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Air Force Uniforms |
 Air
Force ABU Items
Shop for U.S. Air Force ABU uniforms, branch tapes, name
tapes, chevrons, jackets, trousers, boots
and more. |
 Uniform
officials warn Airmen about knockoff ABUs
By Staff Sgt. Monique Randolph
Secretary of the Air Force Office of Public Affairs
6/14/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Commercial manufacturers have
begun to advertise sale of the new Airman Battle Uniform at
various online Web sites. Air Force officials warn Airmen
these uniforms are not the authorized items provided by the
Air Force's official source, Defense Supply Center
Philadelphia, and may not meet the service's stringent
specifications.
Many Airmen who want to get the uniform immediately may be
tempted to purchase these uniforms, potentially sacrificing
the safety and quality of the DSCP-procured uniforms scheduled
to be available for purchase at Army and Air Force Exchanges
Service locations in October, said Maj. Randall Smith of the
Air Force Uniform and Recognition Branch.
"Many of these Web sites are advertising their uniforms as
'official' and 'fully certified,' however, no commercial
vendors currently have Air Force certification," he said. "All
uniforms must be purchased through DSCP or AAFES when they
become available."
When the Army introduced its Army Combat Uniform, it faced
similar issues, said Maj. Brian Schooley, the program manager
for Air Force Military Clothing at AAFES. Many soldiers
purchased uniforms from uncertified commercial vendors, and
the uniforms did not meet Army specifications.
In many cases, the pockets were improperly sewn or sized, the
stitching was incorrect, and the weight, quality and feel of
the garments were inferior, he said. There were also safety
issues.
"The (certified) ACU (and ABU) have an inherent non-infrared
quality that makes them undetectable by night-vision
equipment," Major Schooley said. "The knockoffs may not have
that same quality."
Additionally, when soldiers purchased knockoff uniforms that
did not meet military specifications, they were not able to
return them for refunds, and military clothing sales cannot
exchange them because they are not certified, he said. DSCP
uniforms have a replacement warranty and may be exchanged at
AAFES locations.
"DSCP provides high-level quality with all our products," said
Al Esposito, a supervisory product service specialist with
DSCP. "We only award (contracts) to the best vendors to give
(members) the best quality."
While the military can not legally stop vendors from
advertising and selling knockoff uniforms, it can educate
military members on the importance of buying their uniforms
from certified vendors.
"Our folks deserve to know what they are, or are not, buying,"
Major Smith said. "Airmen, especially those who are deploying,
don't need hassles, and when you buy something uncertain, you
run the risk of having your uniform fall apart at a very
inconvenient time."
The ABU is being issued to Airmen scheduled to deploy and
those already in deployed locations. It will be issued to
Airmen in basic training and available in select AAFES
locations in October. The mandatory wear date is in 2011.
"We're getting great reviews about the uniform, and we're
thrilled that folks want to get it now," Major Smith said. "We
are working as hard as possible with DSCP and AAFES to get it
out while meeting the AEF and AOR requirements. We ask Airmen
to hold on. It's coming, and it's worth the wait." |
 Air
Force official discusses uniform updates
By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski
Air Force Print News
3/1/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- Air Force officials move
forward with the Airman Battle Uniform roll-out and plans for
a new service dress coat.
The new ABU, designed to eventually replace both the Battle
Dress and Desert Combat Uniforms worn by Airmen, is currently
in full production.
Early deliveries of ABU inventories in 2007 are earmarked for
issue to a select group of deployers for Air Expeditionary
Force 7 and 8.
Distribution plans also have the ABU replacing the BDU in the
initial clothing bag at Basic Military Training in early fall.
Production expectations at this time support plans to have the
ABU available for purchase in many Military Clothing Sales
Stores later this year, with AAFES wide availability in early
2008.
"Distribution decisions regarding which Airmen deploying in
AEF 7/8 will be issued the ABU were based on a number of
factors, with mission requirements and security paramount."
said Brig. Gen. Robert R. Allardice, the Airman Development
and Sustainment director. "Not all deployers will receive the
new uniform due to initial stock levels, but I've been
inspired by countless deployers who, after learning supplies
of the ABU inventories are limited, emphatically supported the
distribution plan that gives precedence to our front line
Airmen. This is a team effort on all levels."
Battlefield Airmen are those with Air Force specialty codes
for combat rescue, special tactics, pararescue jumper, combat
control, tactical air control Airmen, members of the special
operations weather team, battlefield weather Airmen and
explosive ordnance members. Their missions take them "outside
the wire" for much of their duty. The majority of Battlefield
Airman deploying in AEF 7 and 8 will each be issued four ABU
sets. All other 7 and 8 deployers will receive the DCU.
General Allardice said the ABU is a uniform that is not only
easy to wear; it's easy to see the improvements as compared to
our current utility uniforms.
"While similar to other services' uniforms in some ways, it
carries a distinctive Air Force design," the general said.
"For example, the ABU has a four-color design. Additionally,
the digitized tiger stripe pattern of the ABU pattern
capitalizes on and skillfully employs a tested, proven
pixilated camouflage advantage that proved very effective in
tests."
Some of the ABU features are both men and women's sizes for
better fit, improved pocket placement, and no starch
maintenance thus lowering time and costs of upkeep.
General Allardice's favorite aspect of the ABU is its ease of
care.
"I've had the same couple of ABUs for a year and a half and
have not once put an iron or starch to it and it still looks
good as new," he said. "Airmen will never have to take this
uniform to the dry cleaner. It's comfortable and I love the
way it looks, it feels and how easy it is to care for."
General Allardice said now that the ABU is being fielded,
development has started on other new uniform items.
Specifically, Airmen can expect a field test of the new
service coat later this year.
The new service coat has gone through several prototypes, with
officials recently deciding which version will be released for
field testing.
"We talked extensively to Airmen, both in the field and
through the Air Force Uniform Board process, and this is
something they've repeatedly asked for," General Allardice
said. "We want a service dress that clearly represents our
pride as Airmen and history as a service, and we want to make
sure we get it right. That's one of the reasons we're
referring to the proposal as the Heritage Jacket.
"We considered the uniforms that both Gen. Hap Arnold and Maj.
Gen. Billy Mitchell wore," the general said. "We then tried
variations of those designs with different lapel styles and
sizes, with and without buttons, belted and unbelted, as well
as versions with a wide variety of pocket configurations. The
prototype jacket being tested pulls the strongest mix of
detail preferences into one jacket and combines them with the
latest in textile assembly industry."
Once feedback has been received from the Heritage Jacket wear
test, Air Force leaders will make a final decision on the new
coat and send it into production, he said. |
ABU
wear policy effective immediately
By Staff Sgt. C. Todd Lopez
Air Force Print News
2/15/2007 - WASHINGTON (AFNEWS) -- Air Force officials at the
Pentagon released the wear policy for the new Airman Battle
Uniform Feb. 7.
The policy comes in time to help many of the Airmen deploying
to the AOR in May, as these Airmen will be among the first to
get the ABU.
Further ABU distribution plans will be based on production
capability.
The new policy addresses uniform care, uniform wear, uniform
accessories and use of tactical items that don't match the
ABU's color pattern.
From the beginning of the utility uniform redesign process,
Air Force leaders have said they hoped to make it easier for
Airmen to take care of their uniforms. The uniform care
instructions in the new policy reflect the emphasis on ease of
care. Generally, the policy indicates that the uniform should
be wash and wear.
"Wash in warm water ... tumble dry, permanent press cycle,
remove immediately from dryer and fold flat or place on
rustproof hanger," the instruction recommends. It also says
the uniform could be air dried on a hanger.
According to the new policy, the ABU is not to be starched or
"hot pressed" in a commercial laundry.
According to the new policy, Airmen will wear "sand colored"
T-shirts under their ABU coat. The T-shirts may be v-neck,
crew neck or "athletic style." Additionally, Airmen may wear
self-purchased T-shirts made of material other than what is
issued. Specifically, "moisture wicking fabrics" and
"cotton/poly blends" are authorized as long as they are sand
colored and the manufacturer's logo is not visible.
The Air Force has chosen to use the Army universal camouflage
pattern for tactical items. The policy authorizes AOR wear or
use of tactical items and field items only in the Army
universal camouflage pattern or the desert camouflage uniform
pattern. Tactical items include such things as body armor,
modular lightweight load-carrying equipment, canteen covers,
helmet covers, etc.
Tan combat boots are authorized with the ABU until the
"foliage green" boots become available. The phase out date for
the tan boot and the mandatory wear date for the green boot
have not yet been set.
The mandatory wear date for the ABU -- the date when all
Airmen should be wearing the uniform -- is Oct. 1, 2011. |
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Air Force Uniforms
