New ABU's

[JarheadBoom]

Quoted the way it was probably intended:

"I don't think you can be a professional Airman and not polish your boots".

When I was in the other service and we were starting the transition to the new MARPAT (digital) cammies, the old-Corps dudes were saying the same crap:

"How are we gonna make good Marines when recruits in boot-camp don't have to polish their boots anymore?? Dear God, the Corps is gonna go to sh*t because of these new uniforms!!"

I seem to recall having about 3 minutes most nights in boot camp to polish boots AND brass - needless to say, neither were especially shiny. And it didn't matter anyway - we had a DI who seemed to get off on stepping on everyone's toes before we ever left the squadbay in the morning, so we would look as f*cked-up as he proclaimed we were. Ahhh, memories...

[Herk Mafia]

Let him tell that to the guard guys I work with.

[Guest Boom]

Let him tell that to the guard guys I work with.

The WYANG is high speed.

<~~~ Cheyenne native

[usaf36031]

Geeze guys, don't you know that American warriors have ALWAYS shined their freaking boots!?! It's the mark of a KILLER!

Except for Chesty Puller...that guy was a pussy.

[Scooter14]

So, if you are a flyer, what's the latest in AOR wear without getting into the whole AF PT's...

Is there an ABU boonie? Can you wear that with a flight suit? If not, what are my options...desert boonie or 8 pt Marine Corps hand me down?

What color tee shirt do you have to wear under the flightsuit? Still Black, Brown and/or Sand?

I'm not even going to worry about socks.

Also, I saw this little gem in the Air Force Times...

Airman battle uniform

Fielded in spring 2007, the ABU has been well-received, but there are some kinks to work out.

The most common complaint is that the blouse is too heavy and too hot.

The service is changing to a lighter-weight fabric for the blouse. The pants will remain the same weight because the heavier ones are more durable, Ewalt said.

About 200 to 300 lighter-weight blouses will be wear-tested in the war zones beginning early next year. They will be available in AAFES stores around June 2010.

The limited number of vendors means it will take a while to get the blouses into full production.

“We’re also competing [for manufacturer capability] with the other services, and they’re all in the same [situation] we are,” she said.

Ewalt said another complaint — inconsistent colors in the fabric — already has been solved.

The first ABU initiative to hit the field will be a new combat version that will be available starting in January. Only airmen deploying to the war zones can get one, and they can’t wear it anywhere else.

The fabric will be fire-retardant, Ewalt said, and the pockets will be different, reflecting suggestions from airmen in theater. Shoulder pockets similar to those on the Army uniform have been added, and the leg pockets have been moved for easier access.

“It just adds options for stowage of their gear that they didn’t have before,” Ewalt said. “It has all the buttons, whistles and horns the theater needed.”

The combat ABUs are likely to be distributed in theater, she said, although the logistics have not been finalized.

Wait...what? So we have the Airman BATTLE Uniform, but in order to deploy, we get a "COMBAT" Airman Battle Uniform that we can only wear when deployed.

So the one uniform that was supposed to replace the BDU and DCU and create one worldwide deployable uniform to cut costs now has a "combat battle uniform" and a "non-combat battle uniform".

Holy fuck.

[JarheadBoom]

So we have the Airman BATTLE Uniform, but in order to deploy, we get a "COMBAT" Airman Battle Uniform that we can only wear when deployed.

So the one uniform that was supposed to replace the BDU and DCU and create one worldwide deployable uniform to cut costs now has a "combat battle uniform" and a "non-combat battle uniform".

Holy fuck.

And on Mondays, to show a "war-fighting ethos", we're NOT gonna wear the Airman BATTLE Uniform.

Amazing how some AF people STILL wonder why we're the laughing stock of the DoD.

[bfargin]

And on Mondays, to show a "war-fighting ethos", we're NOT gonna wear the Airman BATTLE Uniform.

Amazing how some AF people STILL wonder why we're the laughing stock of the DoD.

I just got an email about the new Battle Dress Blue uniform being proposed!!

[busdriver]

The rumor I've heard about that combat only ABU, is that it's nomex, has shoulder pockets like the ACU, the pockets on the chest are slanted and the neck actually has a closure system. It basically sounds like the ACU pattern, made of nomex and in the AF color scheme. One of my E's said he talked with a big wig Chief (I don't remember who it was, ACC chief, AF chief, beats me) who was wearing it around to ask people's opinions. Sounds like an actual good product versus the piece of crap ABU. Hopefully we can get it approved for flight.

[Guest]

didn't schwartz nix plans on updating the service dress so we could focus on the more important stuff, or did i just make that up?

[Mambo]

didn't schwartz nix plans on updating the service dress so we could focus on the more important stuff, or did i just make that up?

I believe that he was nix'ing the new service dress with the belt. I'm guessing that was so we could focus on updating our old service dress.

[loadsmith]

I don't see the need to provide the whole force with a Nomex ABU. Sorry if I missed something ina previous post. The costs alone for that per uniform is going to be expensive seeing that a flight suits is $200 +. I could understand those types that live "outside the wire" on a regular basis but I will really find in unbelievable the day I see a finance person wearing Nomex ABUs.

[busdriver]

I would imagine the Nomex ABU will only be for people you mentioned. Cops are currently allowed to wear the two piece Army flight suit when outside the wire. Likewise, our PJs are wearing Army ACUs when overseas due to the need for the better pocket arrangement. If the AF treats this new get up like the ACU/2 piece flight suit issue, you won't see finance people wearing it. Hell if they treat it exactly the same, the helo world is going to have trouble convincing them to let us wear it.

[usaf36031]

the day I see a finance person wearing Nomex ABUs.

Coming on a Tuesday to an MPF near you...

I expect it. That way it doesn't sting as bad when I see it.

[Guest zookrider]

http://www.tigerstripeproducts.com/airforcetiger.htm

"We're sorry. We wished we had the opportunity to give you an authentic battle uniform with all the relevant features plus an effective camouflage design. At the very least you could have had a uniform with a State-of-the-Art pixilated Tiger Stripe pattern and colorway unlike what was chosen.

...

As determined by USAF Leadership, advanced Battle features like easy entry slanted chest, arm, and leg cargo pockets, elbow and knee padding pockets, improved neck closure to keep debris out and to protect from body armor, gusseted shoulders for ease of movement, and most importantly... an authentic Battle ready advanced pixilated Tiger Stripe pattern and colorway are not needed for the 21st century U.S. Air Force.

...

The men and women of the Air Force have our undying support for the difficult jobs that you all perform for our country. Is this new adopted camouflage and uniform design an Airman Battle Uniform or an Airman Barracks Uniform? Maybe it's just according to your own definition. Judge for yourself."

[Guest Ikarus]

I would imagine the Nomex ABU will only be for people you mentioned. Cops are currently allowed to wear the two piece Army flight suit when outside the wire. Likewise, our PJs are wearing Army ACUs when overseas due to the need for the better pocket arrangement. If the AF treats this new get up like the ACU/2 piece flight suit issue, you won't see finance people wearing it. Hell if they treat it exactly the same, the helo world is going to have trouble convincing them to let us wear it.

We had some Command Chief come by and talk to us at the 66th about the 2 piece - he said they were almost done with this "ABSG" which was supposed to be better, and made in layers that could be removed when in the helo, but still be protective enough to be flight worthy. Everyone seemed ok with it, as long as it doesn't turn out like shit like almost every other uniform the AF has tried to remake.

[busdriver]

Agree, I really want a flight worthy 2 piece setup, that would allow us to have a combat shirt type thing to wear with body armor when flying. For you fighter guys, imagine if your cockpit was 10 to 20 degrees C hotter than ambient with poor air circulation and you have to wear body armor, and you'll see why the current setup sucks. I have no shit burned my hand touching a metal surface in the cockpit while deployed.

[Guest Ikarus]

Agree, I really want a flight worthy 2 piece setup, that would allow us to have a combat shirt type thing to wear with body armor when flying. For you fighter guys, imagine if your cockpit was 10 to 20 degrees C hotter than ambient with poor air circulation and you have to wear body armor, and you'll see why the current setup sucks. I have no shit burned my hand touching a metal surface in the cockpit while deployed.

This was exactly what he was talking about. He forgot to bring one with him to show us, but he said the RQS he went to previous loved it. Hopefully he wasn't full of shit.

[Guest afviper]

I'm in the AOR now doing an ILO with the Army. Anytime I get into a tactical vehicle I have to wear either A2CUs or a flight suit because our "battle uniform" is not fire retardant. I saw an email a few weeks ago saying this new uniform was a Warfighter Urgent Operational Need and may be introduced to those in the AOR as early as October. Would post the memo but I don't have NIPR up here in the mountains.

[Guest Flip]

So, if you are a flyer, what's the latest in AOR wear without getting into the whole AF PT's...

Is there an ABU boonie? Can you wear that with a flight suit? If not, what are my options...desert boonie or 8 pt Marine Corps hand me down?

What color tee shirt do you have to wear under the flightsuit? Still Black, Brown and/or Sand?

As of 01 OCT, @ the Deid, tan hats are out, only ABU ball-cap or boonie authorized. Still black/brown/sand on the t-shirts.

Does anyone know if anything is written authorizing the new ABU "APECS" gore-tex jacket with FDU/DFDU?

I usually bring my tan gore-tex out in the winter, just in case (good for two or three drizzly days)

Not sure what to bring this rotation.

-Flip

[FalconXtreme]

anybody know the cheapest place to purchase quality abus?

[nsplayr]

New article I saw on af.mil

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123116821

Selected quotes:

Battlefield Airmen will soon receive a new equipment item that will improve their ability to execute their combat duties. Further down, The developers stressed the ABE is considered a personal protective ensemble and not a uniform. The ABE will be unit controlled, issued equipment and will only be worn by select Airmen based on their assigned mission. The Air Force will issue an ABE only if it is needed. It will not be for sale in the military clothing sales stores.

So it's not even a uniform, it's PPE...

The airman battle ensemble is comprised of the coat, pants and battle shirt. It is basically a tactical fire resistant adaptation of the current ABU. The ABE is the core of the ABS-G.

Battle shirt? Really? Can I wear my "battle" shirt while I stroll down the "combat" sidewalk?

Pockets were configured for access while wearing full body armor, including shoulder and side plate protection. Each layer of the ABS-G has identical sleeve and leg pocket configurations.

So it's got a lot of the features people asked for in the ABU? How did we screw this up so bad that airmen outside the wire need new additional "equipment" rather than their "Airmen Battle Uniforms?"

[SuperWSO]

Looking at the picture attached to the article, the "Battle" Airman is wearing an ACU helmet, armor, pads and all pouches. The only ABU stuff he has on is the shirt and pants. Calling this an "ensemble" is stretching things a bit. The Army was issuing Nomex ACUs to everyone in theater. This brings up the question once again - why not wear what the Army is wearing in combat so as to not look different? ACUs are available in nomex and all the associated gear is available in the same pattern.

[FalconXtreme]

i love how the only thing ABE he is wearing is pants and blouse. EVERYTHING else is ACU pattern army stuff. which raises the question again as why we could just be wearing ACUs?? $#%ing idiots!

[Guest Cap-10]

So we spent all that time to make a Airman Battle Uniform (ABU) that isn't fit for battle, so it's basically should be called a Airman BS Uniform, becuase that's wear people are going to wear it, BS'ing around the desk or water cooler.

So this is supposed to be the REAL Battle Uniform?

UFB!

Cap-10

[Mambo]

The problem is that the idiots designing this stuff have never actually been in battle.