September10, 2008:
A new uniform policy makes it
mandatory for most U.S. Air Force personnel to wear their Class A or B uniform
(their "blues") every Monday. That's a big change. After September
11, 2001, the air force allowed personnel to wear their BDU (Battle Dress
Uniform, similar to the army camouflage combat uniform) to work. This included
the many personnel who worked in offices or places where you rarely saw an
airman in BDUs. In late 2005, the BDU (which had now become ABU, for Airman
Battle Uniform) the policy was made mandatory, the reason being, "we are
at war."
While all
this wearing of combat uniforms to the office was intended to improve morale,
it eventually got old. This was especially the case as you saw more airmen
returning from Iraq or Afghanistan with the combat badge (awarded to thousands
of air force personnel who volunteered to help out the army with support jobs
in the combat zone.) Over five percent of air force personnel have now served
in a combat zone, and many of them have the combat badge. It was becoming
something of a joke to have people safely ensconced in an office job wearing a
combat uniform, while people wearing the same uniform were out in the sand box
getting shot at. So the pressure has been building to skip the morale building
business of wearing ABUs to the office, and give the troops what they really
want, their "blues."
After 2001,
the air force also worked hard to come up with a new "combat
uniform." To the army and marines, this effort has been the source of much
mirth. But the air force does have people, besides pilots, who are trained for,
and actually get involved in, ground combat. These are the air force security
troops. In effect, the air force has about five brigades worth of these men and
women. They are trained to use rifles, pistols, machine-guns, grenades for
ground combat. They guard air force bases, and in Iraq they helped guard
convoys and bases.
The first
version of the new air force combat uniform (or ABU, for Airman Battle Uniform)
came out in 2003 and immediately raised a howl of protest from the security
troops. The camouflage pattern of the ABU was in blue and gray. It looked nice,
in a hanger or office, but there was no camouflage effect. Taken aback, the air
force brass backed up and came up with a new color scheme
(green-gray-blue-tan), that worked for the grunts. But the ABU designers made
another error, by leaving off the extra pockets on the shirt. The army and
marines had these extra pockets, and they were very useful when you were
suiting up for battle. The air force brass disagreed, and the air force grunts
are still grumbling about it.
Another
source of complaint is the order to not put any patches on the ABU. The idea is
that you spend a lot of time putting the patches on, and taking them off, when
you transfer. But the grunts, who operate with soldiers and marines, like to
have people know who they are. Unit pride and all that. The air force brass
don't get it, and apparently feel that this ground combat stuff will soon be
gone, and the air force can get all their people back to offices and hangars.