 (Reply 18):
The new "digi" camis that the Marines wear are FAR superior to the old BDUs in terms of breaking up the outline of the Marine wearing it.
You missed the point. He was saying why does every branch need their own pattern when they used to all share the same pattern in the past. Why isn't on updated pattern enough.
ShyFlyer From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 20, posted (2 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14667 times:
Quoting IAirAllie (Reply 19): He was saying why does every branch need their own pattern when they used to all share the same pattern in the past.
How the Armed Forces came to use the same pattern in the past is beyond me. My assumption is that the desire for a uniform more fitting to the current battle environment (urban/desert) and the desire for Generals to leave their own mark on their respective services lead to what we have now.
Mayor From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, RR: 10 Reply 21, posted (2 years 11 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 14416 times:
Not to shamelessly try to bring this back to the top, but I just found this pic I've been looking for. It's me, in my AF blues, posing with my Dad. I think it was taken in the fall of '67, no matter the date on the pic. I was at Shemya in July of '68.
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
Tiger119 From United States of America, joined Sep 2003, 1919 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (2 years 11 months 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 14347 times:
All the service men and women from all branches that I have seen stationed at Atterbury wear what appear to be the same BDU patterns. And as far as the dress uniform for the USAF officers and NCOs, I prefer the darker blue blazer than the power blue ones (but I am not the CMS or the O-10 so my vote does not count).
Flying is the second greatest thrill known to mankind, landing is the first!
Looking at the Cmsgt, wearing the BDUs in the photo, they just seem to get younger and younger, every day....time was, those guys were pretty well grizzled vets.
[Edited 2009-06-29 08:03:59]
"A committee is a group of the unprepared, appointed by the unwilling, to do the unnecessary"----Fred Allen
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From United States of America, joined Mar 2008, 7531 posts, 
. On top of that, AF Officers didn't like looking like airline pilots.
From Canada, joined Jun 2005, 814 posts, 
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